The Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE) is a nonprofit organization that connects and develops leaders across the global international school community. Founded in 1966, AAIE advances excellence in international education by promoting innovative, research-informed practices and strengthening leadership in schools worldwide. Through conferences, leadership development programs, publications, and collaborative learning networks, AAIE supports school leaders in navigating the complex challenges of global education.
Its mission is to inspire and enable a worldwide community of leaders to build a more diverse, inclusive, and sustainable future for international education. By cultivating a vibrant professional community grounded in collaboration, mentorship, and shared learning, AAIE helps leaders envision and shape the future of learning across international schools.
AAIE values its partnership with MLRC and the important conversations it fosters around the changes taking place in our schools. In a world that is increasingly interconnected, developing multilingual and culturally aware students is essential. These capacities will help prepare our students to become the thoughtful and capable leaders of tomorrow.
AAIE contributes to multilingual learning through its focus on developing the leaders who shape school systems and culture. While English commonly serves as a shared language of instruction and professional exchange across many international schools, AAIE emphasizes leadership practices that recognize and value linguistic diversity within school communities.
Through conferences, leadership programs, publications, and global networks, AAIE engages school leaders in conversations about how language, culture, and identity intersect in international education. By supporting leaders in designing inclusive policies and learning environments, AAIE helps schools move toward approaches that respect multilingual identities while ensuring strong communication and collaboration across diverse global communities.
In November 2025, AAIE hosted an online Global Conversation with MLRC School Network Researcher Esther Bettney Heidt and School Network Director Jon Nordmeyer that engaged leaders in an online AAIE conversation entitled Action Research & Collective Efficacy: Improving Pedagogy, Practices & Programs for Multilingual Learners.
At the 2026 AAIE Annual Conversation in Toronto, MLRC School Network Director Jon Nordmeyer facilitated a panel discussion featuring representatives from three accreditation agencies, CIS, WASC and NEASC as well as six school heads from Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. This panel explored important questions such as: What does it mean to identify as an international school? How can schools balance meeting the mission with meeting enrollment targets? What do teachers and leaders of tomorrow’s schools look like? How can we understand the role of multilingualism – both for identity and for learning?
