The International School of Monaco marked a milestone last week with the successful launch of its first-ever Innovate • Share • Empower education conference, held on January 9 and 10. The two-day event transformed the school’s campus into a meeting point for educators and school leaders from around the world, with representatives from 120 international schools across 27 countries taking part.
Organised by International School of Monaco’s Deputy Director Academic, Abigail Furey, alongside a dedicated team of teachers and staff, the conference was conceived as a space for collaboration, reflection and forward thinking. Rooted in ISM’s core values of academic excellence, inclusivity and global mindedness, it aimed to spark meaningful conversations about how education is evolving — and how schools can evolve with it.
Over the course of two packed days, participants engaged in a wide range of interactive workshops and discussions covering 11 key themes, including artificial intelligence in education, assessment, inclusion, creative pedagogies, multilingualism, wellbeing, leadership, outdoor education and citizenship. The sessions were designed to be practical as well as reflective, giving educators tools they could take back to their own classrooms and school communities.
The programme was anchored by four keynote speakers, each bringing a distinct perspective on learning and teaching today. Psychologist and author Kimberley Wilson explored the links between wellbeing, lifestyle and learning, while Dr Eowyn Crisfield shared insights into multilingual education and ensuring equal access to learning for linguistically diverse students. James Nottingham, creator of the widely used Learning Pit model, spoke about challenge, resilience and deep learning, and evidence-based education specialist Kate Jones focused on translating research into effective classroom practice.
Beyond the formal sessions, the atmosphere of the conference was defined by exchange and connection. Hallways, breakout spaces and shared meals became places where ideas were debated, experiences compared and new professional relationships formed. For many attendees, the opportunity to connect with peers from such a diverse range of countries and school systems was as valuable as the structured programme itself.
While this was ISM’s first time hosting an international education conference, the school has signalled that it does not intend for it to be the last. Organisers described the event as the beginning of an ongoing conversation, with the aim of maintaining and strengthening the global networks created over the two days.
The school also acknowledged the support of its sponsors, whose contributions helped make the conference possible. These included Evidence Based Education, Verkada, Password, Optima, ConnexAI, Intellischool, Immersion, The Edge, MARIO Education, Revision Village, EdEvents, the Apitherapy Educational Association (Austria) and the Oxford Collaborative for Multilingualism in Education.
