Child Protection & Well-being

In an era marked by unprecedented global mobility and shifting educational paradigms, the transition from secondary school to university has become increasingly complex, especially for internationally mobile students.

When faced with frightening headlines and ever-shifting policies, I’m reminded of Mr. Fred Rogers (a reassuring TV presence in my younger life!) who reminded us to “look for the helpers.” In international education, those helpers are the school counsellors, university representatives, and student services professionals who continue to show up for students—even when the path forward is anything but clear.

Jane Larsson reflects on emerging role models and the importance of language and tone. How are we helping emerging leaders understand the power of their words and the importance of communicating effectively? How can we empower them to become thoughtful, effective leaders who act ethically, think critically, and lead with social responsibility?

We’re excited to hear Keynote Hector H Lopez in Bogotá. His initiatives for underserved communities have connected US $28 million in funding to students in Latin America. He brings a wealth of expertise in leadership development and cross-cultural collaboration to empower future generations.

Learn from Dr Spencer Striker in this short Q&A about digital literacy challenges and how interactive media and game-based education can enhance the university research and admission experience for secondary school students.

It’s been a remarkable year for the CIS community, filled with new initiatives and significant changes. Read our reflections as we celebrate the great strides we're taking forward together.

The prevalence of AI is accompanied by safeguarding concerns facing international schools around online harms. Online sexual extortion is one of these concerns. We’ve outlined seven key actions to prevent and respond to online sexual extortion yourself or when supporting those affected by it.

It’s been a year of innovation here at CIS as we reviewed a fundamental part of our work: CIS International Accreditation. We’ve taken a bold step, and we’re proud of the approach that schools will experience when they pursue our new accreditation framework and process. 

Jane Larsson reflects on three new realizations that emerged from our 2024 CIS Global Forum, including the digital transitions students experience when they head to higher education.

Announcing the recipients of our 2024 Recognition in Excellence. It’s that time of year when we have the pleasure of taking a moment to recognise the work of the professionals in our university admission, guidance, and future pathways community, and their significant impact on the lives of the young people they support. 

School safeguarding specialist, Leila Holmyard, explains how identity-based harm and the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion intersect with child protection and safeguarding. She also shares student feedback and how schools can take action to support and protect them.

There’s been huge progress over the past 10 years in the ways we protect and safeguard children in our care. However, international schools still face significant child protection risks, and mitigating them can be difficult. Jane Foster, a specialist in managing allegations, outlines eight key priorities for schools.

Whether you are a leader or teacher, whether you work in a school or a university, you are a role model who is watched closely by your students. Your actions and words matter. Learn more from Jane Larsson on why and how we must address the agency gap.

How do schools and universities support international students in their post-secondary pathways? What are the associated challenges? What does success look like? Read highlights from our research and common questions we receive.