Facilitators

• Cecê Ovelar
  International School of Dakar
  Head of Equity and Inclusion
  

  Before joining ISD, Cecê worked as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Learning Leader and Visual Arts teacher in Thailand, where he spearheaded various diversity projects and collaborated on anthropological research. Cecê has multicultural roots in the USA, Paraguay, and Brazil and is a multilingual educator with expertise in cultural anthropology, neurodiversity, and arts-based community projects. His educational philosophy emphasizes shared group inquiry and fostering a flexible growth mindset.

  Cecê has 17 years of experience in international education and holds a Master’s in Education from The College of New Jersey and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has taught at the elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels in Thailand, Paraguay, and the USA. Alongside his teaching and leadership roles, Cecê has been a professional visual artist for 17 years, creating cultural murals and canvases in 11 countrie

• Dr. Graham Carlini Watts
  AISA
  Deputy Executive Director
  

  Graham is an educational writer, advisor, and consultant with experience of leading professional learning in over 25 countries. He has published educational books in the UK and the USA, as well as publishing articles and peer, reviewed papers in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia.

  Before joining AISA, Graham was Global Director of Education and Training for an international children’s wellbeing charity; forming strategic partnerships with major funders, research partners, government agencies, and universities.

   

   

• Abeni Johnson
  International Community School of Abidjan
  Early Intervention Learning Support
  

  Abeni holds a Master’s in Special Education with an International Special Education/ESOL Graduate Certification from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She has extensive experience implementing evidence-based practices to individualize learning plans for students with learning disabilities, ensuring they can access the general education curriculum. Her expertise spans self-contained classrooms and general education settings, where she uses a variety of teaching modalities to help students achieve their learning goals in their own unique styles. She is passionate about co-teaching with her colleagues and planning impactful, lessons for belonging and inclusion.

  Abeni currently serves as an Early Intervention Learning Support Teacher for the Early Childhood Center at the International Community School of Abidjan (ICSA) in Côte d’Ivoire.

• Iman Khan
  International Community School of Abidjan
  Early Years Educator
  

  Iman is a third-culture individual born in Sharjah, UAE, and moved to Toronto at 13. Of Indian ethnicity, she holds a bachelor’s in industrial microbiology from the University of Toronto.

  Discovering a passion for teaching in 2016, Iman worked in China before earning a Master’s in Special Needs and Inclusive Education from the University of Nottingham. With five years of experience, she currently teaches kindergarten at the International Community School of Abidjan. Committed to DEIJ principles, Iman, married with two children, champions diversity and inclusion in education, inspired by her volunteer work in Sri Lanka and international teaching experiences.

• Dr. Nadine Richards
  International Schools Services (ISS)
  Director of Global Recruitment Strategy & Partnership
  

  Dr. Nadine Richards is an internationally recognized leader in recruitment, inclusion strategy, and change management. In her current role, as Director of Leadership Searches at International School Services, she leaves an indelible impact on the organizations she partners with. With a passion for fostering diverse and inclusive environments, Nadine has a proven track record of nurturing talent and leveraging it on a global scale. Her commitment to creating equitable spaces extends beyond her professional endeavors, as she actively engages in research, program design, and recruitment practices that strengthen and diversify leadership pipelines.