AAIE Thrive By Design
Roughly 15–20% of us are neurodivergent. Despite increasing awareness and need, many international schools face challenges in developing and sustaining effective support services due to size, lack of understanding of neurodiversity, financial constraints, limited local resources, and/or lack of programmatic infrastructure. The AAIE Thrive By Design cohort aims to help schools and their leaders close those gaps and provide roadmaps to expansion and enhancements. Through honest conversations, collaborative learning, and actionable guidance, we will move through the year together, unpacking what is needed to move this work ahead in our school communities.
Our Facilitator
Lauren Jones is a global inclusion and leadership consultant who partners with schools and organizations to develop inclusive cultures and systems that support neurodivergent learners. Her work focuses on breaking down barriers to access and driving sustainable change in school systems. She has collaborated with a range of organizations, including the Ministry of Education in Rwanda, the National Geographic Society, Save the Children, and international schools across regions. With a Master's Degree in Special Education and Post Graduate Studies at Harvard School of Business, Lauren has focused her learning on sustainable inclusion, embedded in the culture of communities.
An MSA Consultant, CIS-affiliated consultant and published author, Lauren previously served as Head of School at the International School of Kigali, where she expanded access for neurodivergent students and strengthened student support services. Prior to her work in Rwanda, she led inclusive education initiatives at Qatar Foundation, creating programs designed to reach a broader range of learners.
Lauren has facilitated transformative collaborative projects, developing guidebooks for expanding inclusion for schools globally. She is a Director for the non profit organization, The Guardian Project. She also led the development of a Sustainable Small Schools Guide in collaboration with the Association of International Schools In Africa. She leads board training and retreats and partners with schools to design and implement sustainable student support systems and programs. Lauren collaborated with the Middle States Association to revise their SEN Standards and served on the review team that developed joint accreditation standards across four major accrediting bodies.
With a whole-child approach at the heart of her work, Lauren is deeply committed to transforming school cultures and systems—empowering educators, families, and communities to reimagine what's possible for all learners.She meets communities where they are, developing clear, actionable plans to foster a more inclusive future.
Guest Speakers and School Leaders
Throughout the cohort, Lauren Jones will be joined by experienced Heads of School and invited guest experts who bring a wealth of knowledge and practical experience from international schools. Together, they will foster engaging conversations, share actionable insights, and provide diverse perspectives on designing effective student support systems.
AAIE Thrive By Design
As the number of neurodivergent learners attending and applying to international schools continues to grow, we are increasingly challenged to provide effective, sustainable student support services. Barriers such as limited resources, financial constraints, and a lack of specialized expertise can make progress difficult - but not impossible.
Thrive By Design is a seven-session virtual cohort that equips school leaders and leadership teams with practical strategies to expand and strengthen student support programs.
The cohort is intentionally designed for teams of two leaders from the same school, creating a shared learning journey that supports meaningful, school-wide implementation and lasting change.
At the same time, individual registrations are warmly welcomed. Whether you participate with a colleague or on your own, you will engage in collaborative learning, practical planning, and evidence-based strategies to build more inclusive and sustainable student support programs in your school.
The cohort is capped at 20 participants, thoughtfully structured to foster openness, honesty, and meaningful dialogue. Each session features a guest speaker, hot-seat case sharing, and dedicated opportunities for discussion, reflection, and questions in a trusted community of peers.
Registration is open to school leaders and leadership teams from AAIE member and non-member schools.
What to Expect
Participants will explore how to:
- Build a compelling argument for student support expansion.
- Consider programmable design that fits their school context.
- Build a financial model that is long lasting.
- Address difficult conversations and decisions that ultimately lead to mindset shift.
- Create more inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive.
** Optional participant workbook to guide implementation and action in school will be available.**
Through expert guidance, practical tools, and collaboration with peers from around the world, participants will learn how to design, strengthen, and sustain inclusive student support systems that help every learner thrive.
HOW
A closed group cohort, capped at 20 participants, thoughtfully structured to foster openness and honesty. Sessions will feature a guest speaker, hot-seat case sharing, and opportunities for open discussion and questions
WHO
Registration is open to school leaders and leadership teams from AAIE member and non-member schools: Heads of School, Principals, and senior school leaders dedicated to strengthening student support and creating thriving school communities
WHEN
The cohort will meet once a month for seven months on Tuesdays at 8:00 AM (New York time), providing a collaborative space for learning, reflection, and meaningful dialogue with peers from international schools around the world.
Session Description
Session One
Why we're here, and who we are
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 08:00 AM EST
Being honest about Obstacles, Hurdles, and Roadblocks: Establish the container. Each leader shares: their school context, what's driving them to this work right now, and one question they're sitting with. No content yet. The whole hour is relationship-building and norm-setting. This session is where the cohort decides whether to be honest with each other for the next six months.
Session Two
The case for inclusion (and the case against the case)
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 08:00 AM EST
Mindset and research. What does the research actually show about inclusion benefiting all learners? Where is the evidence thin or contested? What are the most common objections from parents, board members, faculty — and how do leaders meet them without becoming defensive or preachy? A short reading shared in advance will frame the conversation.
Session Three
Reading your culture
Tuesday, December 1, 2026 at 08:00 AM EST
Before you can change a culture, you have to see it. Each participant brings a short "culture diagnostic" of their school: where is inclusion already alive, where is it performative, where is it actively resisted? Group helps each other see what they can't see from inside.
Session
Four
Change models that actually work in schools
Tuesday, January 19, 2027 at 08:00 AM EST
Technical-adaptive bridge. Look at 2–3 change frameworks (Heifetz adaptive leadership, Kotter, immunity to change, etc.) and stress-test them against real cases members are leading. One member spotlight: someone brings a stuck change effort and the group works it.
Session
Five
Systems, structures, schedules
Tuesday, February 16, 2027 at 08:00 AM EST
The architecture of inclusion. Co-teaching models, scheduling for intervention, push-in vs. pull-out, MTSS/RTI in international contexts, staffing ratios, role design for learning support and counseling. Members swap models. Aim for 2–3 concrete structural ideas each leader could pilot.
Session
Six
The money conversation
Tuesday, March 9, 2027 at 08:00 AM EST
Financial models, board conversations, tuition implications, donor framing, and the honest tradeoffs of fee-paying international schools committing to inclusion. This session often gets postponed in inclusion work and shouldn't be — it's where good intentions die. Bring case examples of schools that have funded this well.
Session
Seven
Designing your next 12 months
Tuesday, April 20, 2027 at 08:00 AM EST
Each leader presents a one-page "inclusion design" for their school — priorities, sequencing, who they need on board, what they'll stop doing. Cohort responds. Closing ritual that names what they want to carry forward and how they'll stay connected.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Registration is open to both AAIE member and non-member schools.
AAIE Member Schools
The Individual Registration fee of $445 USD provides access for one participant to the AAIE Thrive By Design online cohort, a collaborative professional learning experience focused on strengthening student support services in international schools. This includes follow up resources and ongoing dialogue.
The School Team Registration fee of $670 USD ($445 for the first participant and $225 for the second) offers significant savings while creating a shared learning experience that supports meaningful, school-wide implementation and lasting impact.
Non-Member Schools
The Individual Registration fee of $565 USD provides access for one participant to the AAIE Thrive By Design online cohort, a collaborative professional learning experience focused on strengthening student support services in international schools. This includes follow up resources and ongoing dialogue.
The School Team Registration fee of $790 USD ($565 for the first participant and $225 for the second) offers significant savings while creating a shared learning experience that supports meaningful, school-wide implementation and lasting impact.
Questions?
Please contact AAIE at info@aaie.org.
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