International Schools Association

What International Schools Association does

International Schools Association (ISA) is a Geneva-headquartered non-profit membership association founded in 1950 (approximately), dedicated to promoting international and intercultural understanding among schools worldwide. The organization espouses values of peace, freedom, equality, tolerance, and the celebration of diversity, and requires member schools to adhere to the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. ISA serves a network of 50+ member schools across 25+ countries, with over 10,000 students cumulatively participating in its programs.

ISA's core offerings are organized into three curriculum programs — Internationalism (with the ISA Self Study Guide), Education for Peace (a K-12 framework), and Education for Sustainability — supplemented by two assessment services, the ISA Oral English Exam and the ISA Comprehensive English Exam. An annual activity calendar complements the curriculum with the Youth Leadership Encounter, Short Film Contest, STEAM Projects, WIMUN (in partnership with WFUNA), and Joint Projects aligned to UN international days. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations run on a standard WordPress website, with no mobile app, public API, or AI-enabled features.

The business model is a subscription-recurring membership model with tiered annual fees denominated in Swiss Francs: 1,550 CHF for schools with under 500 students (Tier A), 2,140 CHF for schools with over 500 students (Tier B), and 965 CHF per school for groups operating more than four member schools (Tier C). Go-to-market is community-led: schools apply directly through the ISA website, are reviewed by ISA staff, and renew annually. The association supplements its curriculum with an institutional partner network (WFUNA, NHL Stenden University, Lesvos Geopark UNESCO, Stem-EducATION, Positivo, Lesvos Museum, GrowthRoad, Great Place to Study, Resilience Lab) and is staffed by 11–50 employees. No funding rounds, M&A activity, or leadership transitions are disclosed.

Name

International Schools Association

Legal name

International Schools Association

Website

https://isaschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Schools Association (ISA) is a Geneva-based non-profit founded in 1950 that operates a membership network of 50+ international schools across 25+ countries, delivering curriculum frameworks (Internationalism, Education for Peace, Education for Sustainability), standardized English assessments, and annual collaborative programs such as Youth Leadership Encounters and WIMUN.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Educational Support Services (611710), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)

Keywords

• International education association
• School membership programs
• English language assessments
• Peace education curriculum
• Student leadership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. School Membership Fees: ISA generates revenue through annual membership fees charged to individual schools and groups of schools. Fees are tiered based on student enrollment: schools with less than 500 students pay 1,550 CHF annually, schools with more than 500 students pay 2,140 CHF annually, and groups of schools with more than four members pay 965 CHF per school annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ISA is a non-profit membership association that provides international schools with K-12 curriculum frameworks (Internationalism, Education for Peace, Education for Sustainability), standardized English language examinations (ISA Oral English Exam and ISA Comprehensive English Exam), and a calendar of collaborative student activities including the Youth Leadership Encounter, STEAM Projects, Short Film Contest, and WIMUN. Schools pay tiered annual membership fees to access these programs, resources, and the broader global network of over 50 member schools across 25+ countries.

Product overview

The International Schools Association (ISA) is a membership-based educational association that operates as a portfolio of interconnected programs, assessment services, and collaborative activities for international schools. The core offerings include three curriculum programs (Internationalism, Education for Peace, and Education for Sustainability) and two assessment services (ISA Oral English Exam and ISA Comprehensive English Exam). These are complemented by a calendar of activities including the Youth Leadership Encounter, Short Film Contest, STEAM Projects, and WIMUN conferences. The organization connects over 50 member schools across more than 25 countries, providing professional development, student activities, and institutional partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ISA Oral English Exam: English language proficiency examination program for students
• ISA Comprehensive English Exam
• ISA Youth Leadership Encounter
• STEAM Projects
• ISA and the SDGs

Products and services

• Internationalism Program (with ISA Self Study Guide) Self-study guide program that promotes international and intercultural understanding among ISA member schools. Designed for international K-12 schools seeking to embed global citizenship and international mindedness into their curriculum.
• Education for Peace K-12 curriculum framework focused on peace education and building conflict resolution skills. Targeted at member schools integrating peace education into their formal curricula.
• Education for Sustainability Program promoting environmental sustainability education across ISA member schools. Designed to support schools in aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals and integrating sustainability themes K-12.
• ISA Oral English Exam Standardized oral English examination program assessing student speaking proficiency for ISA member schools' students.
• ISA Comprehensive English Exam Combined oral and written English examination program for evaluating comprehensive English proficiency of students at ISA member schools.
• ISA Youth Leadership Encounter Annual youth leadership event bringing together students from ISA member schools for cross-cultural leadership development and encounters.
• Short Film Contest Annual student film competition with rotating themes (e.g., Culture of Peace for 2026) organized by ISA for member school participants.
• STEAM Projects Collaborative Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics projects for student teams across ISA member schools.
• WIMUN (World International Model United Nations) Model United Nations conference providing students from ISA member schools with diplomatic debate experience, organized in partnership with WFUNA.
• Joint Projects Collaborative projects for ISA member schools organized around UN international days and events, enabling cross-school student collaboration.
• School Membership Annual membership program for international schools granting access to ISA's curriculum frameworks, exams, and collaborative activities, with tiered fees based on student enrollment size.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ students have participated in ISA programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, moderate and core.

• Lesvos MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural heritage institution partnered with ISA to support educational programs related to cultural diversity, heritage preservation, and global understanding. Part of ISA's institutional partner network.
• NHL Stenden UniversitymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational teacher education institution offering programs for secondary school teachers. Provides academic credibility and potential pathway for teacher professional development among ISA member schools.
• WFUNA (World Federation of United Nations Associations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal federation supporting UN Associations worldwide. Partnership supports ISA's alignment with UN values and initiatives including the SDGs. Enables joint programs like WIMUN (World International Model United Nations).
• Lesvos Geopark UNESCOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO Global Geopark in Greece partnered with ISA for educational initiatives related to earth sciences, environmental education, and sustainability.
• GrowthRoadminorOthersDevelopment organization partnered with ISA to support educational programs and initiatives, particularly related to sustainable development and youth empowerment.
• Great Place to StudyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational consultancy focused on identifying and recognizing excellent educational institutions. Partnership provides visibility and credibility recognition for ISA member schools.
• Resilience LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on resilience building and social-emotional learning. Partners with ISA to support programs related to student well-being and peace education.
• Stem-EducATIONmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEM education organization based in Greece that supports ISA's STEAM Projects initiative. Provides expertise and resources for robotics competitions and STEM programs across member schools.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA): AISA is a regional membership association for international schools across Africa, providing leadership, learning, and networking support. It is structurally similar to ISA and targets overlapping international-school demographics in a different geography.
• European Council of International Schools (ECIS): ECIS is a European-based membership association for international schools offering conferences, professional learning, and resources. Several ISA member schools (e.g., Tenerife, Romania) operate in Europe, positioning ECIS as a direct peer to ISA in that geography.
• East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS): EARCOS is a regional membership organization supporting international schools across East Asia, offering conferences, professional development, and student programs. It mirrors ISA's membership-based model with a regional focus that complements rather than overlaps with ISA's reach.
• Council of British International Schools (COBIS): COBIS is a UK-based membership association representing British international schools worldwide, offering membership services, professional development, and quality assurance. It competes with ISA for the same international-school constituency, though with a stronger British-curriculum focus.
• Council of International Schools (CIS): CIS is a global membership association for international schools that provides accreditation, professional development, and global connections. It is the closest direct peer to ISA, serving a similar target market with an overlapping mission and similar membership model.
• Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA): NESA is a regional association serving international schools in the Near East and South Asia, providing professional development, conferences, and a community for member institutions. It overlaps directly with ISA's footprint in the Middle East and South Asia and offers comparable membership-based services.
• Association of American Schools in Central America (AASCA): AASCA is a regional association for American and international schools in Central America, providing athletic, academic, and professional development programming. It is a comparable regional membership association serving a similar international-school demographic.

Broad incumbents

• International Baccalaureate (IB): IB is the dominant global curriculum and accreditation body for international schools, including many of the same IB World Schools that ISA counts among its members. It is a much larger incumbent operating broad standards and assessment programs; ISA's Internationalism and Education for Peace frameworks sit adjacent to IB's mission.
• Cambridge Assessment International Education: Cambridge International is a major curriculum and assessment provider whose Cambridge programmes feature at several ISA member schools. It is a broader incumbent in the international-education ecosystem with substantially larger scale and assessment infrastructure than ISA.
• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS): NAIS is a large US-based membership association for independent schools, offering professional development, advocacy, and resources. While not international-focused, it represents a much larger scaled-up version of the membership-association model ISA operates within the international segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISAschoolsORG
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6vw3E_BFBTVCWCQV_9vgHg
• Facebookfacebook.com/internationalshoolsassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-schools-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/international_schools_assoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Schools Association