Inspire Citizens

Every strategic plan mentions impact.
Every mission statement mentions values.

The challenge is operationalizing them.

Our updated About Us page clarifies the lens behind our work:
Global Citizenship is not an add-on.

It is a way of designing learning that connects empathy, systems thinking, and measurable impact.

This page outlines:
• Why we built the Empathy to Impact framework
• How it supports strategic alignment
• Why accreditation bodies increasingly expect evidence of this work
If your school is reviewing its guiding statements or preparing for accreditation, this page explains how we think about alignment, not compliance.

🔗 https://inspirecitizens.org/about-us

Next, we’ll share more about the people and partnerships behind this work.

Rooted in local voices and student agency, the Morocco Student Leadership Conference transformed global ideals into collaborative action plans students carried back to their communities. Read more..
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/building-student-leadership-conference-lasts-lessons-from-b3hlc

Building a Student Leadership Conference That Lasts: Lessons from Morocco When fifty student leaders from seven international schools gathered in Casablanca this January, they arrived with ideas. They left with action plans, new collaborators, and something harder to measure: the conviction that their voices matter.

We've relaunched the Inspire Citizens website.
Not as a rebrand.
Not as a marketing refresh.
But as a clearer reflection of the work schools are actually asking for.
Over the past few years, school leaders have consistently asked us:
●How do we actually live up to our mission statements?
●Where does Global Citizenship sit beyond a unit or service week?
●How do we align this work with accreditation expectations without adding another initiative?

The new site is designed as a home for resources, stories, and practical tools to help answer those questions.
We’ve added:
• Better access to the vignettes from partner schools
• Clearer pathways for whole-school, student-led and teacher-led entry points
• Direct links to frameworks and implementation tools

If you’re navigating strategic planning or accreditation cycles, this may be a useful starting point.
🔗 https://inspirecitizens.org

More this week on what’s inside.

Inspire Citizens hosts around 10 student leadership conferences each year and is now beginning to plan for 2026–27. These gatherings bring students together to learn from one another, share impact, and build leadership skills through real-world challenges.

If you’re interested in what it could look like to host a regional student leadership conference at your school, we’d love to explore the possibilities with you.

👉 Reach out now to start organizing your event.
https://inspirecitizens.pipedrive.com/scheduler/oY5Plksb/discovery-call-inspire-citizens

Read about expanding opportunities for students to develop skills of advocacy, empathy, and interpersonal connection...
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/collaborators-good-youth-leaders-beijing-build-networks-j1i1c



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Collaborators for Good: Youth Leaders in Beijing Build Networks to Envision a Better World Students of international schools in Beijing may gather somewhat frequently, but usually it's on the playing field of one sport or another. "Our schools see each other a lot, often for sporting competitions," says Kathlyn Kocher Paananen , Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leader at International Sch

Join our March Inspired Conversation about Student Leadership ✨
In March, we’re focusing on how schools can equip students to lead with impact, providing guidance, skills, and space to take action.

When:
Session 1: Tuesday, Mar 31 | 5:00–6:00 PM (GMT+8)
Session 2: Thursday, Mar 26 | 4:30–5:30 PM (GMT+2)

Guiding questions:
What opportunities do students have to be leaders and develop their leadership skills at your school? What percentage of students at your school take advantage of this opportunity?
⁠When we think about how we support student leaders in schools to have agency and the tools they need to empower the teams that they lead, what strengths does your current program have? What’s missing?
⁠With many different initiatives, programs, and activities happening simultaneously within our school communities. Where does student leadership training fit into this? How might we advocate, prioritize, and dedicate time to this important work?

Apply to join the community and receive your invitation here: https://inspirecitizens.org/inspired-conversations

When schools provide support and space, students thrive as leaders and make meaningful impact.

The Inspire Citizens March Newsletter to find out how to empower Student Leadership....
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/inspire-showcase-march-2026-newsletter-inspirecitizens-emtdc

Inspire Showcase March 2026 Newsletter Dear Inspire Citizens Community, Our thoughts are with all those affected by recent global conflicts and uncertainty. In times like these, empathy and compassion - for others and for ourselves - are needed more than ever.

Bring the SEL-Global Citizenship Connection two-day weekend workshop, co-facilitated by Inspire Citizens and the International School Counselor Association (ISCA), to your school or regional organisation. Explore how systems for social emotional learning & global citizenship can shape the future of education

Reach out to Scott Jamieson to bring this workshop to your school:
https://inspirecitizens.org/contact-inspire-citizens

Listen to Inspire Citizens “The Future Of Schools Starts With Letting Go”

Listen: https://empathytoimpact.transistor.fm/88

Subscribe: https://feeds.transistor.fm/empathy-to-impact

Read about tracking the journey of bringing authentic service learning into daily classroom practice...
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/more-than-passengers-how-embedding-service-learning-curriculum-j7c5c

More Than Passengers: How Embedding Service Learning in the Curriculum Promotes a Changemaker Mindset Nestled amongst the busy streets of Bangkok, Thailand, NIST International School has been building momentum in elementary service learning, but strategy only goes so far. At some point, the work has to land in classrooms, with teachers, with children.

How can professional development become a hub for whole-school and community learning?

At Seoul Foreign School (SFS), “The Gate” brings together educators, students, parents, and community partners to learn, collaborate, and grow together. What started as a vision from Jan‑Mark Seewald, Hannah Kim, and Aaron Moniz has become a model for connecting school life with real-world impact.

📖 Read the full story here: https://inspirecitizens.org/vignettes/2023/3/7/innovating-whole-school-pd-as-a-hub-for-community-learning

We are now in the process of booking our final consulting days for 2026–27. If your school is ready to expand learning beyond the classroom, reach out to start the conversation.

Great to be back at the The American School in London supporting their strategy around Courageous Global Citizenship and developing community action projects.