#CEESA2026 Speaker Spotlight: Lauren Jones
CEESA Team
Published:
Meet Lauren Jones at CEESA 2026
In March 2026, international educators will gather in Sofia, Bulgaria for the 36th Annual CEESA Conference, hosted by the Anglo-American School of Sofia, with learning across March 12–14 at Grand Hotel Millennium.
If your school is working to strengthen inclusion, expand ethical access for neurodivergent learners, and build support systems that last, Lauren Jones is a speaker to prioritize. As a global education and leadership consultant, Lauren brings a rare blend of systems thinking and practical, school-ready strategies that help communities move from good intentions to sustainable action.
This speaker spotlight is sponsored by Gallagher Scholars, a long-time CEESA supporter providing reliable health, employee benefits, and business insurance programs for international school communities.
About Lauren Jones
Lauren Jones is the Founder of Lauren Jones Consulting and works with schools and organizations worldwide to assess student support systems, shift culture and mindsets, and develop program design and policy that expand inclusion for neurodivergent learners.
Her experience spans both school leadership and large-scale systems change. Lauren previously served as Head of School at the International School of Kigali, where she strengthened student support services and expanded admissions for neurodivergent students. She has also led inclusion work through Qatar Foundation and partnered with organizations such as the Ministry of Education in Rwanda, National Geographic Society, and Save the Children.
Lauren is a CIS-affiliated consultant, a published author, and serves as Acting Chair of the Parents Alliance for Inclusion-continuing her commitment to building school environments where access, belonging, and support are built into the culture, not added on as a program.
Featured sessions with Lauren Jones at CEESA 2026
Getting to Yes: Change Models, Culture Shifts, Financial Models, and Innovative Approaches to Expand and Enhance Student Support Programming at Your School (Part 1)
Date: March 13, 2026
Location: Grand Hotel Millennium
This workshop (connected to the Office of Overseas Schools playbook work) focuses on the “how” of expansion: the imperatives behind this work, practical culture-shift strategies, and financial models that make student support sustainable. Expect collaborative learning and examples of approaches schools have used to ethically serve more learners, and serve them well.
Getting to Yes: Change Models, Culture Shifts, Financial Models, and Innovative Approaches to Expand and Enhance Student Support Programming at Your School (Part 2)
Date: March 13, 2026
Location: Grand Hotel Millennium
Part 2 extends the learning into facilitated conversations and practical strategy-building-supporting participants to leave with clearer tools for the systematic and cultural shifts needed to sustain strong student support programming.
KEYNOTE: A Culture Shift Towards Boldly Saying Yes
Date: March 14, 2026
Location: Grand Hotel Millennium
Lauren’s keynote centers on belonging as a cultural condition-created through mindsets, beliefs, and systems that shape how communities actually operate. You can expect reflection, storytelling, and clear shifts to move from deficit thinking to asset-based practice, from compliance to connection, and from program-reliance to community conditions that truly support learners.
Beyond Behavior: A practical toolkit for teacher empowerment
Date: March 14, 2026
Location: Grand Hotel Millennium
This session reframes behavior as communication and equips educators with a research-informed toolkit grounded in behavioral science. Participants will explore root causes, nervous system responses, environmental triggers, and practical classroom strategies that build trust, regulation, and skill-without relying on punitive quick fixes.
The Education Edit: Removing the Excess to Focus on What Matters
Date: March 14, 2026
Location: Grand Hotel Millennium
Inspired by a “subtraction” lens, this workshop supports educators and leaders to reduce overload by identifying what can be removed, streamlined, or simplified-creating space for well-being, inclusion, and high-impact work aligned with mission, vision, and values.
Why Lauren’s sessions will resonate with international educators
International schools often carry the complexity of diverse learner needs, stretched resources, and ambitious improvement goals-all at once. Lauren Jones brings a grounded pathway for schools that want to expand inclusion responsibly, build staff capacity, and create support structures that are sustainable over time.
Whether you are a school leader, learning support specialist, counselor, or classroom teacher, Lauren’s sessions are designed to help you:
- Strengthen systems that support neurodivergent learners across tiers
- Align culture shifts with practical implementation
- Make financial and structural decisions that protect sustainability
- Empower teachers with tools that reduce overwhelm and increase clarity
Thanks to our sponsor: Gallagher Scholars
We are grateful for the support of our Speaker Spotlight sponsor, Gallagher Scholars. Their continued partnership helps strengthen professional learning opportunities across the CEESA community and supports the important conversations at CEESA 2026 in Sofia.
See you in Sofia
CEESA 2026 brings the region together for professional learning that strengthens practice, deepens connection, and builds schools where more learners can thrive. Join us in Sofia, March 12–14, and make sure Lauren Jones’ keynote and workshops are on your plan.
Read more and register: 2026 CEESA Conference.
