Ep. 123: The Scoop on Relationship & Sex Education at Home & Abroad

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EQ:  What is the importance of Sex Education in both the US and abroad, and how can you ensure equity for all students  in the curriculum delivered?


Guest: Emily Zien, a health and physical education teacher. Please check out her website for more information.

In our third episode centering international schools, we chat with Emily about her work as a relationships and sexual education educator.  We begin by learning about the present landscape, comparing what this work looks like in the United States and in the International School scene. We also discuss the role of DEIJ in shaping these conversations, how we can ensure equity in the curriculum and how child “safe guarding” is a growing field that opens the door for revamping school policies. 

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Ep. 120: The Scoop on International Schools Part I

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EQ:  How are international schools uniquely situated to fight, perpetuate or contribute to educational inequities around the world?

Guest: Yvette Santos Cuenco a school counselor at the Edmund Burke Independent School in DC.

In this episode Hope and Megan are joined by Yvette, an experienced international educator and school counselor. We discuss the historical context which led to the establishment of these schools throughout the world.  Listeners will learn a little about who attends, how they are designed, how the culture of the country impacts the school community and much much more. We also dip our toes into the DEIJ/social justice landscape in these contexts, reviewing such things as disparities in these schools, problematic hiring practices and the way they operate as predominantly White institutions often perpetuating (intentionally or unintentionally) white/colonial culture. 

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Ep. 116: Our Role in Upholding Anti-Blackness

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EQ: How are white supremacy and anti-blackness a result of the living legacy of colonization and what does it mean for us today?

Guest: Alysa Pererras, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Consultant and Researcher in Medellin, Colombia.

Hope and Megan return to an important conversation about the presence of anti-Blackness in our society. This time, they’re exploring its presence in relation to colonization. They’re joined by DEIJ consultant Alysa to discuss its roots, relationship with White Supremacy and everyone’s responsibility to dismantle the systems of oppression around them. You can follow Alysa on Twitter.

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Ep. 113: Equipping Young People To Lead

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EQ: How are young people around the world being equipped to address important social issues of our times?

Guest: Alisara (Ally) Christensen is from Bangkok, Thailand and the Jump! Foundation

Ally shares her experiences growing up in international schools and her passion for youth development. The Jump! Foundation offers a range of hands-on, experiential workshops to empower and equip students for exploring social issues, and specifically increasing their awareness on diversity, equity and inclusion. Although surprising for some, these conversations are somewhat new in international education. However, with access to technology and social media conversations about race and justice are now coming to the forefront of the conversation. We also explore the ever-evolving language around these issues of opportunity access. We finish the episode discussing the importance of having youth be the drivers of the conversation and bringing them along for the work rather than doing the work of change for them.

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Ep. 104: Interrupting Whiteness One Zoom Session At a Time

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EQ: Why do we need racial affinity groups to combat racism and how do they lead to sustainable change?

Guests: 

  • Emily Meadows is an LGBTQ+ consultant and published author specializing in international schools. If you missed our conversation on creating inclusive spaces, go download Episode 99.

  • Tamara Friedman is a NBCT, school leader, and classroom teacher. She works towards implementing culturally relevant and anti-racist pedagogy in her classrooms and currently teaches 4th grade at The American School of the Hague.

In this episode we discuss the distinctive ways that racism and white supremacy manifest in an international school context. While commonly appearing in the form of deflection because the school is “diverse”, explicit anti-racism work is long overdue. Our guests, Emily and Tamar,  share their journey to establishing the Whiteness Accountability Group for International Educators including how it is rooted in volunteer participation, leading through vulnerability and story-telling, and collective leadership. Additionally, they discuss the need for accountability to each other, group participants, and to people of color.

To understand the purpose and framing of racial caucusing, check out the following documents: 

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