D23: Strengthening Communities is the third annual Dwight Seoul conference. This conference, with hybrid options, is for educators focusing on building and strengthening personal connections between all key stakeholders in PS-12th grade schools.


Attendees will gain a better understanding of how to create an environment of mutual respect and support that empowers and strengthens their school communities.


Through interactive workshops and meaningful discussions, participants will share and explore ways to build and maintain strong connections with all key stakeholders in schools.


This conference is intended for people who work in PS-12th grade educational communities looking to foster healthy, collaborative learning environments.


Date: February 20, 2023

Time: 8:30am until 3:30pm

Meet the Speakers...

Jolene Lockwood

Jolene Lockwood has been an educator for 35 years and has over 19 years of coaching and consulting experience. She is a certified Dare to Lead™️ and Daring Classroom™️ facilitator for best-selling author Brené Brown and also does work around the world as a Cognitive Coaching Agency trainer, most recently for Korea International School in Seoul, South Korea. Jolene specializes in building and sustaining leaders that cultivate courageous cultures to transform the ways we learn, lead, and teach.

In the last 15 years, she has trained and certified over 175 leaders in the Dare to Lead program and over 200 educators in Cognitive Coaching across the globe. Additionally, she has presented workshops at international conferences such as the EARCOS Leadership Conference, ASCD, and ECIS respectively. She pairs her Cognitive Coaching and Dare to Lead™️ skills to train, coach, and consult for individuals and leadership teams and is excited to see people’s lives and workplaces transformed.

Katrina Daniels-Samasa

Katrina has over 20 years experience in education and leadership working in suburban and inner city schools in America, rural and city areas in the UAE, and a top tier international school in Jeju, South Korea. During her time in the US, she served as Middle School Lead, Lead Teacher, and Special Education Senior Leadership Team link, but shifted roles during her international career to become Lead Practitioner,  English curriculum coordinator,  and eventually DEI Lead/ workshop facilitator/trainer.

Her background in Sociology and Education paired with her experiences in American, British, and local UAE curricula has strengthened her understanding of the plethora of approaches within education. Being trained in restorative practices, social emotional learning, anti-bully in schools, leadership through the Center of Creative Leadership, Culture and Climate through the Flippen Group and DEI from various institutions/organisations has shaped her  multidimensional lens as she works with leaders and teams to develop solutions based on their demographic.

Currently, Katrina’s focus is helping schools and teams understand DEIJ/B for staff and students within international schools.  “DEI fails if an organisation hasn’t defined its culture or understands its current climate.”

Beth Puma

"Language shapes our vision(s) of the world. By understanding our students' multilingual experiences we can transform our instructional practices and schools to help our students' thrive."

Beth worked with linguistically diverse students in New York City and Tucson, Arizona public schools; two cities that are at the center of public discourse around educational language policy and planning. When she moved overseas to China, she was part of a core team of educators working at a catalyst immersion school for host country nationals. Language and cultures' intersection with education has been a passion for her entire teaching career. 

Beth is currently an Instructional Coach at The American School in Japan. She also serves as ELLSA Japan Chapter Coordinator.