BLOG
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.
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.
International School of Panama
During this third visit to The International School of Panama (ISP) this academic year, I facilitated assemblies with 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders to explore identity-based harm and the impact of jokes, informed by student focus groups in December; engaged with operations staff to gather feedback on belonging policies; met with the PTA Executive Committee with Rosalind Wiseman; and continued strategic work with the Community and Belonging Task Force.
Additionally, a group of academic and operations leaders participated in a meaningful and instructive session processing the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), fostering deeper conversations about intercultural competency.
I look forward to returning later this spring to build on these insights and further our shared commitment to fostering a culture of dignity and respect.
Deepening Belonging and Intercultural Competency at Island Primary in the Cayman Islands
I had the privilege last week of working with Island Primary, a new school committed to delivering a British curriculum for students from reception to Year 6.
Our faculty development session was a true melting pot of nationalities, experiences, and perspectives, bringing together international educators from around the world. Through interactive activities and reflection, we cultivated shared understandings around belonging.
Leveraging the intercultural competency as a guiding model, we embarked on a journey of introspection, recognizing the challenges of the term “diversity,” particularly in international education, and the benefits of belonging in an learning environment.
Delving into research, we explored what young minds comprehend about differences at various developmental stages and the profound implications for fostering an inclusive school community.
A heartfelt thanks to Steve Coles and Jenn Cowdroy for extending the invitation. I look forward to our ongoing partnership to deepen and sustain belonging at Island Primary.
Geography Quiz!
Can you guess the country whose flag is featured in this post? Here are some hints:
Capital is Georgetown.
Approximately 80% of the country is covered in lush forests.
Located in the northern tip of South America but proudly Caribbean.
National Dish is Pepperpot, a delicious stewed meat dish with a unique blend of flavors.
In 2015, this nation made headlines when ExxonMobil discovered oil, sparking rapid economic and intercultural growth.
-
🇬🇾 = Guyana!
Recently, I had the pleasure of returning to Georgetown International Academy for a day of insightful focus groups with students and staff, delving into their perspectives on belonging. With a growing student body of 340 students from 37 nationalities- relative to 80 students just five years ago- and a new location and building inaugurated in August, the theme of belonging is more important than ever.
Day 2 involved a strategic consultation with the DEIB team and senior leadership at GIA. We leveraged a SWOT analysis to identify 5 strategic priorities aimed at deepening the sense of belonging.
I am grateful to Shauna Hobbs-Beckley, EdS head of school, Dr. Robin Heslip, and The US State Department, for generously supporting this work; and the entire GIA community for their warm welcome. Looking forward to my next visit to GUYANA soon!
DEIB Executive Leadership Cohort Session 4: The Library
So proud of this incredible group of educators. Leveraging insights from our two-day onsite last December in Panama, this session focussed on deeper applications of the IDI, integrating best practices from global DEIB models, and drawing from organizational development strategies to iterate school-specific action plans.
We ended the session by sharing key takeaways from the group's third case study analysis, which explored challenges associated with school libraries, which have become one of the primary targets for individuals who oppose advancing belonging.
The DEIB Executive Leadership Cohort consists of 40 administrators from international and American schools in Latin America. Over the course of the academic year, participants convene 5 times virtually and 2 days onsite. The curriculum leverages a case study model, integrating metrics and insights from the Intercultural Development Inventory, and conceptual and theoretical frameworks drawing from global DEIB, intercultural competency, cross-cultural communication, organizational development, and culturally responsive teaching, among others. Successful participants will leave the program with a deeper sense of self, strategic empathy, and enhanced inclusive leadership skills cultivated through sustained case study.
Exciting news: Applications for Cohort 2 are opening soon!