When Sudan’s civil war swept into the capital, Khartoum, in May 2023, two CIS school leaders faced unprecedented challenges and difficult decisions. In this first of a three-part series, we're highlighting challenges facing CIS member schools worldwide as they mitigate risk and navigate crises.

We're hearing that schools are increasingly concerned about suicidal ideation and the risk of suicide in their communities, especially since the pandemic. Leila Holmyard outlines some resources and guidance around prevention, response and policies.

Student agency in promoting anti-discriminatory practices is key in shaping student experiences both at school and in life beyond school. During student interviews with a group of primary school students at a recent preparatory evaluation visit to Braeburn Dar Es Salaam, I asked what anti-discrimination meant to them.

Biases can emerge over time, and regular reflection is essential for us to nurture a healthy and inclusive environment for our school communities. This is especially important as you consider your human resources and recruitment practices. Orpheus Crutchfield and Mary Rose Fernandez describe the key challenges facing schools and applicants.

Safeguarding in international schools is often complex. Child protection concerns must be handled sensitively and in accordance with local laws as well as international standards. When school leaders proactively identify legal mechanisms and requirements that impact safeguarding, they can better respond to concerns when they arise. We offer ten legal questions that schools can explore proactively and advice on how to find the answers to these questions in your context. 

How can you align your professional growth agenda with your school’s development objectives? Michael Iannini shares examples of big school ambitions for 2023-24 that teachers and staff can leverage for their own growth prospects.

How do we best talk to our students about body image? While shifting the focus from body image to fostering self-worth, the impact of social media cannot be ignored. Nutritionist Molly Gerster shares three activities to create an environment of self-worth in your school.

The Frankfurt International School community is learning to be comfortable with discomfort, adding drops of colour, how to make progress with transparency, research, global awareness, and social responsibility. Hear their story from Loretta Fernando-Smith and Christopher Wilcox.

Dr DeeDee Werner and Heidi Laws share strategies that set the stage for success for students with learning disabilities—for counsellors supporting students during the application and transition process and for universities to be better equipped to meet students' needs.

For some, gaming and well-being are opposing terms, with concerns regularly raised by parents, educators and politicians about the time young people spend online. Sayo Okamoto explains esports and shares her perspective on the positives.

Environmental sustainability is a complex topic and an element of our Global Citizenship Model that emerged from CIS research in 2022. We turned to our member schools and universities to learn from their innovative sustainability practices; where to start, how to overcome challenges, and expand our learning.  

The admission and guidance community are students' cheerleaders, coaches, editors, marketing specialists, and counselors as they help students get to university. They also aim to prepare students for life once they arrive at university. Lesson plans from Johanna Fishbein and Robbie Jefferiss help with that preparation.

In the second of this two-part series, we learn more from the Amala Education community for refugees and displaced youth. This time, we focus on how they embed global citizenship, what 21st-century skills look like, and their approaches to recruitment and enrolment.

Amala Education delivers educational programmes to their refugee communities and fulfils its Arabic name by delivering hope for the future for many who, just a few years before, had very few opportunities. Learn about their inspirational work.

How does a school measure the success of its university guidance programme? What metrics can be used, and what metrics may do more harm than good?

Educational institutions have long explored methods to respond to student behavioural issues, interpersonal conflicts, and student/staff tensions in the classroom and beyond. Restorative practices offer an alternative approach, looking through a lens of harm, accountability, and restoration.

We’re delighted to celebrate International Women’s Day by sharing advice from women leaders across our global community for students in our schools and universities aspiring to leadership roles in their future careers. 

Tala Qudah highlights her experience of CIS International Accreditation and being a CIS Evaluator and the impact on her school, their community, and for her personally.

We asked Cath Brew, Lindz Amer and Shaun Delenty about the key challenges educators face as they cultivate belonging for LGBTQ+ individuals. 

We asked two specialists about the challenges facing our community related to child protection and safeguarding right now (and what our workshops can do to help).