We’re pleased to welcome you back to another edition of IH World News!
We hope you’ve had a good few months whether you’ve been taking some time to recharge or busy welcoming students for your study abroad programmes.
Now with the new term already underway, we are excited to share examples of best practice and highlight some of the outstanding achievements from across the IH network. This edition celebrates international recognitions, milestones, and student-centred initiatives. Read on to get inspired!
Read on to get inspired!
Table of Contents
Supporting IHWO schools worldwide: GuardMe Europe & Edvisor
At GuardMe Europe, we are proud to mark the first anniversary of our partnership with Edvisor, the global platform for international education. This cooperation has been a great success and allows us to serve International House schools and agencies in an even more flexible way.
For IHWO schools and partners based outside Spain, Italy, Germany, Malta, Ireland, and the UK, GuardMe policies can now be issued easily via Edvisor. This ensures that your students benefit from the same high-quality coverage while simplifying the process for your teams. Schools and agencies located in the above six markets continue to work with GuardMe directly as usual.
Through Edvisor, your students can access our exclusive policies: GuardMe MultiRisk Premium, GuardMe MultiRisk Premium + Cancellation, and GuardMe Travel + Cancellation. These plans provide comprehensive protection, including cancellation options, giving peace of mind to students and their families.
GuardMe is the only insurance provider dedicated exclusively to the international education sector, and this partnership with Edvisor reinforces our shared commitment to making insurance simple, reliable, and accessible for IHWO members worldwide.
IH Bogotá wins Grow with Cambridge 2024-2025
We are proud to share that International House Bogotá has been recognized by Cambridge University Press & Assessment as the winning center of the 2024–2025 Grow with Cambridge campaign.
This achievement is the result of the dedication and hard work of our sales and operations teams, as well as every partner center that firmly believes in academic excellence.
Thank you to all who trust us as their strategic partner for growth and international exam preparation.
Onwards and upwards in Colombia!
“What’s Your Dream?” – a campaign aiming for the stars from IH Reggio Calabria!
Simple, inspiring, personalised: three adjectives that describe our most recent campaign in which we asked students, families and visitors “What’s your dream?”. The answers – travelling to Mars, taking pastry courses, seeing the Northern Lights, living in a house by the sea – created a mosaic of aspirations that both moved us and made us smile.
To give shape to these wishes we transformed our IH Reggio Calabria Open Days into a symbolic space, with clouds and stars adorning the classrooms. A wish-granting “genie” awaited behind a special door – a mirror to remind everyone that the strength to achieve our desires is already within each of us.
The dreams collected so far fill the walls of the school and our “dream box” at reception, becoming a living part of our identity. In the coming days, we will take the campaign out into the city where anyone can wish upon a star-shaped post-it note and stick it on our home-made sky.
Why does this project fill us with pride? Because it combines creativity, participation and learning: a concrete way to show how English can open doors and bring every person closer to their dreams.
A journey of identity and belonging at IH Dublin
This summer, IH Dublin welcomed Emma, a 17-year-old student from Japan who received a scholarship to study abroad. As part of her experience, we created a tailored storytelling one-to-one programme.
Her one-to-one lessons transformed Dublin into a classroom. Walking with her teacher, Adam, Emma discovered the city’s hidden history — from overlooked plaques to museum exhibits — all explained through stories that connected language with culture. She said this approach made English more memorable and meaningful, while also helping her understand Irish life and heritage on a deeper level.
For Emma, who has Irish ancestry through her great-grandmother, the programme became more than language learning; it was a journey of identity and belonging. She described it as an opportunity to explore not just English, but also who she is. She also praised the interactive style of IH Dublin’s group lessons, where activities and communication replaced traditional, teacher-led methods.
Her advice to others: “Speak English as much as you can and take every chance to learn — this opportunity may not come again.”
New beginnings with IH Belgrade
Here at International House Belgrade we are delighted to join the network. We are looking forward to building connections with other schools in the network to make the most of the famed ‘flow of ideas’ that being part of International House provides.
The team from International House Sofia have taken the opportunity to expand into Serbia through the opening of this new centre. This allows us to take our trusted methodology and values from the past 16 years and apply them to a new environment.
It has been a great experience to be welcomed into Belgrade through friendly local communities
who are looking for an immersive and communicative learning experience. We are immensely excited to build these relationships with the local community over the upcoming year, which will undoubtedly be an eventful and very rewarding 2026.
We look forward to seeing members of the network at events over the coming year, where we will be buzzing with anticipation to answer any, and all, questions regarding this new and exciting venture.
Keep connected with the IH network: new digital calendar and exclusive IH forums
The IH World team are excited to share the launch of two new tools in the IH Members’ Area: introducing the IH Forums and the IHWO Event Calendar.
Now, you don’t have to look any further than the Members’ Area to find a private and secure platform to facilitate discussion and share advice with other members of the IH network. With plenty of groups to choose from for every role in your school, the forums are a place to collaborate, seek inspiration, find solutions to challenges, and share ideas with IH colleagues worldwide who understand your daily professional experience.
Here you can find some helpful tips on getting started with the forums (please make sure you are logged in to the Members’ Area to access these resources):
The new IHWO Event Calendar makes keeping track of all IHWO and IH school events easier than ever. Simply add the calendar to your preferred platform (Google, Outlook, or Apple Calendar) and it will automatically update with new events throughout the year. If you have an event you think should be featured, or any questions about the calendar, please contact Marta.
Click the link below for instructions to add the calendar.
IH Yangon-Mandalay is highly commended at The PIEoneer Awards 2025
The PIEoneer Awards 2025, one of the most prestigious events in the global education industry, took place on 5th September in London, UK. Daw May Tharaphi Win, Academic Director of IH Yangon-Mandalay, proudly represented the institution at the ceremony, and we are delighted to announce that IH Yangon-Mandalay has been recognised as a Highly Commended institution in the Language Training Provider of the Year category.
To be acknowledged on a global stage by a panel of expert judges is a powerful testament to our commitment to high-quality teaching, innovative methodology, and delivering unique learning experiences for our students.
This recognition strengthens our resolve to continue our mission. We remain dedicated to nurturing English language proficiency and developing smart and dignified future leaders who will thrive on the international stage.
Empower your community: apply for an IH World Foundation grant!
Do you have a project that will inspire and make a difference? The IH World Foundation offers grants to help make it happen.
This is a fantastic opportunity for any IH school or individual within the IH network to secure funding for activities with a clear and measurable impact. Trustees are especially excited to support initiatives that:
- Advance language education
- Help those in need (e.g., youths, the elderly, those in ill-health, with disability, refugees, or those facing financial hardship)
- Promote good citizenship and community development
The application process is straightforward: detail the area of need, expected benefit, and impact on the IH World Foundation grant application form.
Funding is available for one-off projects only (not ongoing payments), and although not every application can be supported, trustees carefully consider every proposal to be able to facilitate the most meaningful change – so share your best ideas for a new initiative or an existing project that needs a boost!
IH Milan & San Donato teams up with L'Amico Charly for student success
IH Milan & San Donato has joined forces with L’Amico Charly, a local association working to keep Milan teenagers in school when they’re struggling to finish their secondary education. L’Amico Charly tackles this challenge head-on by offering both academic help and psychological support to students and their families.
Over the last school year, IH Milan created custom English classes for these students. The courses focused on language skills while also boosting overall academic performance. Students gained confidence alongside English proficiency, opening doors that might otherwise stay closed.
The program worked so well that it’s expanding. IH Milan will welcome new students for 2025-2026, building on the success of this first year. This partnership shows how language schools can make a real difference in their communities, bringing quality English education to students who face the biggest hurdles in completing their studies and changing educational outcomes, one student at a time.
IH London's new teacher portal: fresh look, wider reach
We’re excited to announce the IH London Teacher Portal refresh! From September 22nd, the Portal will feature a new logo to reflect its transformation into a free digital hub offering teaching resources, webinars, and support materials for educators around the globe.
The move to a free model reflects International House London’s charitable aims as a not-for-profit organisation. By removing barriers to access, we can share high-quality teaching resources and professional development opportunities with educators worldwide, including those in under-resourced and rural areas. This change ensures the Teacher Portal continues to support our mission of making education accessible, inclusive and impactful on a global scale.
Why is this important?
The redesigned logo and the updated positioning of the Teacher Portal reinforce its role as:
- A resource hub for everyday classroom practice
- A development tool for ongoing professional growth
- A digital guide for navigating challenges in teaching
- A place of trust for educators worldwide
- A platform that is widely accessible.
The new Teacher Portal identity represents both continuity and progress: staying true to IH London’s professional standards while opening doors to an even broader global community of teachers.
If you want to find out more, contact us.
IH schools host the largest English certification event in Latin America
On Saturday, September 6th, International House schools in Latin America proudly hosted our Annual Conference 2025, the largest English certification event in Latin America. This fifth consecutive edition brought together more than 1,700 key decision-makers from schools and educational institutions across Mexico, Peru, and Colombia, underscoring the growing regional impact of our network.
The event was led by Ariel López, CEO of International House Mexico City, who emphasized the organization’s continuous growth and ambition: “Each year we raise the bar, expanding opportunities and driving higher standards in English teaching and certification across the region.”
This year’s conference was a hybrid event, featuring in-person sessions at the main International House venues in Mexico City, Bogotá, and Lima, as well as online participation to ensure access for attendees from across Latin America.
Participants also enjoyed an inspiring keynote session delivered online by César Bona, renowned Spanish teacher, author, and speaker, who encouraged attendees to reflect on the future of education and the importance of providing quality learning opportunities for all students.
This milestone event reaffirms International House’s leadership and commitment to excellence in language education, advancing international certification and shaping future generations throughout Latin America.
You're invited! IH Roma Accademia Britannica's 65th anniversary conference
We are delighted to invite you to celebrate Accademia Britannica International House Roma’s 65th Birthday with a day of learning, sharing, and inspiration!
📍 Auditorium Antonianum, Viale Manzoni 1, Rome
📅 Friday, 24th October 2025
⏰ 8:30 – 18:00
This year’s theme, “Dare to Differ: Inspire Learning”, brings together educators, trainers, and innovators to explore fresh perspectives in teaching and learning.
The programme features:
- Plenary sessions with renowned speakers Boelo Van Der Pool, Lucie Cotterill, Giovanni Licata, and Rachael Harris.
- Workshops on motivation, empathy, reading, learning power, and wellbeing led by experts Donatella Fitzgerald MBE, James Egerton, Chloé Pakeman-Schiavone, Aysen Cem-Deger, Kate Sycheva, and Fabio Filosofi.
- An open forum to close the day.
Whether you’re passionate about innovative classroom strategies, building learner resilience, or exploring the role of AI and social-emotional learning, this conference promises thought-provoking insights and practical takeaways.
Accademia Britannica International House Roma is a member of AISLi – the Italian Association of Language Schools, accredited by the Ministry of Education (MIM) for teacher training and professional development credits. Our certificate of attendance qualifies state school teachers for official exemption.
Seats are limited and registration is mandatory! Click here to book using the online form.
World Bee Day 2025 – we’re buzzing with success at IH Torres Vedras
This year, IH Torres Vedras celebrated World Bee Day with a schoolwide project that blended learning, creativity, and environmental awareness. Students of all ages took part, turning lessons into a hive of activity focused on the vital role of bees in our world.
Our youngest learners (ages 7–10) explored the anatomy of a bee, discovering how their bodies are perfectly designed for pollination. J4 students (11–14) added laughter with bee-themed jokes, while teens uncovered eye-opening facts—like how one third of the food we eat relies on pollination. Younger learners also wrote imaginative bee stories, and our older students enjoyed spelling bees and created idioms, showcasing both creativity and language skills.
Teamwork was at the heart of the project, with groups presenting their findings and supporting one another across different age levels. Displays in classrooms, corridors, and the reception area highlighted the students’ efforts, giving parents and visitors a glimpse into their learning.
By combining science, humour, and imagination, our students not only improved their English but also connected to a global issue. Above all, the project reminded us that protecting bees is essential for life on Earth—an inspiring message we’ll carry forward.
