Leading Schools, Leading Girls: Preparing for the Future
Essential Questions
What are the competencies today’s world demands from leaders?
How are schools and girl-serving organizations responding to these demands in terms of programming/experiences for girls?
In what ways are schools and organizations deliberately cultivating leadership skills among girls and women?
In an era of sustainability and strategic advancement, how do enterprises determine what programs and initiatives are most relevant and critical to their mission?
Key Topics
Leadership – female leadership, curriculum, programming (formal and informal), training, school leaders and governance, character/confidence development, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, leadership assessment tools, gender discrimination in the workplace, post-school/workplace success, professional development
Strategic School Advancement and Sustainability – strategic planning, legal issues, financial sustainability, fundraising, communications/marketing/messaging, admissions, post-secondary placement, residential community, international student recruitment, op-eds, parent relations, grant writing, starting a girls’ school, graduate surveys, alumnae tracking
Iterating to Innovate: Designing Inspired Experiences and Environments
Essential Questions
What innovative best practices are energizing learning experiences around the world?
How are schools keeping girls at the center of their own education?
How is curriculum being re-imagined and what new understanding is driving that design?
How can learning outcomes be measured most effectively?
How is current research informing how, when, where, and why girls learn best?
Key Topics
Classroom Innovation – blended learning, the flipped classroom, project-based learning, assignment calendars and tutorials, field experiences, cooperative learning and study groups, internships, differentiated learning, experiential learning, alternative scheduling, student-led classroom, classroom design, digital portfolios, academic risk-taking
Teaching & Curriculum – research, curriculum mapping, best teaching practices, interdisciplinary education, summer curriculum, auxiliary programs, girl-centered pedagogy, signature programs, globalization of curriculum, social-emotional learning programs, professional development
Testing & Assessment – university preparedness, International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), Common Core, standards-based grading, international recognition of regional/national testing/assessments
Moving Full STEAM Ahead: Closing the Gender Gap
Essential Questions
What are the components of STEAM that need to be integrated into academic and co-curricular programs as core elements, and how do they interconnect across disciplines?
What strategies and methodologies are most effective for teaching girls and young women STEAM, design thinking, and related topics within and beyond the school walls?
How should design thinking intersect with teaching and learning? How does physical space help instill critical thinking, problem-solving, exploring, inventing, and iterating into the daily lives of girls?
What are the best models in the private sector and among non-profits for addressing the “leaky pipeline” in tech?
Curriculum – STEM vs. STEAM vs. DREAMS, design thinking, curricular integration, computer science, encouraging creative play, science research programs
Leveraging Partnerships: Making the Most of Local and Global Communities
Essential Questions
How can partnerships expand the four walls of the classroom and expose girls to their community and the world?
What are key elements of a sustainable partnership?
What are the best ways to encourage girls’ and young women’s political voices?
What does it mean to be a “global citizen” and how do schools and organizations develop in girls and young women the required skills and mindsets to be one?
How do schools manage travel programs so they are accessible to all students and mission-aligned?
Key Topics
Civic/Community Engagement – service learning, community partnerships, political activism, public/private partnerships, leveraging community resources, effective management of strategic partners, political voice
Global Partnerships – exchange programs (virtual and in-person), travel opportunities, cross-cultural curriculum, global citizenship
Moving from Reactive to Proactive: Making Health & Wellness a Core Subject
Essential Questions
What is the role of schools and girl-serving organizations in addressing girls’ and young women’s intellectual and emotional growth?
How can schools and organizations enlist the entirety of their communities to take a proactive approach to promoting health and well-being for girls?
What are innovative ways in which schools and organizations can work together to combat the negative messages girls and young women receive through social media and pop culture?
Key Topics
Health & Wellness – support services, self-esteem, athletics, bullying, resiliency, anxiety, perfectionism, addictive behavior, mindfulness, body image, social media, online behavior, healthy boundaries/relationships, social-emotional learning (SEL), peer-led programs, healthy lifestyle coaching and programs, food services, parent education, extracurricular activities, self-injury, mental illness, counselor self-care, grief and crisis management, confidentiality
Embracing Equity & Inclusion: Managing the Intersection of Identities
Essential Questions
How can schools and girl-serving organizations prepare students to embrace and express various aspects of their identities while also having an awareness of and respect for the identity expression of others?
How do we ensure schools and educational organizations are safe spaces for the expression of differences while also encouraging inquiry, varying opinions, and open dialogue?
What resources are available to help community members conduct and participate in difficult conversations?
What are the key legal issues regarding protected forms of diversity, and how can schools navigate the challenges in managing bullying and/or other identity-related conflict?
What training and resources are needed to establish optimal learning environments for immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking students and families?