We all want to feel valued and included, just as we are. So do our students. And yet, it can be a challenge to create and sustain a supportive, inclusive, equitable environment — especially in diverse international school settings.

In this important conversation with Maymouna Sakho, we discussed what it really means to foster belonging, the practical realities and opportunities for inclusion in international schools, and the steps school communities can take to better understand, value, and support neurodiversity.

Founder and CEO of Sakho Learning Consultancy, Maymouna is dedicated to supporting individuals and organizations to innovate through embracing and implementing equitable and inclusive practices and systems. Her passion for this work stems from her experience growing up between two cultures. She is a connector of people and ideas and loves to engage in conversations about inclusion and serving others, particularly children, to reach their fullest potential.

Maymouna has served as Chair for the SENIA International Africa Board, mentor for the AIELOC Aspiring Leaders of Color Program, co-founder/co-trainer for AIELOC’s Learning Support Affinity Group and on MSA and CIS Accreditation Evaluation Visiting Teams. As Head of Elementary Student Support at the International School of Dakar she was instrumental in developing an inclusion program for 300 elementary students. Currently, Maymouna is a Middle School Principal in the Middle East.

Guiding question: “How do international schools create and support a community where inclusion and neurodiversity are understood, valued, and supported for true equity?”

Topics addressed:

• Defining inclusion, neurodiversity and equity
• Supporting Belonging
• Student Support Services
• Maymouna's consulting, coaching and collaboration practices
• Current opportunities and barriers seen in international schools as they seek to expand support of inclusion and neurodiversity
• AIELOC and its mentoring program

Resources mentioned:

Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color - AIELOC

Kevin Simpson of AIELOC Interview

Contact Information: LinkedIn, Sakho Learning and Consulting

Recorded: July 15th, 2025.

Categories: Student Support | School Life | Curriculum

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.