10 YEARS OF SCHOOLFINDERS – OUR JOURNEY, OUR PEOPLE, OUR PURPOSE
What began in November 2016 with a shared vision has grown into ten years of experience, countless encounters and one common purpose: helping families find the right school for their children.
What inspired us to start this journey ten years ago? What have we achieved since then? How have we evolved? And what defines Schoolfinders today?
Our 10th anniversary is an opportunity to look back, reflect and celebrate the people who have shaped our journey.
Schoolfinders was founded by Diane Bauer-Illy and Nicole Rieffel-Behles with a simple conviction: choosing the right school is about much more than comparing schools, rankings or websites. It is about understanding each child, each family and their individual needs.
What started as a joint venture between the two of us has gradually grown into a team of four. First, Joline Huggare joined us, followed by Ester Esteban Abelló. With each new team member came additional expertise, international perspectives, fresh ideas and the ability to support even more families from around the world.
Our different cultural backgrounds, personal experiences and knowledge of educational systems have become one of our greatest strengths. We approach each family's situation from different perspectives, while remaining united by the same purpose.
Over the past decade, the educational landscape has evolved considerably. Families are increasingly mobile, educational pathways have become more diverse, and the need for individual guidance has grown. We have evolved alongside these changes, continuously expanding our knowledge, visiting schools, developing relationships and learning from every family we have had the privilege to advise.
Whether helping a family relocate to Switzerland, navigating the Swiss public school system with all the challenges that may occur, considering bilingual or international education, or finding the right learning environment for a child with individual needs, our approach has remained the same: independent, impartial and personal advice, always with the child's best interests at heart.
Every family brings a different story, and every experience has contributed to what Schoolfinders is today.
To mark this milestone, we wanted to create something lasting and worked on a very special anniversary project: a documentary capturing the essence of Schoolfinders, our beginnings, our development and the people behind our story.
Over the past four months, we were lucky enough to closely work with Matisse Chik of MC Narratives, who has brought our story to life with exceptional understanding and empathy, a keen journalistic eye and gift for visual storytelling. His ability to look beyond the facts and capture the people, values and purpose behind Schoolfinders has made this project particularly meaningful to us.
The film is both a reflection on our first decade and a tribute to everyone who has been part of our journey.
It is also meant as a thank you to the families who have entrusted us with important decisions about their children's education. The schools (international schools, Swiss public schools, Swiss bilingual schools and boarding schools) that have opened their doors to us and shared their expertise. The partners, colleagues and supporters who have accompanied, challenged and inspired us along the way.
And, of course, our team, whose commitment and complementary strengths continue to drive Schoolfinders forward.
We are proud of what we have built together, grateful for the trust we have earned and excited about everything that lies ahead.
We look forward to sharing our anniversary documentary with you very soon.
10 Years of Schoolfinders: Our Journey. Our People. Our Purpose.
Coming soon!
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