Rebecca Gillman, International School of Dakar, Senegal
“Separation is at the root of so many problems. Connection is always the response.”

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Rebecca’s Story.

Rebecca has spent over twenty years working in international education, connecting learners across cultures to the world around them. Now based at the International School of Dakar in Senegal, she leads community engagement and service learning, helping students turn awareness into action and curiosity into compassion.

For Rebecca, education has always been a social endeavour, one rooted in belonging and relationship. Describing herself as a “living bridge,” she brings people together across difference to learn, collaborate and grow. Whether designing projects with local schools or mentoring students through creative service, she works to dismantle the barriers between “school” and “community,” nurturing a culture of reciprocity and care.

The Triple WellBeing® Fellowship offered Rebecca time to pause and reflect, to bring her values of connection, critical thinking and community into sharper focus. She used the framework to deepen her students’ understanding of service and wellbeing, helping them move beyond the idea of “helping” to one of genuine partnership. Her action research explored how self-care, people-care, and earth-care can guide cross-cultural collaboration, ensuring learning uplifts everyone involved.

With humility and humour, Rebecca reminds us that education’s purpose is not perfection but participation. It’s in the messy, relational spaces where we question, listen and co-create that the deepest learning happens.

Listen to the full conversation with Rebecca.

Episode Title
Stories of Triple WellBeing®
“Education has overwhelming transformative potential if we remember it’s a social endeavour.”
— Rebecca, Community Engagement and Service Learning Coordinator, International School of Dakar, Senegal

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