IMPACT STORIES
Lincoln Community School, Accra, Ghana, Middle Level Leader Growth and Development
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Lincoln Community School seeks to empower its middle-level leaders—a group of dedicated teacher leaders—to become more effective change agents. They need a strategic way to help these emerging leaders develop their leadership identity and drive teams toward higher levels of collaboration and shared instructional goals.
THE CHALLENGE
We begin our work with an intensive leadership workshop focused on strategies for team facilitation and development. Following the workshop, each leader engages in a series of focused, one-to-one coaching sessions. This combination of up-front training and personalized, ongoing support ensures that new skills are immediately applied to their specific team challenges, making the learning purposeful and practical.
THE PARTNERSHIP
The school successfully shifts the function of its middle-level leaders. They move from simply acting as a conduit of information between administration and teachers to actively facilitating teams around strategic goals and areas of improvement. Their teams are now setting collaborative goals and have the capacity to measure their impact. These leaders operate with a clear understanding of their role, helping the school build a stronger internal capacity for leadership rooted in aligned purpose and action.
THE IMPACT
“The leadership coaching program was an invaluable experience that seamlessly integrated into my daily routine. It provided practical, insightful strategies to enhance my thinking and decision-making. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to elevate their leadership skills in a stress-free and effective way.”
— Abel A, Middle-Level Leader
InterAmerican Academy, Guayaquil, Ecuador, Creating a School of Belonging
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InterAmerican Academy (IAA) was committed to deeply embedding a culture of Belonging and robust student supports across their campus. The school needed an expert team to facilitate an intense, week-long focus to solidify this theme, requiring an approach that integrated collaborative field research, strategic vision alignment, and dynamic professional learning.
THE CHALLENGE
A team of experts was brought on-site for a comprehensive, "boots on the ground" strategic facilitation. Alongside the school leadership, we dedicated several days to Classroom Deep Dives, observing instruction, talking with teachers, and engaging in reflective conversations to understand current practices. Crucially, we facilitated Student Focus Groups across all grade levels to directly capture their voices and insights on what it truly meant to belong. The week culminated in a powerful workshop on Academic Belonging, guiding educators through exploring mindsets, identity, and the practical connection between intellectual and social belonging.
THE PARTNERSHIP
The week served as a powerful catalyst for accelerated growth and unified clarity. By intentionally listening to student voices and honoring teacher expertise, IAA built solutions directly from its internal strengths, ensuring every action was rooted in their community's values. The intensive on-site facilitation moved conversations from theory to practice, providing the leadership team and educators with actionable insights and a shared language to promote belonging. The overall result was a stronger school culture that was visibly aligned and supportive, setting the stage for continuous deep and rich conversations about what it takes for every learner to thrive.
THE IMPACT
“As I said to our staff, we won’t close this conference because it is only the beginning of many deep and rich conversations about Belonging!”
— IAA School Administration, on the long-term impact of the week
American Community School Abu Dhabi Strategic Plan Facilitation
I M P A C T S T O R Y | 0 3
ACS Abu Dhabi needed to launch a new strategic planning cycle that was both purposeful and deeply collaborative. The goal was to engage the entire school community—from the Board to students—to reflect on their history, validate their strengths, and set clear, ambitious goals that would guide their future growth.
THE CHALLENGE
Our role was to serve as the strategic facilitator and design partner. We worked closely with the Board and school leadership to create a robust, asset-based process that honored every voice. This included:
Community Consultation: Designing and consulting on two Community Forums, ensuring that teachers, students, and parents could contribute their priorities and insights.
Deep Dive & Synthesis: Working with the leadership team to synthesize all community input, combined with a deep analysis of key school data and indicators, to build a comprehensive view of the school’s current reality.
Strategic Retreat: Planning and facilitating a decisive two-day retreat for the Leadership Team, Board members, teachers, students, and parents. This session was dedicated to reflecting on the school’s history and values, and establishing the core Strategic Priorities (as seen in the final plan).
THE PARTNERSHIP
The partnership successfully mobilized the entire community around a unified vision. The output was a clear, actionable strategic plan (which includes Priorities like "Cultivating Holistic Rigor" and "Advancing Teaching Talent" ) that is rooted in the collective values of the school. The process built immense ownership, ensuring the school's actions for the coming years are fully aligned with its deepest aspirations.
THE IMPACT
“Shannon was great with our strategic plan and love her personality with people. Very organized. If she is in the area, I found her reasonable in price yet great experience.”
— Head of School, ACS Abu Dhabi
International Literacy Coach Cohort
I M P A C T S T O R Y | 0 4
THE LEGACY AND CHALLENGE
Launched in 2007 by Hall of Fame educators Dr. Bonnie Campbell Hill and Carrie Ekey, the International Literacy Coach Consortium (ILCC) was the first literacy coaching program created specifically for international schools. The core challenge was simple but profound: to ensure that professional learning transferred directly from workshops into classroom practice, leading to measurable student growth. The need was for a two-year, sustained program that would develop school-based literacy leaders capable of driving deep, lasting change.
As a co-facilitator since the program’s inception, I partner with Dr. Monica Medina to lead this transformative professional learning experience. The ILCC is a unique, two-year cohort model sponsored by major international school organizations, including NESA, CEESA, and EARCOS. This structure is built around a powerful cycle of learning, immediate practice, and reflection.
Real-Time Coaching: Participants engage in a mix of intensive in-person sessions and real-time classroom coaching and observation —a hallmark of the program’s effectiveness and one of the first programs of its kind.
Systemic Alignment: A key feature is the inclusion of administrator support. By inviting school leaders to join the fourth session, we build shared understanding and commitments that propel the work forward, ensuring the coaching efforts are rooted in the school’s systemic goals.
Comprehensive Curriculum: The program provides rigorous training in curriculum design, varied coaching models, change management, and effective literacy best practices.
THE PARTNERSHIP
The ILCC doesn't just train individuals; it builds a powerful, global network of experts. With over 175 graduates now holding roles as literacy leaders, coaches, and administrators in over 60 international schools, the program creates a lasting infrastructure for growth.
Schools see a significant return on investment through:
Elevated Efficacy: Coaches emerge empowered and confident to lead teams, design effective literacy programs, and support teachers in their daily instructional practice.
Sustained Change: By focusing on coaching and leadership skills, the ILCC ensures that instructional improvements are sustained and embedded, not dependent on short-term external consultants.
Global Network: Participants gain a supportive, world-wide professional network they can lean on for collaborative problem-solving and expertise for years to come.
THE IMPACT
“Never before has a professional development opportunity motivated, inspired, and empowered me to become a better educator, colleague, and teacher-leader… The world-wide network and friendships that have been established is one I know I will always be able to lean on, ask questions of, and hopefully visit for years to come.”
— ILCC Cohort Graduate