Intercultural Sensitive Classrooms
Our mission is to enhance teachers' capacity for intercultural sensitivity, creating significantly more inclusive classrooms cultures.
The Challenge
Classrooms today are more diverse than ever, with students from various cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. This diversity enriches learning and challenges educators to ensure all students feel valued and supported. Many teachers lack the training and resources to navigate these complexities and foster an inclusive atmosphere that respects differences.
Teachers may inadvertently perpetuate biases and inequalities without intercultural sensitivity, hindering students' academic and social development. Inclusive education is essential for creating a learning environment where every student can thrive, regardless of their background. This requires a commitment to ongoing professional development and a proactive approach to understanding and addressing the needs of a diverse student body.
Together, we can equip teachers with the skills and knowledge they need to build inclusive classrooms where every student feels respected and empowered.
Our goal
By 2033, teachers across Europe will enhance their intercultural sensitivity, significantly improving classroom inclusivity for a multicultural student body. We will achieve this by:
- Training Programs:
- Developing comprehensive training programs focused on intercultural sensitivity and inclusive teaching practices.
- Resources for Educators:
- Providing educators with resources and tools to create culturally responsive curricula and classroom environments.
- Mentorship Networks
- Establishing mentorship and support networks for teachers to share best practices and experiences related to inclusive education.
- Research and Implementation:
- Conducting research to identify effective strategies for promoting intercultural understanding and incorporating these findings into teacher training programs.
- Policy Advocacy:
- Advocating for educational policies that prioritize intercultural sensitivity and inclusivity in teacher professional development standards.
- Community Building:
- Promoting the concept of “school as community” to engage all community members in creating safer and more inclusive learning environments, reducing violence in schools.
Visionary sessions
Intercultural Sensitivity mission visionary team
We convened a panel of leading experts for an online Visionary Session on 28 November. Their insights grounded the mission in proven practice, revealed pitfalls, and highlighted key impact gaps that shaped our design work.
Visionaries: Adela Cristea · Milena Dragičević Šešić · Ranka Bijeljac-Babić · Taylor Smith Benyahia, PhD · Philomena Obasi · Elmas Arus
Adela Cristea
Innovation, business development, design thinking & leadership
Ascent Group (RO)
Milena Dragičević Šešić
Head, UNESCO Chair in Cultural Policy & Management
Interculturalism & Mediation in the Balkans (RS)
Ranka Bijeljac-Babić
MC-HDR, INCC-CNRS; researcher/lecturer
Université Paris Cité – Faculté des sciences fondamentales et biomédicales (FR)
Taylor Smith Benyahia
Phd, Sociolinguist; Vice-President
Our Bilingues et Plus Association (FR)
Philomena Obasi
DEI Scouting Ireland; facilitator of youth/adult groups on diversity & interculturalism
Scouting Ireland (IE)
Elmas Arus
President, Zero Discrimination Association; Coordinator, Roma Dialogue Network (RODA)
Şişli Municipality Council Member (TR)
Designer sessions
Co-creating practical culture-building routines with schools
We translated visionary insights into concrete designs through structured co-creation with students and teachers.
Focus theme & topic
Theme: Teacher Training & Intercultural Competence. Factor: Limited/outdated professional development on cultural/linguistic diversity. We aim to strengthen everyday practice and move beyond one-off awareness sessions.
Designer process
We moved from sensing and framing to ideation and convergence with students and teachers, generated transformative learning activities, and aligned on Restorative Practices as the development spine (circles, restorative conversations) with coaching in real classrooms. See the full flow and tools in the report.
Download designer session reportOur project brief
Outcome: a Restorative Practices Bootcamp + coached implementation aligned to RFCDC, with light analytics to improve participation equity, replication guidance, and a community of practice.
Download project brief