“Diversity is the presence of difference, Equity is ensuring that everyone has access to the same opportunities, Inclusion is valuing that difference.” (DCS, 2019)

“Intercultural education aims to go beyond passive coexistence, to achieve a developing and sustainable way of living together in multicultural societies through the creation of understanding of, respect for, and dialogue between the different cultural groups.” (UNESCO, 2006)

In 2000, 2,584 international schools educated fewer than 1 million students. In 2022, 12, 853 international schools educate more than 5.7 million students (ISC Research, 2022). Understanding the dynamic and changing landscape of international education is of paramount importance to continue to broaden our perspectives, to take intentional action against discrimination and prejudice, and to celebrate diversity in our intercultural classrooms around the world.

Take 5 minutes to learn a new strategy in the May content:

Read a MiniPD Coach article below. Challenge your thinking. Gain a new perspective. Deepen your understanding.

Converting Diversity in the Classroom into an Instructional Tool by Esha Patnaik. In her article, Esha writes, “For progressive learning to occur … diversity needs to not just be recognised but truly be made a tool for learning and growth.” Esha provides practical “suggestions to create a learning environment that respects diversity and incorporates it into the pedagogy.” Esha, MiniPD Coach, has been associated with the field of education in India for over 15 years, teaching Psychology as part of the International Baccalaureate curriculum and college level courses.

Intent ≠ Impact: Intercultural Understanding Classroom Strategies – by Marcelle Valladares. Marcelle asks, “My unit had admirable intentions so how could I be damaging my students?” Read her insightful short story, and “gain some practical tools for creating authentic intercultural understanding.” Marcelle, MiniPD Coach, is a science educator and elementary school teacher at a school in the U.S.A. She is an advocate for changing systems of oppression of marginalized identities.

Promoting a Culture of Inclusion: Supporting LGBTQ+ Members of Our Communities by Kaitlyn Somers. Kaitlyn provides some steps to get started in forming a Gay-Straight Alliance at your school. She outlines the formation of “a student-led Sexuality and Gender Awareness (SAGA) Club” at Zurich International School, and how “SAGA Members [created] a backdrop for the first annual Middle School SAGA Conference.” Kaitlyn is a Learning Support teacher and Curriculum Area Leader, as well as the co-advisor of the Middle School Gay Straight Alliance, Sexuality and Gender Awareness group at Zurich International School.

What Will Be Your Future in Education? by Kwame Sarfo-Mensah (full article soon to be published). Kwame writes, “We still have teachers perpetuating anti-Blackness in the classroom and,” referencing the Covid pandemic, “students doing everything in their power to stay afloat in the midst of this chaos.” In this article, Kwame proposes “to help transitioning teachers thrive … by reframing their roles … and leveraging their unique skills, talents, and professional knowledge to carve out a new path as edupreneurs, activists, and agents of systemic change.” Kwame, a MiniPD Coach, has worked in education for 15 years. He is the founder of Identity Talks Consulting, and author of Shaping the Teacher Identity: 8 Lessons That Will Help Define the Teacher in You. He works diligently to support the recruitment and retention of teachers of color in the education system.

Reader CTA: DEIJ and anti-racist practices are at the heart of global citizenship, intercultural learning, intercultural understanding, and international education. We all have a role to play, a responsibility to affect positive change.

Chris Green (CIS) invites us to consider, “What does global citizenship mean to your students and school community? How do you define, articulate, and implement global citizenship development and intercultural learning?” Indeed, we ask, what small step can we each take today to move our DEIJ and anti-racist practices forward?

Join the Conversation

We invited educators from around the world to join us in a Coaches-in-Conversation on our theme, Celebrating Diversity, in May 2022.  Here’s a recording of the conversation.

Wanting to further the conversation?  

Needing a thought partner? A critical friend? Schedule one-to-one coaching sessions with any of our inspirational MiniPD Coaches mentioned above. They can support you and your team to nudge your practices forward.

Want to learn more?

DEIJ, Anti-Racism, Intercultural Learning, Intercultural Understanding

• Hughes, C. (2020). International Schools and Global Citizenship Education, In: Akkari, A., Maleq, K. (eds) Global Citizenship Education. Springer, Cham. [Online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44617-8_13 (Accessed 05/04/22)
• Hughes, C. (2016). Understanding Prejudice and Education: the Challenge for Future Generations. London. Routledge.
• MiniPD Coaches (May, 2022), Celebrating Diversity – Strategies from Educators 
• Shaklee, B., Daly, K., Duffy, L., Specker Watts, D., (2019) From Resistance to Sustainability to Leadership, Cultivating Diverse Leaders in International Schools, ISS Diversity Collaborative.

The MiniPD Team

Want to keep connected?

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