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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.
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🇬🇾 = 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!
Belonging Survey Findings at International School of Panama
I just spent another three incredible days with students, staff, and parents at International School of Panama to share findings of our recent belonging survey.
Acknowledging the old adage that "inquiry is a also form of intervention," the process of structuring the data collection model began last April by building capacity with the Belonging and Community Task Force.
Over the course of the year, I spent 15 days on campus working with all constituent groups to socialize common language to support an inclusive community, and sharing the research around the benefits of fostering belonging and the damage around belonging uncertainty.
We intentionally integrated all constituents into the data collection process, providing opportunities to share perspectives anonymously in the IPS survey instrument that we specifically designed for the school. Additionally, I facilitated 32 onsite focus groups, in English and Spanish, where I leveraged emergent survey themes to learn more details about the various community perspectives and experiences around belonging.
The process culminated last week when I provided constituent sessions for staff, parents, middle and high school students, and 4th and 5th graders- in English and Spanish- to learn about the findings: levers, positive dynamics, and growth areas.
The next phase consists of convening the Belonging and Community Task Force and other belonging committees to identify strategic belonging priorities and to design the 2024-25 Belonging Action Plan.
Many thanks to Audrey C. Menard, Ed.D., head of school, and the entire ISP community for their partnership in this critical work.
A Visit to the National Library of El Salvador
What an incredible visit to the new National Library in San Salvador, El Salvador. I was fortunate to learn from a personal tour guide, along with with Polly Parker, PhD , head of Escuela Americana, to experience each floor, learn about the various collections, and appreciate overarching campaign to promote literacy and expand access to all Salvadorians. I even had a little fun with the Batman exhibit, experienced the meta universe, and controlled a dog robot that can be used to find people after earthquakes. Can't wait to return!
International School of Panama: Belonging Survey Focus Groups
I returned to Panama last week to spend four days at International School of Panama (ISP) conducting Belonging Focus Groups. Earlier this fall we launched a customized belonging survey, specifically designed utilizing ISP-specific language and belonging and intercultural competency frameworks to measure and provide data and metrics for the ISP Belonging Strategy.
The onsite Belonging Focus Groups are a critical component of our comprehensive data collection process to learn from students, families, and employees regarding emergent themes from the survey.
I have spent a total of ten academic days on campus thus far, during which time we dedicated five days to hearing perspectives, experiences, and ideal outcomes from school constituents.
I look forward to returning in January to share the findings broadly with the ISP community, in addition to continuing our ongoing strategy sessions with administrators, the board, and our Belonging and Community Council.
DEIB Executive Leadership Cohort 1: Program Onsite in Panama
Felicidades and parabens to the 38 heads of schools, superintendents, and senior leaders representing over 14 LATAM countries who participated in last weekend’s DEIB Executive Leadership Onsite at International School of Panama. A special thanks to Audrey C. Menard, Ed.D. for inviting us to ISP's beautiful campus in Panama City.
Building on concepts that we explored during virtual sessions, the onsite objectives leveraged the Intercultural Development Continuum as a conceptual framework for introspection and developing Inclusive Leadership and Intercultural Competency.
Day 1
On Day 1, we reviewed individual Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) results and implications for personal growth. The IDI provides a cross-cultural and validated metric to understand the disjuncture between how an individual perceives how they understand and interact with others versus how they may be actually experienced by others. Participants were courageous, vulnerable, and appreciated the ability to learn from sharing personal stories and experiences.
Day 2
On Day 2, we leveraged Leading Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which I typically use for my business clients, but soon realized that the strategies are equally instructive for any global organization. Dr. Rohini Anand PhD's transversal approach--which argues that global DEIB efforts must be flexible and adaptive while integrating local dynamics--was a meaningful framework to enhance country and school specific strategies. Afterward, we engaged in our second case study to build capacity specifically related to racism in international schools.
We ended our program by synthesizing learnings into actionable school plans, which will be iterated during our sessions, providing personal accountability and continuous progress.
The Power of Food
And let's not forget the power of food in fostering connections! I curated every meal, in collaboration with ISP’s chef, Jalil Mendoza, to showcase Panamanian cuisine-- from patacones to pixbae ceviche, corvina to empanadas de plátano, arepas de yuca to guyaba juice. We ate well.
We also enjoyed Afro-Panamanian cuisine from chef, Isaac Villaverde, whose restaurant, La Tapa del Coco, is a must-visit in Panama City. Isaac spent time with our cohort, sharing his personal journey to become a proud ambassador of Afro-Panamanian cuisine.
I am immensely proud of Cohort 1's growth and commitment to DEIB. I am thrilled about our ongoing efforts to deepen belonging in American and International Schools in LATAM.
Committed to Fostering a Better World
I am blessed to lead Belonging and Intercultural Competency efforts in so many incredible organizations, across industries, around the world, with so many individuals who are deeply committed to fostering a better world.
I have said it before-- and I'll say it again: I pinch myself every day that my passion is also my vocation. Thank you!
Honored to Deliver NESA Keynote
I was honored to deliver my second NESA keynote last week at the 2023 Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools Leadership Conference.
During my talk, I leveraged recent international school data to make the case to reframe traditional US-centered framings of diversity, which do not resonate outside of the US, to an intercultural competency framing to drive belonging in international schools.
You can hear the primary thesis in my most recent podcast below.
Many thanks to Search Associates for supporting the keynote and for their ongoing support of fostering inclusive learning environments for all students.
I am also deeply appreciative of Maddy Hewitt's leadership and commitment to prioritizing and sustaining this work in the NESA region.
Barilla Announces New Parental Leave Policy
I am proud of my ongoing work with Barilla to support their Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging strategy.
Their new parental leave policy simply states that ALL new parents will receive the same benefit of 12 weeks of full parent leave. Period.
ALL. New. Parents- without any distinction.
Floriana Notarangelo, Chief D&I Officer, writes,
There cannot be Gender Equality in the workplace, if there is not Gender Equality at home. At Barilla Group we acknowledge this, that is why as of January 1st, every new parent, without any distinction, and regardless of gender identity, marital status, and sexual orientation, will benefit from minimum 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, in every country we operate in.
To. Any. New. Parent.
Regardless of who you are and whom you love.
Turning intentions into actions! Proud to be Barilla People! We did it!
Thank you, Floriana, for your ongoing partnership and commitment to these critical efforts! Read the full announcement in Italian here and in English here.