When the International Baccalaureate (IB) World Conference arrived in Denver this summer, it brought more than 1,500 educators from around the globe to our city and offered ISDenver faculty an extraordinary opportunity to learn, lead, and connect without ever leaving home. Thanks to generous contributions to our Faculty Investment Fund, several ISDenver educators were able to attend, volunteer, and present at this global gathering of IB thinkers and practitioners.

Their experiences reinforced something core to who we are: a community that believes in continuous growth for students and for the educators who guide them.

Learning in Our Own Backyard

For Dr. Juliana Stoughton, Primary Specials Lead and Music Teacher (G1–5), the conference offered a chance not only to learn, but to contribute. She presented a breakout session titled “Trust Before Differentiation: Equity‑Centered Teacher Evaluation for IB Leaders,” where nearly 90 participants engaged in lively discussion about building trust, psychological safety, and culturally responsive practices in teacher evaluation.

“Participants weren’t just listening. They were thinking, questioning, and connecting the ideas to their own schools,” Juliana reflected. “It became a genuine professional conversation.”

Her session highlighted a theme that echoed throughout the conference: educators thrive when they feel trusted, supported, and empowered. Students benefit when adults model the same growth mindset we hope to cultivate in them.

Exploring AI Citizenship and Human Identity

Both Juliana and Tracy Chang, Visual Art, Music, Multimedia & Design Teacher, were deeply inspired by the keynote on AI citizenship, which explored how schools can prepare students to navigate an increasingly AI‑shaped world while staying grounded in human values.

Juliana noted that as AI becomes more capable, educators must help students understand that their worth is not measured against what technology can produce. Instead, schools must nurture qualities that are uniquely human like curiosity, empathy, imagination, cultural identity, and the ability to make meaning.

Tracy shared that the conversations around AI and IB education sparked new ideas for her own teaching:

“I was especially interested in how we can use AI thoughtfully while still keeping inquiry, creativity, critical thinking, and student voice at the center of learning.”

Their reflections point to an exciting opportunity: Primary Specials can become a powerful space for age‑appropriate AI citizenship, helping students explore originality, authorship, representation, and responsible use of technology through art, music, design, media, library, and PE.

Connecting with the Global IB Community

For Tracy, one of the most energizing parts of the conference was connecting with art and design educators from IB schools around the world.

“It was exciting to see how learning develops as students move into the older grades,” she shared. “Those conversations gave me new ideas and helped me think about how the work we begin with our younger students can grow over time.”

She also appreciated hearing directly from colleges and universities about how they view IB students, valuing not only academic rigor, but also critical thinking, communication, and the ability to approach learning from multiple perspectives.

These insights reaffirm ISDenver’s distinctive strength: a multilingual, intercultural, globally minded education where IB principles are lived daily.

A Proud Moment for ISDenver Students

One of the most meaningful moments for Tracy was seeing our Kindergarten Gratitude Blanket displayed at the conference. This project is rooted in creativity, community, and student voice.

“Seeing our kindergarten students’ work represented at a global IB event was incredibly meaningful. I felt very proud of our students and of ISDenver.”

Juliana shared a similar moment of pride when she saw our K1–3 student artwork displayed near the registration area, viewed by more than 1,500 attendees.

These displays reminded our faculty that the learning happening in our classrooms reaches far beyond our school walls.

Made Possible by the Faculty Investment Fund

Opportunities like the IB World Conference are made possible through annual Community Giving and the Faculty Investment Fund. By supporting continuous professional learning, this fund strengthens teaching, deepens expertise, and directly enriches the ISDenver student experience.

• When we invest in our educators, we invest directly in our students.
• When we nurture faculty growth, we nurture student agency.
• When we support teacher learning, we strengthen our entire community.

This summer’s IB World Conference was a powerful reminder that our faculty are learners too. Their growth fuels the growth of every student they teach.