Communicating a Learning Vision Cross Culturally
A workshop for the International School of Protocol, Brussels, Belgium
Summer School 2009
David Willows
Director of External Relations, ISB
www.isb.be

Learning Objectives:
•You will gain insight into the world of international education, a multi-billion dollar
worldwide industry: how it works and the perspective it brings to education in the 21st
Century;
•You will given examples of how, in this context, we tell the story of our school and help
others find their place in this story: considering for yourself the practical value of a narrative
approach to cultural diversity;
•You will reflect on your own experience and story of ‘school’: using it as a resource for
listening to and better understanding the experience of others.

Agenda
1430 Welcome and Introductions
1445 Getting Started: ‘The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Our stories of
school’ (pairs/group exercise)
1500 Setting the Scene: A quick guide to ISB and the world of international
education (presentation)
1530 Becoming a Parent: ‘You step off a plane, drive to the school, what next?’
(pairs/group exercise)
1600 Coffee Break
1630 Let’s design a school: Education for a new reality or whose history do you
teach? (pairs/group exercise)
1650 Cross-Cultural Communication in Practice: Learning from Cluetrain to
Starbucks (presentation)
1715 Further Questions and Discussion
1730 End

Who is in the room?

Telling the story
of my school
And helping people
find their place in that story

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times:
Our stories of school

"To the uneducated an A is just three sticks."
Winnie-the-Pooh

Setting the Scene:
A quick guide to ISB and the world of international
education

The business of international schools
Business is booming!
• More than 1000 international schools worldwide
• 6% increase in these schools each year
• Now represents a $4 billion industry
• Since 2001, international schools around the world have
experienced unprecedented growth, particularly in Asia

The business of international schools
Business is business
• Quality assurance: Accredited Schools (eg CIS)
• Profit making? Many not-for-profit, managed by volunteer Boards
• Balancing the books: Costs are high, so the fees are high
• Market competition: recruiting students and teachers

The business of international schools
Whom do we serve? ISB as an example…
• 1500 students, from 70 nationalities, aged 2 ½ - 19 years
• 24% US expatriates, compared with 42% ten years ago
• 10% Belgian and 10% Dutch, representing 2rd and 3rd largest community
groups
• Characterized by diversity – cultural, linguistic, ways of learning…
• 26% turnover each year

1999-2000 2007-2008
USA 42% USA 26%
UK 6.9% Netherlands 8.2%
Canada 6.1% Belgium 8.2%
Japan 5.2% Japan 7.1%
Israel 5% UK 6.7%
Belgium 3.4% Israel 5.3%
Netherlands/Germany 2.3% Canada 5.2%
France 2.2% France 5%
Sweden 2.2% Germany 2.3%
India 1.9% Italy 2%

The business of international schools
The business of learning
• International Curricula: IB Diploma, AP International Diploma
• Access to top universities: >95% go on to top univerisities
• Academics, Arts, Athletics: opportunities to learn and be successful,
both inside and outside the classroom
• Access: Learning support, ESL, Technology…

The experience of international schools

The experience of international schools
ISB offers a rich, balanced programme of academics, arts, sports and service, designed as a
coherent learning continuum, Nursery through Grade 12/13. This programme of learning
provides a unique ISB experience through which:

The experience of international schools
ISB offers a rich, balanced programme of academics, arts, sports and service, designed as a
coherent learning continuum, Nursery through Grade 12/13. This programme of learning
provides a unique ISB experience through which:
Everyone Included
All learners’ needs are supported, their perspectives sought and
respected and their qualities valued and nurtured.

The experience of international schools
ISB offers a rich, balanced programme of academics, arts, sports and service, designed as a
coherent learning continuum, Nursery through Grade 12/13. This programme of learning
provides a unique ISB experience through which:
Everyone Challenged
All learners make annual learning progress through the achievement of
specific, appropriate learning targets.

The experience of international schools
ISB offers a rich, balanced programme of academics, arts, sports and service, designed as a
coherent learning continuum, Nursery through Grade 12/13. This programme of learning
provides a unique ISB experience through which:
Everyone Successful
All learners have multiple opportunities to succeed and to secure their
best future.

The experience of international schools
ISB offers a rich, balanced programme of academics, arts, sports and service, designed as a
coherent learning continuum, Nursery through Grade 12/13. This programme of learning
provides a unique ISB experience through which:
Independent Learner
All learners are able to explain what they are learning and why, to reflect
on their own learning and plan their next steps and to apply what they
have learned in a variety of situations.

The experience of international schools
ISB offers a rich, balanced programme of academics, arts, sports and service, designed as a
coherent learning continuum, Nursery through Grade 12/13. This programme of learning
provides a unique ISB experience through which:
International Citizen
All learners develop a personal code of ethics, respect for diversity of
opinion and culture, competency in communications, collaboration and
conflict resolution, an empathy for others, an age-appropriate
understanding of global issues and a disposition towards positive
community participation.

The experience of international schools
Happy
Successful
Ethical
Prepared for the real world
Prepared for real work

The experience of international schools
ISB2010
• Student Learning Agenda
•Professional Learning Agenda
•Campus Agenda
•Technology Agenda
•Environmental Agenda

The experience of international schools
ISB High School Student, The Experience of International Education, Newsweek 2008

In the end, it’s all about fit
Families, companies and organisations
purchase international school education in
just the same way as they buy a new
Luxury BMW, iPod or pair of Chanel
sunglasses.

In the end, it’s all about fit
• Costs vary: from 16000-28000 euros per year
• Often companies are paying as part of an expatriate package.
• Some schools will offer financial aid.

Becoming a Parent:
You step off a plane, drive to the school, what next?

What do we all want for our children?

In the end, it’s all about fit
Choosing the right school for your child,
on top of everything else,
is one of the most important
decisions you will make as
parents.
But what should you look for in a school?
How do you make this choice?

What do we all want for our children?
Will my child be safe?
Will my child be happy?
Will my child learn anything?
Will my child fit in?
Will my child transfer on effectively to the next stage?

What do we all want for our children?
Will my child be safe?
Happy Ethical Successful
Will my child be happy?
Will my child learn anything?
Will my child fit in?
Will my child transfer on effectively to the next stage?

What do we already know
What motivates people?
Colleagues in Brussels 36%
Website 31%
Employer 9%
Colleagues at home 8%
Relocation agents 7%
Expatriate forums 5%
Books/magazines 3%
Adverts 1%

What do we already know
What motivates people?
Two types of people:
Word of mouth 65%
Word of web 31%

What do we already know
What influences people?
Academics 23% Other students / families 4%
Tuition fees 4%
Campus 13%
Campus visit / tour 11% Athletics 3%
Available space 3%
Conversations with teachers and staff 10%
Location 9% Website 1%
Learning support 7% Brochures 0%
Values 7%
Extra curricular 5%

Time for Coffee?

Let’s design a school:
Education for a new reality
or whose history do you teach?

Cross-Cultural Communication in Practice:
Learning from Cluetrain to Starbucks

Defining what we do
1. Attraction
External Communications
6. Release 2. Recruitment
5. Retention 3. Induction
Internal Communications
4. Engagement

Telling the story
of my school
And helping people
find their place in that story

Story
Trust
Listen
Experience

In the end, it’s all about fit
Kind of like Starbucks
Starbucks as the ‘Third Place’:
•WORK
•HOME
•STARBUCKS

In the end, it’s all about fit
Kind of like Starbucks
ISB
Starbucks as the ‘Third Place’:
•WORK
•HOME
ISB
•STARBUCKS

Everything communicates

How do you capture the spirit of a school?
Community
Inclusion
Conversation
Innovation
Challenge
Responsibility
Inquiry
Beauty
Exploration
Teamwork
Success

How do you capture the spirit of a school?

How do you capture the spirit of a school?

How do you have good conversations?
One story.
A thousand ways of telling it.
Yet every time it is told,
the story changes.

How do you have good conversations?
Markets are nothing
more than
conversations…
Our only hope is to
talk.

How do you have good conversations?
•What conversations are you starting?
•With whom?
•Using what media?

How do you have good conversations?

How do you have good conversations?
Are you a lurker or do
you jump right in?

Are you a good listener?
What are people saying
about you?
What stories are they
telling about you?
What is your brand
identity?

Do your customers trust you?
Funky business is when
an organisation
slavishly applies the
‘rules’ of the brand to
all business decision-
making.
The Brand is more than
a name or a logo. It
Funky Business Forever:
is a promise and a How to Enjoy Capitalism
contract with every
(Ridderstrale & Nordstrom, 2008)
customer.

Do your customers trust you?
A brand is always more
than the sum of these
parts:
•Name
•Logo
•Packaging
•Price
•History Funky Business Forever:
How to Enjoy Capitalism
•Reputation (Ridderstrale & Nordstrom, 2008)
•Advertising…

Do your customers trust you?
A brand is always more
than the sum of these
parts:
•Name
TR
•Logo
•Packaging
US
•Price
•History
T Funky Business Forever:
How to Enjoy Capitalism
•Reputation (Ridderstrale & Nordstrom, 2008)
•Advertising…

And in the end…
Find simplicity in the complexity
Stay learning focused
Take risks. Encourage innovation.
Embrace change.
Accept mistakes.
Enjoy.

QuestionsDiscussion

To keep the conversation going….
David Willows PhD
Director of External Relations
International School of Brussels (ISB)
Kattenberg 19
Brussels, Belgium
Telephone: +32 2 661 4223
GSM: +32 485 732564
Skype: davidwillows
Blog: http://davidwillows.squarespace.com
www.isb.be
www.isb.be
The International School of Brussels - Kattenberg 19, 1170 Brussels. Belgium - Tel: 00 32 (2) 661 42 11 - Fax: 00 32 (2) 661 42 00