Lesly is the Elementary principal at Village School in Guatemala, the former Elementary and Middle School principal at DelCampo School in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. She holds a Master's Degree of Arts in Psychology specialized in educational psychology, a Bachelor's degree of Education in Modern Languages which specializes in Teaching English to Non-native speakers, a Diploma in Elementary School Teaching, a Certificate in Teaching Undergraduate School, and a Life and Leadership Coaching Certification from the International Coaching Federation. Lesly is an active member of the Cognia Engagement Review Teams where she has access to a wide range of professional development opportunities to remain in a continuous learning process and to improve leadership teams and other aspects of educational systems locally and internationally.

Dr. Johnson is an educational author and thought leader with 15+ years of experience in strategic planning, curriculum alignment, budgeting, human resources, facilities management, and supervision. He is an expert in restructuring and turning around failing schools and systems, identifying and removing roadblocks to student learning, and team building.

Furthermore, Dr. Johnson is an educational author with a unique perspective on all aspects of Education k-16 which allows him to see the big picture clearly and to help learning teams develop a laser-focus on what their ultimate vision is and their unique method of achieving it (mission). He is an expert at strategic planning and revamping educational systems for exceptional growth. Specializing in data analysis, forecasting, and education system improvement at all levels. Dr. Johnson is a master teacher able to transfer relevant knowledge and skills to adult learners using brain-based methods that result in long-term retention and immediate application.

Denise Cerrato is an educator with more than 25 years of experience in education, where she has taught at all levels, from preschool to college students. Addiotnally, she has presented at educational conferences both nationally and internationally on topics such as literacy development and use of classroom data to support student learning. She currently is the Curriculum Coordinator at Escuela Internacional Sampredran where she oversees the organization of the curriculum from Preschool to 12th Grade. As part of the Learning Design Team at EIS, she contributes to the development of systems and strategies for continuous school improvement.

This is Anthony Shotwell's eighth year at Escuela Internacional Sampedrana and his twenty-second year in education. He currently holds the position of Director of Teaching and Learning. His experience as a teacher, Instructional Coach, and Curriculum Specialist has allowed him to approach this post with the objective of aligning the school's professional learning practices, horizontally and vertically, across the four divisions. Anthony has presented at numerous conferences including the Tri-Association and AMISA, and enjoys engaging with school stakeholders to think through creative and effective solutions to current challenges.

Kevin Bartlett is the founding Director of The Common Ground Collaborative, engaged in transforming education... national, international, public, private... no limits as long as values are shared. Bringing simplicity and systems to the learning business and working globally, Kevin led schools in the UK, Tanzania, Namibia, Austria, and Belgium where he most recently served as the Director of the International School of Brussels. He has been deeply involved in transforming international education on a number of fronts, including accreditation, governance, leadership, curriculum design, founder of global Initiatives, national-level contributions, and a regular author, keynoter/workshop leader at international and national conferences.

Jackie Murphy has 25+ years of experience in education and has been fortunate to be part of the Escuela Internacional Sampedrana community. It is a school that is on a constant educational evolution which has greatly impacted learners and educators. She feels passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences for students, truly focusing on teaching what is worth learning. She sees herself as a constant learner and believes in teaching with proven strategies from brain research.

Cristy Banegas is an education professional with more than 20 years of experience as a Preschool and Elementary School teacher. She believes in the importance of students taking an active role in their learning through discovery and meaningful experiences, rather than just pouring disconnected information over them. For this reason, she is honored to take part in this challenging and exciting journey, embarking on inquiry-based learning. She has also been fortunate to be presented with the opportunity to implement fifth-grade learning modules in her second year as the fifth-grade Social Studies teacher. It has been quite challenging, but also quite rewarding to witness how, through these CGC inquiry modules, her students are able to find meaning in their learning.

Kenia Melissa Ixcot Siu is the Art & Design and Technology Teacher in Elementary School at Escuela Internacional Sampedrana. She is an ex-alumni of EIS and has been working there since 2014. In the years that she has been teaching, she has always been amazed by the creativity and ingenuity of what students can do and accomplish. Additionally, she has a wealth of knowledge in developing Learning Modules. Working specifically on the Learning Module, “How to Build Strong and Beautiful Bridges,” was truly enriching. Students were engaged and developed team-building skills to explore their creativity and present a solution to a problem in their community. Students enjoyed the whole process which culminated in a presentation to parents where you could see them take ownership of their learning. Overall it was a very rewarding learning experience for both students and teachers.

Kristy Johnson has been teaching ESL for the last 12 years. Her teaching experience has been with students from 4-15 years old. She graduated from the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Francisco Morazán where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Education. Also, Kristy graduated from Framingham State University, where she received her Master of Education Degree. Ms. Johnson believes in making learning fun and turning every lesson into a multi-sensory experience. Her favorite part about teaching is finding ways to make students excited to come to school every single day and watch their progress throughout the year! Consequently, she believes children go to school to grow holistically, not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well.

Arabella Hepburn's classroom learning environment promotes fun, growth, inquiry, and a sense of community. In her fifth year of teaching at Escuela Internacional Sampedrana, she has served as a team leader, presented workshops for teachers, and taken an active role in the community. Arabella has a Bachelor's degree in both childhood education and childhood special education from New York University (2017).

Melissa Ivette Castro believes that student success inside the classroom and in life has to be created through meaningful relationships. She is an educator who continually seeks to improve learning and school culture. Melissa holds a bachelor's degree in law and in Elementary Education.

Yossy Aguilar has been an educator for more than 25 years at Escuela Internacional Sampedrana. She taught preschool as well as first, second and third grade. Yossy believes it is important to encourage learners to move beyond traditional and general curiosity into a higher level of thinking and understanding in a balanced, challenging, but also nourishing environment.

Karla Carranza is Licenciada en Pedagogía from UNAH-VS. She has been teaching at Escuela Internacional Sampedrana for 24 years in preschool and early elementary. Karla has a Master's degree in International Education from Framingham State University of Massachusetts, and a certification in Preschool Education from the State University of NY in Buffalo (SUNY).

Gabriela Andreakis has a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master´s Degree in educational psychology from Universidad Catolica de Honduras (UNICAH). She also has a Master´s Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from Framingham University. Gabriela has been privileged to work as a classroom teacher for over 14 years with students and teachers in a variety of K-5 grade levels. Currently, she teaches third-grade students at Escuela Internacional Sampedrana. Her goal is to create academically engaging learning experiences through an environment that fosters creativity, higher-order thinking activities, and problem-solving skills in a safe and caring environment.

Rhina Briceño de Discua is the Elementary School Principal and Official Director of the Lower School at EIS. She is an educator with a background in Law with 23 years of experience in the field. She was awarded the Carlton Bowyer Memorial Scholarship in 2015, an award that is granted to educators from AdvancEd schools. She is also certified by the Principals Training Center in London and currently completing her doctorate studies in Education with an orientation in Supervision and evaluation of school effectiveness.

Kevin Bartlett is the founding Director of The Common Ground Collaborative, engaged in transforming education... national, international, public, private... no limits as long as values are shared. Bringing simplicity and systems to the learning business and working globally, Kevin led schools in the UK, Tanzania, Namibia, Austria, and Belgium where he most recently served as the Director of the International School of Brussels. He has been deeply involved in transforming international education on a number of fronts, including accreditation, governance, leadership, curriculum design, founder of global Initiatives, national-level contributions, and a regular author, keynoter/workshop leader at international and national conferences.

Lilliam Nasser is an educator who has focused her career working with young children in different roles of a teacher and an administrator. Lilliam was a pre-kinder teacher for eight years, after which she became a Kindergarten teacher for two years before becoming the principal of the Early Childhood Center at the Escuela Internacional Sampedrana. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Honduras State University, a Master in Education, and a Master in Leadership from Framingham University. She attended the Principals' Training Center to earn her certificate of International School Leadership. In her job as a principal, Lilliam dedicates herself to supporting classroom teachers, collaborating with them to set and achieve personal and professional goals. She collaborates with school teams to develop and maintain effective educational programs and promote teaching and learning improvement, self-efficacy, and continuous professional growth.

Marta is the ECC Deputy Principal at Escuela Internacional Sampedrana. She is a Peer Practioner who believes in capacity building through leading, designing, modeling, conferring, and 'critical-friending' in the authentic context of the early learning classroom. Marta's commitment to the power of Early Learning has evolved over a career spent teaching, leading, and admissions, in international schools in Honduras, Namibia, Belgium, and Argentina. Throughout her learning life, in various roles, she has worked with a range of learner-centered approaches, including supporting the gradual release of responsibility, developing connected systems for the observation, documentation, and communication of learning; and collaborating in the design and implementation of transdisciplinary, inquiry-based, experiential learning modules, known as Playscapes. The common thread in all her work is that, while it reflects her understanding of early learning theory, it is always grounded in the daily practice.

Brian Sturgeon is the middle school principal at Escuela Internacional Sampedrana. He is a husband and a father of two teenagers. Brian enjoys spending time outdoors and doing his own home repairs. He has been working with Responsive Classroom since 2016 and was trained in Responsive Classroom in June of 2018. Two important beliefs: There are no bad students and curiosity drives change.

Rhina Briceño de Discua is the Elementary School Principal and Official Director of the Lower School at EIS. She is an educator with a background in Law with 23 years of experience in the field. She was awarded the Carlton Bowyer Memorial Scholarship in 2015, an award that is granted to educators from AdvancEd schools. She is also certified by the Principals Training Center in London and currently completing her doctorate studies in Education with an orientation in Supervision and evaluation of school effectiveness.