EduLead 2025: Full Schedule

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7:30am CST

Registration Day 2

Saturday May 10, 2025 7:30am - 8:00am CST

8:15am CST

Morning Keynote Day 2

Saturday May 10, 2025 8:15am - 9:30am CST

Guy Lott Auditorium

Speakers

Rosan Bosch

Rosan is founder and creative director of Rosan Bosch Studio. She is internationally renowned for her designs and inspiring perspectives on stimulating learning spaces.With design as a tool for innovation and change, Rosan challenges established cultures and norms. In close dialogue... Read More →

Saturday May 10, 2025 8:15am - 9:30am CST
Guy Lott Auditorium

Keynote

9:45am CST

Creating a Culture of Belonging: Defining Our Individual Pathways to Success

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST

Upper School Library

Success is not one-size-fits-all—each of us navigates a unique journey shaped by our experiences, identities, and strengths. This interactive workshop explores what it means to build a culture of belonging in educational and community spaces, ensuring that every individual feels valued, heard, and empowered.

Speakers

Kristel Solomon

Kristel Solomon is an accomplished International Educational Consultant with over 20 years of experience dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to high-quality education and the opportunity to achieve their individual pathways to excellence. She has served as Director... Read More →

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST
Upper School Library

Parent/Student Session

9:45am CST

Belonging at TAS: Insights from Focus Groups and the Path Moving Forward

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST

Harmony Theater

Taipei International School remains deeply committed to fostering a school community grounded in dignity and respect. Over the past two years, Dr. Gay has partnered with TAS to support and refine these efforts, working closely with faculty, staff, students, parents, and the board. During his most recent visit in October, he conducted focus groups to examine the lived experiences within the school, gathering valuable insights into TAS’s strengths, challenges, and opportunities for growth.

In this workshop, Dr. Gay will present key themes that emerged from these discussions, situating them within broader trends in international schools. Participants will engage with research-based frameworks to deepen their understanding of belonging and learn strategies that support meaningful and sustained progress. Through guided conversations, they will discuss key insights, explore their implications, and consider how these findings can inform ongoing efforts at TAS. This session will provide an opportunity to connect past and present work, reinforcing a shared commitment to fostering a culture where all members of the community experience a strong sense of belonging.

Speakers

Dr. Derrick Gay

Dr. Derrick Gay is a globally recognized Belonging and Intercultural Strategist, dedicated to fostering cultures of dignity and respect. With multifaceted expertise as an international speaker, author, researcher, educator, and university lecturer, Dr. Gay empowers individuals and... Read More →

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST
Harmony Theater

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

9:45am CST

On Being Agentic: Cultivating Self-Directed Learners 

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST

Lotus Lounge

What does it mean to be truly agentic in learning and life? This session explores the dimensions of agency and the key factors that empower individuals to take ownership of their learning. Participants will examine key dimensions and explore strategies to design learning experiences that cultivate efficacy, adaptability, and lifelong learning skills. If you are a learner, or facilitator of learning in others, this session is for you.  

Speakers

Kristen Pelletier

Kristen Pelletier is a highly regarded educational consultant, coach, and teacher trainer dedicated to fostering inclusive cultures and practices in international schools. Her consulting, Castle Corner-Redefining Access recently relocated to Portugal, leverages over 20 years of experience... Read More →

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST
Lotus Lounge

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

9:45am CST

Redesigning Learning: Foundations of Student-Centered Design (Session 1: Repeat)

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST

2C80

This two-session workshop invites educators to reimagine their classroom practices through the powerful combination of design thinking and project-based learning. Moving beyond traditional instruction, participants will explore how intentionally designed learning experiences can transform student engagement and foster authentic belonging in school communities. The workshop bridges theory and practice, providing teachers with both conceptual frameworks and dedicated time to develop implementable units for their specific contexts.
Session 1: Redesigning Learning: Foundations of Student-Centered Design
In our first session, participants will explore the research-backed connections between student choice, engagement, and belonging. Through interactive activities and case studies, we'll examine how design thinking principles can be applied to curriculum development, creating learning experiences that honor diverse perspectives and learning styles. Teachers will analyze successful models that balance academic rigor with student autonomy, identifying specific strategies for implementation in their own classrooms.

Speakers

Aparna Sundaram

With over 30 years of dedicated service in education, Aparna has established herself as an innovative educator, strategic leader, knowledgeable recruiter, and respected consultant. She has led curriculum initiatives focused on culturally responsive pedagogy, design thinking... Read More →

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST
2C80

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

9:45am CST

Stretching your Learning Edges: Growing (Up) at Work (REPEAT)

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST

Lower School Library

At this moment in time when things are ever shifting, it is critically important that we strive to develop ourselves, not just as educators, but as human beings. What can we do to be bigger and better versions of ourselves as collaborative team members and as leaders? This workshop, based on Jennifer’s new book, Stretching Your Learning Edges: Growing (Up) at Work, will introduce us to adult developmental theory and to five focused ways we can develop ourselves at work.
We will build our skills to:

know ourselves and our identities
better suspend our certainty and think with greater complexity and openness
take increased responsibility for our language and communications
engage with reciprocity and live ‘out loud’ our belief of mutual respect for all
build our resiliency and work on our emotional hygiene

Consider what it means, in practice, to grow (up) – to develop our skills and capacities as lead learners in our schools.

Speakers

Jennifer Abrams

Communications Consultant

Jennifer Abrams is an international educational and communications consultant specializing in supporting public and independent schools, universities, and non-profits. She trains and coaches educators, administrators, and other professionals on new teacher and employee support, having... Read More →

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST
Lower School Library

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

9:45am CST

AI in Schools: The Good, The Bad & How to Set It Up for Success

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST

2nd Floor Tech Cube

AI is transforming education and student life in ways both exciting and deeply concerning. While it can enhance learning and creativity, it also presents serious risks—deepfakes, manipulated images, and AI-generated chatbots that exploit loneliness and vulnerability. Too often, when students fall into harmful AI-driven spaces, it’s because they feel disconnected in the real world. This session will explore how schools can take a proactive approach—helping students find the good in AI, understand its dangers, and, most importantly, build real-world belonging so they are less likely to seek unsafe connections online.

Why this matters:

AI is not just about ChatGPT and homework—students are facing deepfakes, body manipulation, AI-generated influencers, and romance chatbots that impact self-esteem and relationships.
Schools must go beyond banning AI—developing a framework that educates and safeguards students against misinformation and AI-driven deception.

Practical strategies & policy development:

Creating a schoolwide AI policy that provides clarity for students, teachers, and parents.
Teaching students and staff to recognize AI-generated deception, including deepfakes, AI-altered images, and algorithm-driven manipulation.
Addressing AI’s influence on online relationships, including AI chatbots and romance simulators.
Examining the impact of AI on mental health, particularly in body image manipulation and AI-generated influencers.
Building AI literacy into advisory, media literacy, and digital citizenship programs.
Educating parents on AI’s risks without fearmongering.

Key Takeaway: School leaders will leave with a clear roadmap for AI education and policy, along with practical strategies to teach AI literacy across different roles in the school.

Speakers

Allison Ochs

Founder and Owner, Edit change management -Digital Wellbeing and Citizenship

Allison Ochs is an American-Swiss social pedagogue, author, lecturer, and consultant specializing in digital literacy and citizenship in schools and beyond. With a background in social work and education, Allison has worked with families, children, and schools in diverse capacities... Read More →

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST
2nd Floor Tech Cube

Whole Community (Anyone)

9:45am CST

Deeper Dive into the Big Questions

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST

MPR

Building on the themes introduced in the keynote, this interactive workshop invites participants to engage more deeply with the 12 Big Questions Schools Must Answer to Create Irresistible Futures. Together, we will unpack the power and purpose of these questions—such as What is Learning? Who is Unheard? What is Success?—and explore how they serve as catalysts for meaningful reflection, courageous dialogue, and transformative change across educational settings.
Participants will examine how these foundational questions intersect with their own roles—whether in the classroom, in leadership, or as members of the broader school community. Through guided inquiry, collaborative protocols, and reflective practice, attendees will assess their current beliefs, identify areas of alignment or tension, and begin envisioning practical shifts that support student flourishing, foster a stronger sense of belonging, and promote more equitable systems.

Speakers

Homa Tavangar

Cofounder, Big Questions Institute

Homa Tavanger is the co-founder of the Big Questions Institute and the Oneness Lab.She brings 30+ years’ experience helping diverse organizations and individuals to build cultural, racial and global competence, strategic governance, and visionary, generative leadership in diverse schools and organizations. She coaches leaders on accountability for equity... Read More →

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST
MPR

Whole Community (Anyone)

9:45am CST

The Power of Visioning

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST

Legacy Commons

In this introductory session for parents, participants will:

identify and explore the current trends and drivers of change in education.
explore potential futures
create an artefact for a future focused education
learn about the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework as a process for designing curriculum connecting students to ways of thinking, working and living in the world.

Speakers

Janelle McGann

Janelle is a global educator with over 25 years’ experience in public and private schools in Australia, Ireland and the US. As a teacher, leader, consultant and lecturer, Janelle understands the demands of a changing educational landscape for teachers and leaders. She has a passionate... Read More →

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST
Legacy Commons

Whole Community (Anyone)

11:15am CST

Developing & Assessing Psychological Safety in the Classroom (Repeat)

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST

Middle School Library

We know many reasons that psychological safety is important in the classroom: it provides an environment in which students can take intellectual risks, be creative, and engage in critical thinking. And yet, there are students who find it difficult to engage, and no matter how we might coax them, their verbal contributions to class conversations remain minimal. What might be getting in the way? How do we go about deliberately establishing an environment in which all students feel safe enough to contribute their thinking? In this workshop, we will explore ways in which teachers deliberately establish a psychologically safe space for student engagement, and how we might assess our successes.

Speakers

Dr. Ochan Kusuma-Powell

Ochan Kusuma-Powell is co-founder and director of Education Across Frontiers, an organization that promotes teacher education towards the development of professional learning communities. A graduate of Columbia University with a doctorate in international education development, she... Read More →

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST
Middle School Library

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

11:15am CST

Leading in Transition:  What Are the New Skills, Literacies, and Dispositions for Liminal Times?

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST

MPR

This session offers a guided exploration the just-released ebook on 12 Big Questions (free download here), following the popular  9 BIG Questions Schools Must Answer to Avoid Going "Back to Normal" (*Because "Normal" Wasn't That Great to Begin With) by Tavangar and Richardson.

The big questions are being used as a provocation to drive meaningful and fearless inquiry around school change and efficacy in the midst of volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous (VUCA) conditions in the world and in education.

Through probing, interactive activities we will audit and explore questions such as What is Learning? Why Do We ______? Who is Unheard? and Are We OK? as well as the three new questions: What is Your Story? What is Success? and What is Your Legacy? Embarking on a systematic interrogation of key questions, our “why” becomes clearer, to unlock new “how’s” for steering schools through crisis and uncertainty.

This session encourages educators and leaders to interrogate deeply held assumptions, clarify their shared purpose, and uncover pathways for designing learning environments that are inclusive, innovative, and responsive to both present challenges and future possibilities.

Key Takeaways:

Develop a shared language and framework for school transformation using the 12 Big Questions
Engage in reflective and collaborative inquiry to surface core values, assumptions, and beliefs about learning
Explore how questions of identity, equity, and purpose shape student experiences and school culture
Clarify your individual and collective “why” to inspire innovative “how’s” for navigating change
Leave with a set of tools and protocols for facilitating continued dialogue and strategic reflection within your own teams and communities

Speakers

Homa Tavangar

Cofounder, Big Questions Institute

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST
MPR

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

11:15am CST

Redesigning Learning: From Concept to Classroom (Session 2: Repeat)

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST

2C80

This two-session workshop invites educators to reimagine their classroom practices through the powerful combination of design thinking and project-based learning. Moving beyond traditional instruction, participants will explore how intentionally designed learning experiences can transform student engagement and foster authentic belonging in school communities. The workshop bridges theory and practice, providing teachers with both conceptual frameworks and dedicated time to develop implementable units for their specific
Session 2: Redesigning Learning: From Concept to Classroom
Building on our foundational understanding, the second session provides structured planning time for teachers to design or redesign a unit using project-based methodology. Participants will work collaboratively to address common challenges—from assessment design to scheduling constraints—while leveraging the collective wisdom of colleagues from diverse disciplines. Teachers will leave with a framework for a unit that incorporates authentic student choice, community connections, and real-world problem-solving.

Speakers

Aparna Sundaram

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST
2C80

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

11:15am CST

Reframing Perspectives: Shifting Mental Models Through Asset-Based Language

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST

Upper School Library

The language we use shapes our perceptions, teaching practices, and interactions with students. This workshop explores how asset-based language can shift mindsets, fostering a more inclusive and strengths-focused approach to neurodiverse and multilingual learners. Participants will examine how mental models influence their perceptions of student abilities, learn to reframe challenges as opportunities for growth, and explore strategies that empower all learners to thrive.

Speakers

Kristel Solomon

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST
Upper School Library

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

11:15am CST

UbD Part 4: A focus on performance

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST

Legacy Commons

Learn a process for developing more ‘authentic’, performance-based assessment tasks that assess student understanding and capacity to apply knowledge, integrate important thinking skills and develop student agency.
Participants will learn:

key features of authentic performance-based assessment tasks
a framework for designing authentic tasks that integrate important thinking skills with academic content
how to structure tasks for student choice and agency

Speakers

Janelle McGann

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST
Legacy Commons

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

11:15am CST

Understanding Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS): PART 1 (Repeat)

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST

Lotus Lounge

In today’s diverse classrooms, meeting the needs of all students requires proactive, structured approaches. This session introduces the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework—a whole-school approach designed to ensure every learner receives the right level of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional strategies to access curriculum. Participants will explore what MTSS is, why schools are adopting it.  We’ll engage with and unpack the core principles of tiered interventions and set the stage for exploration of the ‘how’ of MTSS in Part 2. Whether you’re new to MTSS or looking to strengthen your understanding, this session provides a foundation for effective, student-centered support.

Speakers

Kristen Pelletier

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST
Lotus Lounge

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

11:15am CST

Managing the Digital Shift: How Online Communication Impacts the Classroom & School Community (Repeat)

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST

2nd Floor Tech Cube

Have you ever walked into class and felt like something was off—students whispering, a shift in energy, or tension between friends—but you had no idea what had happened? In today’s world, so much of student life unfolds online, in group chats, gaming communities, and social media. What happens in these spaces doesn’t stay there—it spills over into the classroom, shaping friendships, conflicts, and overall school culture. This session will explore how online interactions influence student dynamics and how educators can foster a safe, connected learning environment that bridges the gap between digital and real-world relationships

Why this matters:

Students bring their online conflicts into the classroom, but educators often lack the tools to address these digital behaviors effectively.
Bullying, exclusion, and miscommunication online have real consequences for school culture.

Practical strategies:

Identifying digital conflicts early before they disrupt classroom culture.
Establishing proactive classroom norms that prevent online bullying and exclusion.
Effective interventions when online meanness spills into in-person interactions.
Schoolwide safeguarding approaches to ensure students feel safe both online and offline.

Key Takeaway: Educators will learn specific techniques for noticing, addressing, and preventing digital conflicts while fostering a classroom culture of belonging.

Speakers

Allison Ochs

Founder and Owner, Edit change management -Digital Wellbeing and Citizenship

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST
2nd Floor Tech Cube

Whole Community (Anyone)

11:15am CST

Strategies to Address Identity-Informed Harm

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST

Harmony Theater

Most families choose international schools for their children so that they are exposed to a wide range of backgrounds, including different nationalities, languages, religions, and perspectives, fostering open-mindedness and strategically positioning students for success in a multicultural and globalized world.

However, these very identity differences are used by students as the basis for identity-informed harm and jokes, where stereotypes about someone's background become the punchline. This issue undermines the inclusive and respectful cultures of dignity and respect that international schools strive to foster.

During this interactive session, participants will explore the latest research on the specific differences students exploit to leverage power and inflict harm. They will also gain insights into the types of jokes students use to perpetuate these stereotypes. Through a detailed case study, attendees will apply Dr. Gay's DEIB Action Protocol, providing a structured framework for understanding, processing, and designing effective intervention strategies to combat these harmful behaviors and promote a more inclusive school community.

Speakers

Dr. Derrick Gay

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST
Harmony Theater

Whole Community (Anyone)

12:30pm CST

Lunch

Saturday May 10, 2025 12:30pm - 1:15pm CST

1:30pm CST

12 Big Questions School Must Answer to Imagine Irresistible Futures (REPEAT)

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST

MPR

Develop a shared language and framework for school transformation using the 12 Big Questions
Engage in reflective and collaborative inquiry to surface core values, assumptions, and beliefs about learning
Explore how questions of identity, equity, and purpose shape student experiences and school culture
Clarify your individual and collective “why” to inspire innovative “how’s” for navigating change
Leave with a set of tools and protocols for facilitating continued dialogue and strategic reflection within your own teams and communities

Speakers

Homa Tavangar

Cofounder, Big Questions Institute

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST
MPR

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

1:30pm CST

Collaboration and Leadership Skills for Team Leads, Department and Committee Chairs and Others

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST

Lower School Library

We know how to do our jobs well and then we are appointed ‘lead’ of a group of adults. We have a credential or license to do our educational and/or clinical work yet becoming a department chair, committee head or team lead requires different set of skills. In this session participants will discuss the role of “group leader” and the skill set that goes with this new role in building collaborative and professional culture within their workplaces.
Participants will learn how to:

Increase one’s credibility in the role as chair or team lead
Understand adult learning theory and how that plays out in meeting design
Use non-verbal language to create an approachable or credible stance depending on the needs of the situation
Listen and paraphrase effectively so others feel heard
Ask questions others want to answer
Provide effective feedback through praise, suggestions and requests

Speakers

Jennifer Abrams

Communications Consultant

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST
Lower School Library

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

1:30pm CST

DEVELOPING A KLSS CULTURE (Being Known, Loved, Safe & Successful)

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST

Middle School Library

Organizations get the most of all members of a community when they feel known, loved, safe and successful. How might we be deliberate in designing and implementing a culture in which all stakeholders feel a sense of belonging? Among other variables, our intentions need to be specific and deliberate. Powell & Zoller (2024) have identified five for this purpose. 

In this session, participants will explore some of the intentions that might serve in designing a culture for inclusion, including:

Embracing equity of voice
Honoring and valuing cultures
Being compassionate
Living collective purpose
Dialoguing for generativity

Please come and explore these intentions and consider how they might apply in your own setting. 

Speakers

Dr. Ochan Kusuma-Powell

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST
Middle School Library

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

1:30pm CST

UBD Part 1: Understanding by Design (UbD) a framework for creating a future ready curriculum (Repeat)

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST

Legacy Commons

In this introductory session, Janelle will present an overview of the UbD framework and address the following questions:

What are the drivers and goals of a future ready curriculum?
How should we design curriculum ‘backwards’?
What is understanding and how does it differ from ‘knowing’?
How should we design curriculum connecting students to ways of thinking, working and living in the world?

Speakers

Janelle McGann

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST
Legacy Commons

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

1:30pm CST

Understanding Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS): Part 2: From Theory to Practice

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST

Upper School Library

Building on the foundational principles explored in Part 1, this session takes a deeper dive into the practical application of MTSS within school communities. Participants will move beyond the "what" and "why" of MTSS to explore the "how"—how to implement, refine, and sustain a tiered support system that effectively meets the diverse needs of all learners.

Speakers

Kristel Solomon

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST
Upper School Library

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

1:30pm CST

Using Student Voice & Storytelling to Navigate Digital Belonging & Online Challenges

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST

2nd Floor Tech Cube

Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to engage students, whether we’re addressing digital dilemmas, social struggles, or moments of feeling left out. Students don’t just hear stories—they connect with them, remember them, and take the lessons with them long after the conversation ends. This session explores how educators can use storytelling—both their own and their students—to spark meaningful discussions, tackle complex online issues, and create a stronger sense of belonging in the classroom.

Why this matters:

Students face digital challenges that adults do not always see.
Storytelling builds belonging—when students share their experiences, they realize they are not alone.

Practical strategies:

Student-led storytelling techniques to discuss digital dilemmas like exclusion, social media pressure, and online identity.
Facilitating digital storytelling projects that allow students to express themselves safely.
Teaching digital empathy through real student experiences.
Creating safe spaces where students can talk about digital pressures openly.

Key Takeaway: Educators will leave with practical tools to bring student voice into advisory, social-emotional learning, and classroom discussions, strengthening belonging through shared experience.

Speakers

Allison Ochs

Founder and Owner, Edit change management -Digital Wellbeing and Citizenship

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST
2nd Floor Tech Cube

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

1:30pm CST

Navigating Identity: Building Bridges Between Home, School, Work and Self

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST

2C80

I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then." - Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Who are you? A simple question should invite a simple answer. But there is nothing simple about you, me, or the society in which we live, and this complexity of identity does not disappear when we go to work or school.
This interactive workshop explores the dynamic relationship between identity development, belonging, and future success. Designed for students and adults alike, this session creates a safe space to examine how our multifaceted identities—across race, gender, class, age, ability, and more—shape our educational and work experiences and influence our interactions with others. Through structured activities and facilitated dialogue, participants will uncover how different aspects of identity become more salient depending on the environment, potentially creating both advantages and obstacles to authentic belonging.

Speakers

Aparna Sundaram

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST
2C80

Whole Community (Anyone)

1:30pm CST

Reframing Diversity as Belonging

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST

Harmony Theater

As explicit attacks on “DEI” in the United States continue to unfold, we are navigating the impact on international education, particularly through shifts in federal funding priorities and institutional commitments and the displacement of thousands of international families who work for USAID. At a time when “DEI” efforts face growing scrutiny, this is not the moment to step back, but rather to sustain and deepen this work in ways that are both strategic and sustainable. Our shared commitment to fostering inclusive communities grounded in dignity and respect, while also ensuring the protection of the most vulnerable in our international school communities, remains more critical than ever. 

In this reflective, actionable session, we will explore ways to move forward, ensuring that your school’s efforts are data-driven, aligned with long-term institutional goals, and grounded in change management best practices will be essential to upholding your school’s mission.

Speakers

Dr. Derrick Gay

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST
Harmony Theater

Whole Community (Anyone)

1:30pm CST

What Might Behavior be Telling Us? 

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST

Lotus Lounge

All behavior communicates something, often signaling an unmet need. Our perceptions of behavior influence how we respond—and ultimately, how effective our response might be. In this engaging session, participants will explore some reasons for behavior, the role of our perceptions in understanding it, and some strategies for responding to behavior to foster positive outcomes. Join us for insights into creating supportive and effective interactions for managing behavior. 

Speakers

Kristen Pelletier

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST
Lotus Lounge

Whole Community (Anyone)

3:00pm CST

Closing Remarks

Saturday May 10, 2025 3:00pm - 3:20pm CST

Harmony Theater

Saturday May 10, 2025 3:00pm - 3:20pm CST
Harmony Theater