On October 6-8, 2022, IB Programmes Director Eleni Vasileiou, "J.M. Carras" Kindergarten Director Tatiana Gouskou, PYP Coordinator and Kindergarten Deputy Head Zoe Lousidou, MYP Coordinator and Athens College Junior High School Assistant Director Antonia Gaitani, and MYP Coordinator and Psychico College Junior High School Deputy Director Panagiota Priovolou attended the International Baccalaureate Global Conference Embracing Innovation, Inspiring Action at the World Forum in The Hague.

After being held virtually for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IB Global Conference brought together over 1,600 educators from 86 countries and it was an excellent opportunity to get together with IB educators and exchange ideas with peers, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, and IB staff.

Our Athens College educators kicked off the conference by attending pre-conference workshops, and then attending the opening address on Mindful Innovation for a Planet in Crisis – new roles and responsibilities for IB schools.  The next two days were filled with engaging and informative breakout sessions with topics specific to the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme, such as Understanding play in PYP classrooms; Diversity, equity and inclusion in the MYP; DP Developing successful interdisciplinary projects in the DP as well as on topics such as Student well-being post COVID-19: Developing your approaches to learning skills toolkit; Developing skillful well-rounded lifelong learners; Nurture the change-makers of tomorrow: Take action now; Transformative learning: Exploring the future of an IB education; Building empathy and kindness across cultures: Educational practices for 21st century learners, and more.

At the end of the conference, our educators had the opportunity to attend the closing session centered on Rethinking the guiding principles for learning in the 21st Century before heading back to Greece inspired and full of new ideas and good practices to share.