Learning, Reflecting, Multiplying: Inside EduDeo’s Regional Leadership Conference

Learning, Reflecting, Multiplying: Inside EduDeo’s Regional Leadership Conference

In early 2026, educational leaders from across Central America and the Caribbean gathered in the Dominican Republic for EduDeo’s first-ever Regional Leadership Conference, launching a new two-year Regional Leadership Pathway designed to strengthen Christ‑centred leadership in schools. 

Leaders from Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic came together for several days of learning, reflection, and relationship‑building. Though they represented diverse contexts, they shared a common calling: to lead schools in a way that reflects the character of Christ and contributes to the flourishing of their communities. 

Transformational Leadership Rooted in God’s Story 

The three‑day workshop invited participants to explore “Transformational Leadership: Responding to God’s Call to Renew All Things.” Rather than focusing only on management skills, the conference grounded leadership in the broader story of Scripture (Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration) and challenged leaders to see their work as part of God’s ongoing renewal of the world. 

“We explored a simple but profound question,” shared Mario Matos, EduDeo’s International Partnership Director. “What does leadership look like when it reflects the character of Jesus?” 

Participants considered the difference between transactional leadership, which focuses on managing tasks, and transformational leadership, which shapes people and communities toward wholeness. Many reflected on leadership not as a role they perform, but as a calling. 

One participant captured this shift clearly: “This topic helped me better describe my role with schools and develop a clearer vision of the kind of leader I want to be.” 

Learning From One Another 

A defining feature of the conference was its participatory design. While EduDeo staff guided the sessions, leaders spent much of their time in discussion, sharing stories, wrestling with challenges, and learning from one another’s lived experiences. 

“There was a lot of wisdom in the room,” said Tom Deelstra, EduDeo’s Walking Together Program Lead. “Bringing together leaders who are deeply experienced in Christ‑centred education created space for rich learning you just can’t replicate online.” 

Those informal conversations over meals, during travel, and in between sessions, proved just as formative as the workshop content itself. Leaders spoke openly about both the joys and pressures of their work, discovering that while their contexts differ, many of their challenges are shared. 

Learning Beyond the Meeting Room

Some of the most impactful learning took place outside the meeting room. Participants visited schools within the Dominican Republic’s Sinergia network, but they didn’t go as mere tourists. Guided by Mario Matos, the leaders were instructed to use a "community mapping" lens, looking specifically for signs of Hurt, Hope, and Heart. 

• Hurt: Identifying anything in the people or systems that was not operating as it was created to be. 

• Hope: Pinpointing anything that signaled God’s presence and the restoration of shalom (peace and wholeness) to the community. 

• Heart: Discerning God’s deeper desires for that specific neighborhood through intentional conversations with teachers and students. 

In the evenings, the group gathered to reflect. Guided by these intentional categories, they processed the experience collectively—learning not only from the schools they visited, but from one another’s unique observations. 

“I was amazed by how rich those conversations were,” Tom shared. “People brought out insights that no one person would have reached on their own.” 

By looking for God’s heart in the Dominican Republic, the abstract ideas of transformational leadership became tangible. For many, it sparked a new vision for how to "map" the needs and joys of their own schools back home. 

Leadership as a Calling, Not Just a Job 

For many participants, the conference reframed leadership as more than a professional responsibility, and it became a reaffirmation of vocation. 

Mikayla Weinberger, EduDeo’s International Programs Manager, reflected on a moment early in the conference when a leader from Belize realized something new. “She shared that she had always thought of leadership as something needed because of brokenness—a response to the fall. But she hadn’t realized that leadership was part of God’s design from the beginning.” 

That realization resonated throughout the week. Leaders began to see their roles not simply as positions they hold, but as part of God’s creative and restorative work in the world. 

As one participant put it simply: “We always need to be reminded that our leadership is exercised in and with Christ.” 

Looking Ahead: From Learning to Multiplication 

Every participant at the conference serves as a trainer-of-trainers, meaning the impact of the gathering will extend far beyond those present. In the coming months, leaders will implement what they learned and equip others within their networks and contexts. 

Follow‑up virtual meetings are planned to celebrate progress, share challenges, and continue strengthening relationships across the region. A second in‑person gathering is scheduled for January 2027, deepening this growing regional community of Christ‑centered educational leaders. 

Mario reflected, “I’m grateful for leaders who want to shape schools around the way of Jesus—and for the growing collaboration among countries that makes this work possible.” 

Taking Action: Belize 

For Alvaro Potts, General Manager of Presbyterian Church Schools in Belize (PCSB), the conference inspired him to think about a cultural shift in his context. 

Alvaro realized that the simple act of stepping into a classroom could be transformed from a stressful evaluation into a moment of communal joy. Historically, school culture in Belize often meant that a visit from leadership signaled a critique or a problem to be solved. Alvaro returned home determined to "undo" that narrative. 

“My deep hope is for us to continue developing a culture of celebrating,” Alvaro shared. “We want to build confidence with our teachers—that when we visit, we aren't there to supervise or critique; we are just passing by to enjoy the good work they are doing.” 

Alvaro didn’t wait to put this into practice. By early March, he moved the monthly principals’ gathering out of a conference room and into a local school. Following the model from the Regional Conference, the leaders spent their morning in professional development and their afternoon touring classrooms together. 

The goal? To look for "the wonders"—the small, beautiful ways God is moving in the classroom—and to practice hospitality toward one another. “I want our teachers to be relaxed and welcoming,” Alvaro said. “There is so much we can rejoice in. There is a lot of good that they are doing.” 

By shifting the focus from transactional management to transformational celebration, Alvaro and the leaders in Belize are proving that leadership rooted in the character of Christ brings new energy and hope to an entire school community.