When we talk about belonging in education, are we truly living it or just writing it into policy documents? In this episode of The Kitchen Table, we sit down with Dr Ilene Winokur to explore what belonging actually looks like in practice, from classrooms in Kuwait to refugee communities in Kenya.

Ilene has lived in Kuwait since 1984 and has spent more than 35 years working at the intersection of education, storytelling and belonging. A professional learning consultant, author and global mentor, she supports teachers around the world, including refugee educators, and has published two books centred on belonging. Her work is rooted in one core belief: connection changes communities.

In our conversation, she shares her personal journey of moving to Kuwait at 29, learning Arabic to connect with her mother-in-law, and later navigating the loss of her citizenship while still holding onto her sense of home.

What We Explore

- Personal vs Professional Belonging: Why the relationships we build at home and at work shape us differently, and why both are essential in schools.

- Creating Space That Feels Safe: From greeting students at the door to co-constructing classroom norms, the practical ways teachers can nurture trust and voice.

- Belonging Beyond the Mission Statement: How leaders can align culture, policy and everyday behaviour so inclusion is lived rather than laminated.

Ilene reflects on walking school corridors as a principal and noticing how her own emotional state influenced the building. It is a powerful reminder that belonging is embodied. It is relational. It is felt.

If you are building community in a classroom, a school or beyond, this conversation will both challenge and steady you.

Connect with Phil Banks

thebelongingcollective.blog

Connect with Mohamed Abdallah

Drawbridge Collective | Mohamed Abdallah | Substack

Connect with Danielle Lewis-Egonu

Danielle Lewis-Egonu | Substack

The Kitchen Table are grateful to our sponsors Magma Maths, Zen Educate, St Christophers Trust, Cygnus Academies Trust, The Reach Foundation and it is produced by Urban Podcasts.