We are a global movement of educators and change agents who believe that a flourishing, sustainable world begins with our students and schools.
Staff and Facilitators
Agile network of global systems thinking professionals
Board of Directors and Advisors
Supporting sustainability education to make the world better
Certified Practioners and Educators
A global team of educators
Staff and Facilitators
Compass Facilitators are Heads of School, Sustainability Directors and Educators from every discipline. Their first hand school and classroom knowledge means that their facilitation is relevant, timely and customized to the particular needs of every kind of school or classroom environment.
Compass Education is an agile social enterprise that follows a model of lean internal operations providing support for our international network of facilitators.
Staff
Nicole Swedlow
Executive Director, Compass Facilitator
Nicole Swedlow is the Executive Director of Compass Education, a global non-profit supporting education for sustainability through training in systems thinking practices. Nicole supported the team at the American School of Puerto Vallarta to develop their sustainability and service outreach initiatives. The school was awarded the Tie-Care, Tri-Association Award for Global Leadership in recognition of this work. As a consultant, she is passionate about helping schools and businesses integrate sustainable principles with a strategic, inclusive and conscious approach. Nicole’s work in nonprofit leadership and sustainability as Director of the nonprofit organization Entreamigos, has been recognized by the United Nations, as a finalist for the Global Equator Initiative, as a breakout speaker for the World Economic Forum, and by the Dalai Lama, as a 2014 Unsung Hero of Compassion. Nicole has a Masters Degree in Education and Global Change from the University of British Columbia.
- Email:[email protected]
Watkana Thongrueng
Operations Director
Watkana Thongrueng (Nong) is the Operations Director for Compass Education, providing organizational and administrative support for the education programs and Compass trainers across the globe. In addition to her work with Compass Education, Nong is an independent consultant and educator supporting the implementation of sustainable and ethical agriculture standards in Thailand. Nong provides in-country support and training for international companies and organizations including; FairAgora Asia, Starbucks, the World Wildlife Fund and the United Nations.
Nong grew up in a farm family in central Thailand before receiving her degree in Marine Science. She is passionate about educating the Thai people to develop lifestyles that protect and prioritize the environment. She believes that the best leadership is by example and she contributes to her community actively. In 2015, she was a trainer for the Network for Sustainable Development supporting the “Livable and Happiness City project” in 33 provinces. Nong contributed to the development of the Climate Change Education Framework for Thailand in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQP).
- Email:[email protected]
Gitanjali Paul
Education Program Manager, Compass Facilitator
Gitanjali believes that everyone deserves access to quality, contextualized education that empowers them to thrive in and contribute to building a more just, sustainable world. She takes pride in designing, coordinating, and facilitating transformational learning in collaboration with Compass Education's network of inspiring Compass Educators. Gitanjali consults as a learning designer and facilitator for organizations striving for positive systems change on topics such as bystander intervention, violence prevention, leadership and social enterprise.
Gitanjali is indefatigably inquisitive. She has a B.A. in Peace and Justice Studies from Tufts University, an M.Ed in Education Policy, Research and Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and learns continually from nature, cooking experiments, adventures with family, and her Filipina rescue cat, Mahatma Charlie.
- Email:[email protected]
Nining Ikha Sumarni
Media & Communications Coordinator
Nining coordinates the internal and external communications aspects of Compass Education. This includes the organization, publication and development of the website, and networks through social media channels. She also assists with the logistics of the organisation’s events. She has experiences in communications whilst coordinating the Prem Tinsulanonda International School (PTIS) Yearbook and also when working for the Mining and Energy sector for the Indonesian Government. She is Indonesian and currently lives in Bali, Indonesia with her husband, who works as a Primary School teacher at Canggu Community School, and their two daughters. She loves sports, traveling and experiencing different cultures around Asia.
- Email:[email protected]
Luz Herrera
Media Specialist
Multidisciplinary Artist focused on audiovisual projects, textile design, graphic and editorial work, educational processes and cultural diffusion. Luz holds a Bachelor Degree in Hispanic Language and Literature from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and a Doctorate in Film History from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. In addition to a path of autonomous training in the audiovisual and radio field. Luz has more than 25 years of participation in proposals and projects both independent and in collaboration with institutions and organizations that have artistic, academic and community profiles.
For 15 years she has lived in a town on the coast of Nayarit (Mexico), where she develops multidisciplinary personal projects and collaborates with other artists, professionals and institutions on a local, national and international sphere, in both audiovisual and editorial production, as well as in the facilitation of educational processes and cultural diffusion.
- Email:[email protected]
Working Group Members and Facilitators
Robert Steele
Founder/President Board of Directors, Compass Facilitator
Robert is a teacher, trainer and group process facilitator who values collaboration, partnerships, and working on a team-based strengths model. He enjoys working with inspiring and passionate people, especially educators and youth. Since 2004, Robert’s passion and focus has been systems thinking, and helping people learn to use systems thinking tools and approaches in education (classrooms and school management) and in the corporate world.
Robert is an “expert generalist” with deep knowledge in the fields of education, environmental management, energy efficiency, organisational change and leadership, CSR, sustainability and sustainable development, green economy, social enterprise development, indicator development and systems thinking. Drawing on his skill in systems thinking and bringing together many disciplines, he has developed a highly effective consulting and capacity building practice for those who seek successful change strategies with tangible results.
Robert is the founder and director of Systainability Asia, a regional consulting and training firm working with UN agencies, national governments, NGOs, universities and schools, and private sector companies throughout the East Asia region. He is also a Senior Associate of AtKisson Group, Faculty of VISIS Academy, and team leader for Compass Education since its inception in 2009.
- Email:[email protected]
Lynda Rolph
Learning Empowerment Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator
Lynda is from England but has lived in Thailand since 1998. She trained and worked for nine years as a primary teacher in London before moving to Chiang Mai to teach science in a bilingual school.
Lynda spent many years working with the Barge Program, developing programs and facilitating environmental education experiences around Thailand. Currently, she is Head of Community at Traidhos Three-Generation Community for Learning Chiang Mai which includes the Prem Tinsulanonda International School, a visiting schools program, an environmental education watershed program based in Bangkok, a Camp program, Cooking Academy and an educational farm.
- Email:[email protected]
Kate Doré
Learning Empowerment Working Group Chair, Compass Facilitator
Kate Doré is currently the Secondary School Service Learning Coordinator at the United Nations International School in Hanoi, Vietnam. She has been teaching for over twenty years, working with learners of all ages both in and outside the classroom. In this time, Kate has been grateful to be able to collaborate with educators and youth in creating interdisciplinary and co-curricular experiences which support and empower youth as leaders for a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world. Kate holds a M.A. in Education focusing on curriculum and science literacy; as well as postgraduate degrees in Business Management, School Leadership, and Sustainability Education. She is passionate about place-based education, and the opportunities it provides to dig deep into interconnections between ourselves, our communities, and our natural world.
- Email:[email protected]
Teresa Tung
Leadership Empowerment Working Group Chair, Compass Facilitator
Teresa Tung has facilitated learning across a wide range of age levels in primary and secondary education, and with adults. She believes that great learning should support each child know themselves, understand the world, and be joyful, successful and contributing global citizens. Currently, she is serving as the Secondary School Principal at Hong Kong Academy. With Compass Education since its inception, Teresa has been developing materials and facilitating workshops for educators since 2009. Previously, she served in a variety of roles at NIST International School in Bangkok, Thailand, and International School of Tianjin in China. In those schools, she specialized in curriculum, Service and Action, Education for Sustainable Development, and Global Citizenship. Passionate about education’s key role in developing flourishing futures, Teresa contributes regularly to work with the International Baccalaureate Organization, Bangkok ServICE Network, and SkySchool. Teresa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Masters of Teaching from the University of Virginia, as well as a Certificate of International School Leadership from Principals Training Center and a Certificate of Corporate Innovation from Stanford Graduate School of Business. In her downtime, Teresa is nourished by spending time with her husband and toddler son (and their cat who uses the human toilet), creating podcasts, and doing yoga.
- Email:[email protected]
Michael Lees
Compass Facilitator
Michael has enjoyed an eclectic professional journey, including roles as restaurateur, flight instructor, drama/science/math teacher, community service coordinator, guidance counselor, school administrator and educational consultant. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in educational leadership with a focus on service learning cultures in international schools. Having been anesthetized by suburban Canada in his early life, Michael kept his sanity by living vicariously through National Geographic magazine articles, and television specials by Jacque Cousteau and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. His quest to explore this ‘pale blue dot’ has led him to meet some truly inspiring people from around the globe. The past two plus decades in international school settings has provided the opportunity to participate in some exceptionally rewarding and transformative community service learning experiences for both him and his students.
Michael’s passion lies in bridging the islands of our individual efforts and building collaborative networks of people who seek to effect positive sustainable change in their communities and beyond. Michael is the founder of the Global Issues Service Summit in Africa and is excited to be heading to Cuba in 2016 to assume the helm as the new Director of the International School of Havana.
- Email:[email protected]
Adam Erickson
Compass Facilitator
Adam is from Seattle, Washington and has been teaching overseas since 2008. He has been at UWCSEA East Campus since 2012, where he currently teaches Spanish and serves as the Grade 6-12 Environmental Stewardship Coordinator. Adam became interested in Compass Education as a method of coaching students in planning meaningful and sustainable environmental action. However, he quickly found that he needed it every bit as much as they did! Adam feels that a major win of using Compass tools at UWCSEA has been the common language it provides to students and educators alike at all grade levels. In addition to sustainability, Adam's passions include urban gardening, soccer and cycling.
Kate O'Connell
Educator, Australian International School
Kate O’Connell is a passionate educator and learner with 22 years of classroom experience, 17 years of teacher leadership experience, and now is in her 2nd year of leading an international school as a Principal. She has taught a variety of age levels including: 4 year olds, 5 year olds,
Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3 and 7th Grade Science.
Kate is pursuing a Certificate of School Management and Leadership through Harvard Business School and Harvard Graduate School of Education. Kate is originally from the United States and has taught both at home and abroad in China, Tanzania, Thailand and Cambodia. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Michigan State University in Elementary Education in 1995 and her Master of Arts in Curriculum and
Instruction in 2001 also from Michigan State University.
Kate is an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program Workshop Leader and also leads other workshops including Compass Education. Kate regularly leads workshops for teachers throughout the Asia-Pacific Region. Online she has coached courses through Harvard Graduate School of Education’s WIDE World.
- Email:[email protected]
Michael Johnston
Community & Partnerships Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator
Mike Johnston is the Assistant Head of School at Frankfurt International School. He has lead workshops and keynoted for teachers and administrators around the world on sustainability, global curriculum K-12 and how service learning should not just be what you do, but who you are as a school. Mike is a proud member of the Common Ground Collaborative advisory council seeking to transform learning in schools globally. As a member of the Compass Education team, he is part of a growing community of passionate educators aiming to equip schools as learning communities to educate and act for a sustainable future through systems thinking and practice. He has dedicated much of his time to not only ensuring students are properly prepared for the world’s most pressing issues but that they have the skills and desire to take action. With his Doctorate in Organizational Systems Mike helps to inspire and lead schools through times of change and educational transformation. Please visit https://www.johnstonmike.com/ for more information.
- Email:[email protected]
Scott Edwards
Compass Facilitator
Scott Edwards is a LEED Accredited Professional and director of GPDM for Sustainability, a regional consultancy that helps clients find environmentally, economically, and socially responsive solutions to their needs. Scott moved from Canada to Bangkok in 2001, and since then has lived in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Hanoi Vietnam, and Jakarta Indonesia. Arriving in South East Asia with a background in building design and sustainability, Scott’s involvement with international schools in the region has led to a growing interest in the relationships between sustainability, design and education. Scott has recently completed a Master of Science in Environmental Education & Interpretation from the University of Wisconsin, and has also completed a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Building Design & Construction from the Sustainable Design Institute at Boston Architectural College.
Drawing on his experience with educators, his architectural training, and an understanding of education for sustainable development and systems thinking, Scott assists Schools with their efforts to develop holistic, whole-school approaches to the topic of sustainability. Scott is excited to be joining Compass Education in their work of empowering students, educators and learning leaders and fostering the development of a more resilient and sustainable society.
- Email:[email protected]
Martin Spreckley
Compass Facilitator
Martin is from the North of England with his first experience of South East Asia as a Business Development Engineer in the late 1990s. Having retrained as a teacher, Martin has has been teaching Internationally for nearly 20 years. Martin is a Middle School Science teacher at the United College of South East Asia (UWCSEA), Singapore and is also the Head of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurship Development (SEED). This three-year course empowers students aged 11-14 to contribute to a peaceful and sustainable future by providing them with an understanding of sustainability, systems thinking, and a change-making process through entrepreneurship. Martin loves seeing students extend their understanding of the world both in a global and local context and how, through this course, students are exposed to a range of systems thinking tools that enable them to think in innovative ways to make informed and sustainable decisions that support lasting change in local and global communities.
Tom McLean
Compass Facilitator
Tom became aware of his love for teaching and learning through his experiences in outdoor education as a teenager. He was introduced to the world of International Education while working as a sailing instructor in Bahrain and has never looked back. Tom has worked in International schools in Africa, Asia, and Europe, where he is now the Director of the International School Debrecen (ISD). Tom was first introduced to the Compass Education tools in 2008 by Alan AtKisson at the EARCOS teachers conference and has embedded them in his practice ever since. After using the tools to empower students to lead the EARCOS Global Issues Network conference in 2012 he supported ISManila students in coordinating a school wide approach to sustainability education that provided a practical example in the IB position paper on sustainability education. More recently, Tom was a member of the NESA service and sustainability education collaborative that infused the Compass tools into schools across the region. Aside from Directing ISD, Tom is currently motivated to empower and inspire learners in Europe using the Compass tools.
- Email:[email protected]
Cindy Chen
Learning Empowerment Working Group Co-chair, Compass Facilitator
Growing up in a multi-cultural environment, Cindy thrives to cultivate a global approach in education supporting and working with the young leaders of the world. Cindy’s involvement with Compass Education started as a passionate teacher who wished to expand her horizons and tools towards systems thinking in 2013. Ever since, sustainability has been her core value, practices, and now a trainer with Compass Education, a non-profit network equipping schools for a sustainable future.
Cindy is currently a learner and educator at NIST International School for MYP Sciences, DP Environmental Systems and Societies, and Secondary Service Coordinator. She works with various young leaders exploring possibilities, passions, and taking action in their local community through exploratory, experiential, and service-learning.
Cindy is very blessed to be involved in a very supportive and collaborative network amongst international schools in Thailand. She is an active advisor for the Bangkok ServICE Network, which inspires, connects and empowers students and educators in the Bangkok-Pattaya-Phuket regions. She co-organized and hosted the 5th and 7th annual conferences.
- Email:[email protected]
Kath Lane
Learning Empowerment Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator
Kath Lane is a primary school teacher from the UK who has a passion for educating about nature and sustainability. She has been teaching for over twenty years in the UK and at international schools such as Green School, Bali and United World College of South East Asia. She has a Master's in Educating for Sustainability and is now working as a Forest School leader and supply teacher. Kath believes that through systems thinking and connection to nature and community, we can all learn the skills and qualities needed for a sustainable world.
- Email:[email protected]
Laurence Myers
Learning Empowerment Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator
Laurence Myers is originally from Athens, Greece and is proud of it! He is currently the Service Learning Coordinator at the American School of Dubai (ASD).
Laurence holds an M.Ed. degree in Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska, an M.A. in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota and a B.A. in International Relations from The College of Wooster. He also holds a certificate in Education for Sustainable Development through the Earth Charter (University of Peace), a Sustainability Leadership certificate from Ithaca College as well as a Serve & Learning Certificate in Service Learning from the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Laurence has presented and facilitated sustainability, service learning and systems thinking workshops and professional training within schools, at conferences and online throughout the world. Recently he coordinated ASD’s winning submission for a Zayed Sustainability Award Global High Schools category (MENA region).
- Email:[email protected]
Michelena McPherson
Learning Empowerment Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator
Michelena McPherson has been working with Compass Education for 6 years as a facilitator and member of the Learning Empowerment group. She is currently a grade 4 teacher and Global Citizenship leader at American International School of Vietnam in Saigon,Vietnam. Michelena is passionate about Compass Education and believes that systems thinking is instrumental to encouraging children and educators to take action on global issues. Michelena believes in encouraging children to explore the outdoors as well as creating awareness about the issues that affect our world. Michelena has been working with her students on analyzing the 17 sustainable development goals, creating actions that students can carry out locally including teaching local children about systems thinking and sustainability. Michelena believes that systems thinking is instrumental to engage students to problem solve and take action on the global goals. Michelena has a BFA in Photography, a Master’s degree in Gifted and Special Education and a bilingual education endorsement from the University of New Mexico. In addition to teaching she likes hiking, photography, traveling, and cooking.
- Email:[email protected]
Shani Ben-Aroya
Compass Facilitator
I currently work as a CAS Coordinator and IB teacher at the Eastern Mediterranean International School in Israel. I completed level 1 and 2 of the Compass Education training and use the tools in my teaching, particularly through the CAS programme and through our peace and sustainability curriculum, ‘Global Impact’.
I love the outdoors, hiking, nature, travelling and meeting inspiring people! I am currently developing a huge passion for wellbeing and sustainable ways of connecting to oneself, each other and the planet and am using many mindfulness and meditation tools in and out of the classroom.
- Email:[email protected]
Katina Grigoraskos
Compass Facilitator
A native New Yorker, Katina is the CAS/Events Coordinator and IB TOK teacher at Wells International School in Bangkok, Thailand. Holding a PsyD in Human & Organizational Psychology, she is passionate about empowering youth and helping them find their potential. She is an MUN advisor and has been involved in other student-centered initiatives in the Bangkok region, such as the Compass Youth Empowerment Programme and the ServICE network. It is through these channels that she supports students in finding their voices and discovering their passions.
Katina is a big believer in service learning, systems thinking, and sustainability. She is fascinated by mental models, and enjoys using the Iceberg model or Ladder of Inference to delve deeper into understanding issues. She is a lifelong learner who is always trying to develop herself as a person and global citizen, hoping to inspire those around her to do the same. In her free time, Katina enjoys reading, photography, meditation, traveling, and eating delicious Thai food!
- Email:[email protected]
Elaine Reimann
Learning Empowerment Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator
Elaine is a Third Culture Adult, born in England UK, to Jamaican parents. She has lived in seven countries across four continents with her German husband, Frank and two sons Joshua and Kaleb. Along with her 18years experience in teaching, learning and several years in leadership, Elaine communicates fluently in English, German and French and can hold conversations in Khmer and Laos language. Elaine holds a Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning primary education, a Master in TESOL and a Certificate of School Management and Leadership (CSML). Elaine is the author of ‘The Supportive Classroom, Language acquisition in a Multilingual Environment for three to five-year-olds’, available on Amazon.
- Email:[email protected]
Michael Horrocks
Learning Empowerment Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator
- Email:[email protected]
Stacey Jones
Community & Partnerships Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator
Being a PE teacher who grew up in the UK and now working at a Buddhist centred school, Stacey is passionate about Inner transformation to Empower Social change. Volunteering her time with United Through Sport and Bhubesi Pride in Africa and the Caribbean, she is passionate about practical ways of empowering Youth leadership. Stacey first became involved with Compass Education when she was the MYP Service coordinator at Stamford American International School in Singapore back in 2017. Here she applied the tools to youth events including ServICE, Global Social leaders and helped prepare students for GIN 2019. Leading various sports for change programs, she encourages Youth to discover their passions and leadership potential to drive social change. She has recently completed her MA in International Education at Bath University where her dissertation involved building a Virtual Immersion program for Youth, she adapted CE tools to analyse data and trends. Stacey loves exploring the workings of the inner mind, being in the outdoors and connecting with diverse cultures.
- Email:[email protected]
Mark Mains
Community & Partnerships Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator
After careers as a US Army paratrooper and an actor (among others), Mark has been an education professional for 17 years in Mukilteo, Washington, USA, and most recently in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Along the way, he earned an M.Ed. in elementary education and National Board Certification. He has developed and facilitated training in subjects such asTeacher Evaluation as a Growth Model and The Power of Public Narrative. He is excited to be working with Compass Education to promote Systems Thinking and Sustainability among educators worldwide. To learn more about Mark, go to www.markmains.com.
- Email:[email protected]
Jeffrey Kane
Leadership Empowerment Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator
Jeffrey Kane is the Head of School at East-West International School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He has been with East-West for his entire professional career, serving first as a primary teacher, then a secondary teacher and Head of Pastoral Care, and then moving into his current role in January 2018. His work with Compass Education has helped him see the transformative power of the tools at the Leadership and Board level of the school, and he is passionately curious about learning more about how to use the tools with non-native English speakers. He serves as the Junior and Senior Boys basketball coach and is passionate about teaching life skills through sports. He holds a B.S. - Journalism from Northwestern University and an M.Ed - Independent School Leadership from Vanderbilt University. Jeff enjoys coaching/playing/watching basketball, travel, reading, and exercise, especially long walks with podcasts.
- Email:[email protected]
Karen Virta
Learning Empowerment Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator
Karen Virta has worked at the American School of Puerto Vallarta (ASPV) for the past five years as the lead English teacher for students ages four and five years old. She holds a Masters in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on constructivism, as well as a certificate in early educational leadership. Karen is a member of the Compass Education Learning and Empowerment Team and is certified as a Level 2 Compass Educator. In addition to her work bringing systems thinking tools into her kinder classroom, during the previous year, Karen worked with a team of stakeholders at ASPV to complete a Sustainable Community School Transformation process. Karen currently helps facilitate the Primary School SEL committee and manages the school’s recycling program in collaboration with a team of high school students. When not at work, Karen can be found enjoying time with her family, watching movies and playing card games.
- Email:[email protected]
Owen Haywood
Learning Empowerment Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator (In Training)
Owen comes from Durham in England. He has been teaching internationally since he left university, with a five-year break in between where he was running a restaurant in Vang Vieng, Laos. He is a mathematics teacher, with experience in both the Cambridge curriculum and the IB curriculum. He completed a Masters in Education for Sustainability at London South Bank University in 2020 and then heard about Compass Education. He took part in the Compass Education's Level 1 course and was instantly hooked by the ready-to-use systems thinking tools. Soon after he completed the Level 2 course. Now here he is joining the organisation, what a journey, or is it just the beginning!
- Email:[email protected]
Gullrukh Rafiq
Leadership Empowerment Working Group Member, Compass Facilitator (In Training)
I am an active changemaker in my community. Leading positive change through sustainability and altruistic focused agendas. I have led composting, waste reduction, environmentally conscious fashion choices and several philanthropically motivated initiatives in the UAE. Now, it is time to embed these initiatives as systems into the fabric of daily habits; promoting radical awareness of sustainability and environmentally conscious practices. My ambition is to collaborate with a global group of changemakers with learning agility, building on the strengths of our local and global communities. Collectively ensuring education is planned with engaging systems tools. Building in a deeper understadning of our connectiveitiy and instilling an active approach to the preservation of nature's delicately balanced ecosystems.
- Email:[email protected]
Jackie Schemenauer
Compass Facilitator (In Training)
Sustainability enthusiast, life-long learner and educator Jackie Schemenauer empowers schools to educate for sustainability by integrating sustainability concepts and practices into the curriculum, school culture and campus operations. Jackie holds a MEd in sustainability and school leadership, and has extensive experience teaching and leading in International Baccalaureate World schools around the globe. She is an award winning school sustainability coordinator, experienced workshop leader and instructional coach. Jackie is passionate about taking positive action and guiding others to be change-makers within their communities. In her free time, you'll find Jackie hiking in the woods, out paddle boarding in the ocean, or tending to her garden.
- Email:[email protected]
Claire Psillides
Compass Facilitator (In Training)
Claire Psillides joined UWCSEA East as Head of Be The Change (MS) and Grade 6 English Humanities teacher in August 2011. She joined the East Middle Leadership Team in August 2011 as Middle School Head of Service and subsequently also led the Service team K-12 as the Chair of Service. Claire took on the role of Head of Environmental Sustainability in August 2019 and has overseen the environmental stewardship student-led initiatives at UWCSEA East. She held a diverse portfolio with specific responsibility for the leadership and management of the K–12 Environmental Sustainability and Stewardship curriculum and action projects, training and workshops in this field, external partner relations and liaison within College departments and school divisions. Claire is excited to join the American School in Japan as their first Director of Service Learning, a K-12 role which will enable her to transfer her skillset and experience and also learn so much more from the ASIJ community, partnerships and colleagues.
Claire worked in a range of teaching and leadership positions in international schools in Kuala Lumpur,
Beijing, Cairo, Limassol and Doha prior to UWCSEA and ASIJ. The majority of her career has been spent designing, developing and leading interdisciplinary service learning, environmental stewardship and sustainable development programmes which enrich student learning and global citizenship and build their sense of agency, purpose and literacy through experiential partnerships. Claire is passionately interested in how student passion and interests can be leveraged for maximum positive change in the world around them, and how every young person can develop a changemaker toolkit and mindset to make a difference in the world. Claire firmly believes in the power of community engagement and the forming of sustainable, long term reciprocal partnerships and is deeply committed to developing these relationships on a variety of scales within the College, in Singapore and beyond, working together to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Claire holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography and Sustainable Development from Reading University, a postgraduate certificate in Education from The University of Bath, a masters in Multidisciplinary Studies and Educational Leadership from Buffalo SUNY New York, as well as leadership
accreditations in Transitionsing Schools to Net Zero (Cambridge University), Compassionate Systems
(MIT), teaching the UNSDGs (Lehigh University), Systems Thinking and Permaculture Systems.
- Email:[email protected]
Oscar Akerberg
Compass Facilitator
Oscar is an international educator currently working at the International School of Havana in Cuba (ISH). After completing a PhD in Physics and Neuroscience at McGill University in Canada, Oscar started a teaching career at the Mahindra United World College of India, where he taught various IB science, math and theory of knowledge courses, and redesigned the school's experiential education program.
Oscar is beginning his at ISH, where he teaches middle school science and IB environmental systems and societies. He also leads the extracurricular and CAS programs at the school. Recently, Oscar finished and MBA in Educational Leadership from the University of Tampere in Finland.
Oscar is passionate about education as a means to create a world that truly works for all. In particular, Oscar is interested in using systems thinking and complexity science to better understand the interrelations between humans and their environment in order to create sustainable solutions. He believes that the world has enough resources to attend to everyone's needs and that we collectively require new ways of thinking in order to have a more just and prosperous society.
- Email:[email protected]
Donny Hansen
Compass Facilitator (In Training)
A husband of one and father of two living in Germany currently. Spent school and college days in the midwest of the USA between Wisconsin and Iowa. Followed by working in International Schools in the Mideast. Enjoy working to strengthen systems to build a community working toward a common goal of growing global citizenship.
- Email:[email protected]
Britta McCarthy
Compass Facilitator
Britta is a nature-lover from Flagstaff, Arizona currently located in Medellin, Colombia serving as the Assistant Director of Learning at the Columbus School. Britta has been a long time champion of sustainability work as part of her education career as a science and social studies teacher. Britta began her Compass journey in 2017, and now considers it one of her main tools for learning about and solving complex problems in the academic curriculum and as part of school leadership.
- Email:[email protected]
Ha Thien Ha
Compass Facilitator (In Training)
Ha is the current Community Education Officer at The United Nations International School Hanoi (UNIS) with a Master’s Degree in Public Relations and two Bachelor’s Degrees in Russian and English. She has 10 years experience managing the Community Programmes at UNIS and has held the roles of Arts/ Culture Manager, Communications Manager, Arts/ Science/ Public Relations Officer at the British Council Hanoi, Vietnam for 16 years.
- Email:[email protected]
Trisha Ann Nikrandt
Compass Facilitator
Trisha Nikrandt is the current Director of Learning at The Columbus School in Medellín, Colombia with a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and Spanish. She is an educator with 20 years experience in the United States, Brazil and Colombia and has held the roles of teacher, Coordinator, Curriculum Coordinator, Vice Principal and Director of Learning.
- Email:[email protected]
Kirsty Shakespeare
Compass Facilitator
With a background in Zoology, Kirsty is an Education Manager with over 10 years of experience developing and delivering sustainability and environmental education to students and adults in the UK and Internationally. I have created curriculum and non-curriculum based experiential programs to enable students to engage with marine and terrestrial ecosystems and explore both local and global sustainability issues. She hopes to share her passion for the environment and sustainability with others and continue to develop engaging and inspiring educational experiences for students.
- Email:[email protected]
Benjamin Light
Compass Facilitator
Born to a great family and great privilege. Benjamin has accumulated experiences that have made him who he is today. Human, husband, father, learner, teacher.
- Email:[email protected]
Lucy Thompson
Compass Facilitator (In Training)
Lucy has been an elementary classroom teacher for over 10 years, working in Cambodia, Lebanon, Malaysia and Scotland. She is currently teaching Grade 5 and is the Professional Learning Coordinator at International School Aberdeen. Outside of work, she enjoys playing squash and being on the coast, most recently sea kayaking.
- Email:[email protected]
Caitlin Barnum
Compass Facilitator (In Training)
Cait Barnum, originally from the Crystal Coast of North Carolina, now calls the beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, home. She moved to Mexico 7 years ago with the Peace Corps, and found her way into teaching Middle and High School Sciences, as well as being the Sustainability and Systems Coordinator for at time, but now is leading the STEM+ Department. Folding in systems thinking tools and habits into the whole school community is a passion as well as a goal of hers.
- Email:[email protected]
Tim Scarrott
Compass Facilitator
Growing up in Australia, Tim loved Australian rules football, both playing and supporting. Coming from a sports-loving family, He also played tennis in the summers and made the most of living on the coast by surfing whenever he could. Being involved in sports taught him the importance of being a team member, the health benefits of being outside and of exercise, and that we can always keep improving. His parents always taught him to help others and modelled daily acts of kindness that he tries to instill into his own children and the students he teach. He believes in treating everyone with an equal amount of respect and to assume positive intentions. He graduated from the University of Melbourne in Australia with a PE major and started his teaching career at a public school in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. He then hit the international teaching circuit, teaching elementary and middle years in Singapore, South Korea and in Saudi Arabia.
He began teaching at Frankfurt International School in 2020 and is currently the Grade 5 Team Lead at the Oberursel campus.
He is passionate about student's voice, positivity, being outdoors, and keeping active physically and mentally. He has two beautiful children and an amazingly supportive wife who all help him both survive and thrive.
- Email:[email protected]
Sara McKay
Compass Facilitator (In Training)
Sara is an enthusiastic and experienced educator, living and working in Brunei Darussalam, on the island of Borneo. She is committed to empowering her students, giving them the tools and skills they need to create a sustainable world for their future.
- Email:[email protected]
Zhenying Liang
Compass Facilitator (In Training)
Zhenying Liang
Compass Facilitator (In Training)
Zhenying Liang is an IB educator with over eight years of teaching experience. She is inspired by collaborating with colleagues and being part of the learning journey with students. She holds a Bachelor degree in Landscape Architecture and Master's in Education. Currently, she is working on a Master's degree in Global Environment and Sustainability. In her free time, she enjoys reading and traveling.
- Email:[email protected]
