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Early Childhood Conference at Hong Kong International School
I am thrilled to deliver the opening and closing keynotes with Rosemarie Truglio, PhD, Senior Vice President of Global Education at Sesame Workshop, at the HKIS Early Childhood Conference, alongside more than 250 early childhood educators.
In our keynotes, The Circle of Care: Where Belonging Begins, we ground the theme in a simple truth: belonging begins with dignity, and dignity is what allows play, curiosity, awe, inquiry, and collaboration to flourish. We focus on the small moments across home, school, and community that answer a child’s most important question: Do I matter here?
Dr. Truglio and I first met nearly a decade ago when I delivered a keynote at the Wonderplay Conference at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Since then, we have partnered through my work as Senior Content Advisor at Sesame Workshop to help create content that supports Sesame Workshop’s mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.
I am grateful for this long collaboration and for every educator who widens the circle of care for young children, one interaction at a time.
American School of Barcelona
I am grateful for my collaboration with The American School of Barcelona as we continue deepening belonging and strengthening a culture of dignity and respect.
I was especially encouraged that capacity building included the full adult community across teaching and staff teams, and that we supported access through professional learning facilitated in both Spanish and English.
I also appreciated the opportunity to facilitate a full day retreat with the leadership team on inclusive leadership, leveraging the Intercultural Development Inventory as a practical tool for sustaining this commitment schoolwide.
I look forward to our ongoing work during year three of our partnership.
2025 in Review: Operationalizing Intercultural Competency and Change Management
This year reinforced a hard truth: awareness and good intentions are not enough. Without the capacity, strategy, and implementation discipline to operationalize the insights, belonging goals remain aspirational rather than realized.
I am grateful and humbled by the opportunity to partner with organizations committed to deepening intercultural competency, strengthening belonging, and cultivating inclusive communities grounded in dignity and respect.
In 2025, the work included:
Engaging 60,000+ participants
Spending 101 days onsite in consultation
Partnering with 48 businesses and schools
Working across 25 cities (and at least 20 countries)
Delivering learning in 4 languages: English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish
Contributing to 9 events and conferences and leading five executive leadership cohorts
Thank you to every organization that trusted my leadership and partnership and chose to move beyond intention into sustained practice.
I look forward to building on this momentum in 2026 and I welcome conversations with leaders who are ready to invest in the strategy, capacity, and follow through that make belonging measurable and sustainable.
Early Childhood Conference at HKIS
I am grateful for this thoughtful highlight from Hong Kong International School. I look forward to keynoting the Early Childhood Conference in January with Rosemarie Truglio, PhD as we explore belonging, play, and children’s perspectives in learning.
I invite early childhood colleagues across the region to join us in Hong Kong for this meaningful professional experience. Register to deepen your capacity to support our youngest learners grow " kinder, stronger, and wiser."
American School Foundation of Guadalajara (ASFG)
Fostering Cultures of Dignity and Respect at American School Foundation of Guadalajara (ASFG)
I was delighted to return to Guadalajara for my eighth visit to the The American School Foundation of Guadalajara to continue our ongoing efforts to foster an inclusive school community grounded in dignity and respect for all.
The intercultural competency work focused on cultivating shared language around the knowledge, skills, and competencies that we all need in an international community to engage with one another with empathy, respect, and adaptability. This included parent education, student assemblies, board conversations, and strategic planning to inform the next phase of data guided belonging and wellbeing work that strengthens a coherent and inclusive school environment.
Before leaving campus, I paused at a set of elementary murals that echoed these commitments. Their messages served as a simple and powerful reminder of the values the community is intentionally nurturing.
I look forward to returning in the spring.
Cultivando culturas de dignidad y respeto en el American School Foundation of Guadalajara (ASFG)
Me dio mucho gusto regresar a Guadalajara para mi octava visita al The American School Foundation Guadalajara y continuar con nuestros esfuerzos para cultivar una comunidad escolar inclusiva, basada en la dignidad y el respeto para todos.
El trabajo de competencia intercultural se centró en cultivar un lenguaje compartido sobre los conocimientos, habilidades y competencias que todos necesitamos en una comunidad internacional para relacionarnos con empatía, respeto y adaptabilidad. Esto incluyó sesiones para familias, asambleas para estudiantes, conversaciones con la junta directiva y planificación estratégica para orientar la siguiente fase del trabajo en pertenencia y bienestar, guiado por datos, que fortalece un entorno escolar coherente e inclusivo.
Antes de salir del campus, me detuve ante un conjunto de murales en la sección de primaria que reflejan claramente estos compromisos. Sus mensajes ofrecen un recordatorio sencillo y poderoso de los valores que la comunidad está cultivando de manera intencional.
Espero con entusiasmo regresar en la primavera
United Nations International School of Hanoi
I am grateful for a meaningful visit to United Nations International School of Hanoi (UNIS Hanoi), where I had the opportunity to engage with students, educators, and parents in thoughtful dialogue about inclusive school communities grounded in dignity, respect, and authentic belonging.
This visit built on our session with the Board last August, where we highlighted intercultural competency as a critical skill for bridging differences and strengthening our shared humanity within an international community.
Many thanks to Liz Gale, Ed.D., Head of School, and Maria S. Chung, board chair, for their partnership and leadership as the community continues to advance this important work.
Continually Inspired
I’m continually inspired by the organizations I partner with around the world, each one deeply committed to fostering cultures where dignity and respect are foundational for everyone.
From São Paulo to Hong Kong, Hanoi to Madrid, and across schools, businesses, and conferences, I am grateful for the opportunity to advance intercultural competency and belonging, work that feels more essential than ever. To all who engage in this important work, thank you for your ongoing commitment.
Saigon South International School
“We were honored to once again host Dr. Derrick Gay, a world-renowned Belonging and Intercultural Strategist. During his multi-day visit, Dr. Gay shared invaluable expertise on intercultural competency with our community. ”
Intercultural competency is crucial to support belonging in international schools. I am thrilled to sustain our partnership with Saigon South International School (SSIS) to foster an inclusive school grounded in dignity and respect.
Penn Graduate School of Education
It is a privilege to return to my alma mater for the second year to teach intercultural competency to international college counselors, fostering dialogue on the skills essential for inclusive and culturally responsive advising.
Building Belonging Across Borders: Intercultural Competency and Women’s Leadership
I recently had the honor of facilitating two sessions with SHE-CAN, an organization that prepares women scholars from Rwanda, Cambodia, Liberia, and Guatemala for academic and social life at U.S. universities. The program’s purpose is to strengthen leadership capacities that enable scholars to return to their home countries as agents of change and contributors to community development.
The sessions brought together scholars and mentors in reflective dialogue about belonging, leadership, and intercultural understanding. We examined intercultural competency, defined as the knowledge, skills, and capacities that allow individuals to communicate and interact effectively with empathy, respect, and adaptability.
This competency is particularly vital for international students as they transition to U.S. university contexts. Research has documented the challenges international students encounter in adapting to new academic systems, communication norms, and cultural expectations. Studies consistently demonstrate that intercultural competency contributes to stronger academic engagement, psychological well-being, and a greater sense of belonging within higher education settings (Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, Journal of Studies in International Education, 2019; Leask, Teaching in Higher Education, 2015; Arkoudis et al., Higher Education Research & Development, 2013).
The SHE-CAN scholars exemplify these findings in practice. Their reflections revealed an intentional commitment to growth, self-awareness, and relational understanding. They approach learning not merely as individual advancement but as preparation to contribute to their communities with empathy, insight, and responsibility. Their perspectives illustrate how education can serve both personal and collective transformation. The mentors were equally engaged, heightening awareness to enhance relationships and support.
Facilitating these conversations reaffirmed that belonging is not an abstract concept but a lived practice enacted through listening, respect, and curiosity. In global learning environments, these practices foster trust, understanding, and collaboration—core conditions for leadership that honors the dignity of all participants.
I am grateful to SHE-CAN for the partnership and for the opportunity to learn alongside such thoughtful scholars and mentors. Their engagement demonstrates how intercultural competency can serve as both a foundation for leadership and a catalyst for meaningful global connection. And a special thanks to Dr. Katherine Stecher for the invitation to partner.