In the classroom as a middle school math, science, and design teacher for more than two decades Jim is a dynamic educator focused on development in and out of the classroom. He is also known for his work with design thinking and leadership training, having served individuals and schools around the world.

Jim is passionate about international schools, their faculty, and the communities they serve without ever losing sight of the students at the heart of our work.

A third culture kid, Kyra began her career in international education in 2006. She worked in international student recruitment before switching to to the “other side of the desk’ in future pathways counselling.

Her roles at the Lycée Français in New York, United World College Costa Rica, Aloha College and the British School of Barcelona have given her a unique dual perspective on international education with a DEIJ lens. She also consults for universities, schools and ed-tech organisations, and hosts a podcast on innovation in education, The PilotEd.

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Sarah is the Head of Professional Learning at ECIS. In international school headship positions, she led teams who developed innovative, dual language and interlingual approaches to learning and language development. She has worked in the UK and Germany as a primary, secondary and special education teacher, and she taught undergraduate education in London.

She has worked closely with Debra Rader, co-presenting at several Intercultural Understanding Institutes. Sarah is driven by the conviction that the life-long journey of engaging with intercultural understanding is vital to our appreciation of one another.

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Headteacher/Vice Principal St George’s International School, Luxembourg

DEIJ has always been an area of interest for me, underpinning my own values and beliefs. Recently, I have been pleased to see the area re-gaining importance on National and Global levels. Seeing DEIJ promoted as the  topic of the ECIS conference, rather than a single session was a trailblazing decision, showing the importance of the area. This has been solidified by the move by ECIS to ensure that diversity, equity, inclusion and justice is placed at the forefront of their organisation, embedded throughout.

I am not an expert in DEIJ, but I follow the area closely, and enjoy finding new articles and areas of research, once very limited, but recently growing. I have participated in and led seminars, mostly on the international circuit, highlighting the importance of a diverse staff and governance in our schools, as well as the need to diversify and décolonisé the curriculum.

I particularly like the idea that DEIJ work with ECIS will be collaborative and inclusive, including partnerships with other organisations, as well as ensuring that students are included and represented.

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I am delighted to be working with ECIS to help move the important work of DEIJ forward. I have worked in international education as a teacher, principal, educational consultant and workshop facilitator. I am the author of Teaching and Learning for Intercultural Understanding: Engaging Young Hearts and Minds (Routledge, 2018), a comprehensive resource for educators, and believe in intentionally embedding this pedagogy in our learning communities. Inclusive learning communities are developed intentionally when all members, students and adults, work together to ensure that everyone is valued and feels a deep sense of belonging. Passionate about developing intercultural understanding in children and adults, I am deeply committed to honouring each other’s cultures, languages, identities, personal stories and histories, and to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice and antiracism in education.

Formerly Principal of an award-winning international school in the Middle East, Matthew is now an educational consultant and trainer, speaker and writer, content creator and coach, architect of #themonalisaeffect®, and host of The Data Conversation podcast.

Matthew is an Associate Consultant for LSC Education, in which role he coaches senior leaders in the UK and internationally, and also leads governance training with international school boards; and he is a passionate advocate for and ally of #deij worldwide, a member of the Diverse Educators network and the ECIS #deij team, and host of the “Jack and Me” podcast.

Dr Omolola Wright-Odusoga is  the former Founding Head of School of The English Modern School and Kindergarten in Al Wakra, Doha. A transformative educational leader with vast experience in International Education, her philosophy is that all students can learn to grow to their full potential. Dr Lola is committed to DEIJ through 21st-century education that aims to impact positive social change in the community.