After three years of online conferences, AAIE returned to a marvelous in-person event, led by Executive Director Laura Light’s capable team, in cooperation with the Office of Overseas Schools. This February 6-8, the organization brought the international administrative community back together again for the AAIE Global Leadership Conversation in Washington, D.C. Joining the hundreds of educators from across the globe were Search Associates’ (SEARCH) Founder John Magagna, Director of School Relations Sheena Nabholz and Senior Consultants Eric Sands and Brent Mutsch. Most attendees embraced with happiness as they returned as a community desperate to turn the page on the pandemic past—"which did not take long,” says Eric.
Grand Hyatt Washington, the event not only provided three days of powerful adult-learning opportunities but also provided the time and space for international school educators to reconnect, after last coming together in person at AAIE in New York City in 2020.
As has been true for so many years, the thoughtful and purposeful planning by the AAIE team and AAIE board resulted in participants enjoying myriad opportunities to engage in a variety of learning experiences with and from colleagues from around the world: five keynote sessions, nine Head Talks, 53 Deep Dives, and several social events.
The conference-opening keynote by educator and author Myron Dueck, “COVID, Constraints...and Now a Recharge —Harnessing the Power of Limitations,” struck an optimistic tone by unpacking the hidden value of constraints, which simultaneously drive educational innovation and expand possibilities. Eric says,
To be sure, many conference participants substituted “we can't” vernacular for “we can” sentiments.
Opening the second day of the conference, Ted Dintersmith’s (Founder and Chairman of WhatSchoolCouldBe.org) keynote address pressed administrators to think about challenges facing educators with the advent of OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot, developed in November 2022. Ted took participants on a compelling walk through time—from the early 1960s to the present day—by focusing on the development of technology for teaching and learning while underscoring the need to vigorously address the future of education.
In between the 67 sessions on offer at the conference, Sheena, Eric, Brent, and John Magagna engaged with many of the 450+ conference attendees, who reflected their eagerness to lead their communities with the insights gained throughout the pandemic.
Attendance at AAIE once again allowed the SEARCH team to be among a dedicated and deeply committed group of educational leaders from across the globe and to engage in conversations specific to how Search Associates can be of assistance and support as a partner in serving to enrich learning worldwide. As a proud Explore Sponsor of the 2023 AAIE Global Leadership Conversation, Search Associates demonstrated its commitment to this year’s, and future, AAIE Conversations.
