Reflections from the 2026 ACAMIS Spring Leadership Conference

The 2026 ACAMIS Spring Leadership Conference, hosted by the American International School of Guangzhou (AISG) on March 20–21, 2026, brought together educators and school leaders from across the ACAMIS network for two days of learning, connection, and reflection around the theme Power of Engagement.

As a leading international school leadership conference in China, the ACAMIS Spring Leadership Conference created space for conversations about what it means to build school communities where everyone feels included, heard, and empowered. Through sessions on inclusive leadership, student voice, family and community partnership, data-informed practice, and wellbeing, participants explored both the mindset and the practical strategies needed to strengthen engagement across international schools.

Across the conference, one idea emerged again and again: culture is not built by chance. It is shaped through intentional systems, inclusive practices, and a willingness to make space for every voice in the community.

That reflection captures an important thread of the conference: engagement is not only about participation. It is also about who is included in the conversation, whose wellbeing is prioritized, and how leadership creates the conditions for lasting cultural change.

That perspective echoed throughout the conference. Whether the focus was leadership, learning, technology, or wellbeing, there was a shared recognition that meaningful engagement starts with people.

Her reflection speaks to one of the strongest threads of the conference: when schools intentionally create environments where students feel seen, trusted, and capable, engagement becomes more than participation. It becomes belonging, ownership, and growth.

That same sense of care was present in conversations around wellbeing and community support.

For many participants, the conference also offered a renewed sense of purpose around the role schools play in shaping engagement, agency, and belonging.

That reflection reinforces an important thread of the conference: meaningful engagement is not built through participation alone, but through relationships, purpose, and the intentional choices educators make every day.

There was also a powerful reminder throughout the conference that even in a world shaped by rapid change and technology, leadership remains deeply human. 

The 2026 ACAMIS Spring Leadership Conference at AISG was not only a space for professional learning, but also a reminder of the value of coming together as an international school community across China and Mongolia to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and continue building school environments where engagement is truly lived.

Thank you to ACAMIS for creating space for these important conversations, and for bringing our international school community together at AISG.

As Jamie Robb, Deputy Director reflected, what often goes unseen is “the immense effort that happens behind the scenes.” Conferences like this are made possible by teamwork, commitment, and the many individuals working quietly in the background to bring every detail to life.

Congratulations to the AISG team, and especially to those behind the scenes, for helping make this conference such a meaningful success. In Jamie’s words, “This success belongs to you as much as anyone.”