Before everyone disperses for the summer, we wanted to share the dates of our upcoming 2016-2017 professional development opportunities:

 

 

Presented by NCGS and the International Boys' Schools Coalition (IBSC), the 2016 Conference on Coordinate Education will be hosted by St. Paul's School for Girls and

St. Paul's School. This conference for all members of a school 

community will explore the strategies, opportunities, and challenges of forming a coordinate education program between all-girls and all-boys schools. Whether your school currently has an established coordinate program or is considering one, we encourage you and a team of your colleagues to attend this conference to learn more about best practices. 

 

How do our schools create a warm and welcoming sense of community? From the outside it may look like this happens 

organically, but those involved in our schools know it actually takes a 

lot of dedicated people working in concert to create and sustain vibrant and unique learning environments.

 

Starting in February 2017, we will be discussing this phenomenon in the next series of Educating Girls Symposiums, School 

Communities: The Power of Many Voices. How do the various "communities" in your school -- students, teachers, administrators, admissions teams, advancement officers, parents, and more -- collaborate to create a space where girls feel safe, valued, and appreciated? How does your school resolve conflict when any one of these voices is perceived to overshadow others? Participants will hear from keynote speakers and will explore these questions and more in peer-led breakout sessions.

 

The first session in our new School Communities: The Power of Many Voices series will be presented in partnership with the New York State Associate of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) at The Nightingale-Bamford School.

 

 

The standard definition of "innovation" is the introduction of something new. A hallmark of girls' schools, however, is to dive deeper. Our definition is much broader in scope -- one with an emphasis on process and problem-solving rather than the end product itself. Innovation is not simply about change for change's sake or upgrading to the latest technology -- it's about developing new solutions to existing challenges as well as those no one has even considered. It's about asking new questions -- and asking questions in new ways. It's about challenging limits and exploring the possibilities, all while staying true to your beliefs and mission. In short, innovation is about asking, "What's next?"

Join fellow educators at the Marriott Washington Wardman Park for the 2017 NCGS Conference, Education Innovation: Building Cultures of Creativity to define -- and redefine -- what innovation means for your school. It promises to be an engaging three days full of sharing ideas, making connections, and enthusiastically exploring the possibilities of "what's next."

 

 

Girls' School NET: Networking & Empowering Together events are a unique opportunity for our member schools to connect with their alumnae and fellow educators from other NCGS member schools.

 

For advancement offices, Girls' School NET receptions are ready-made, cost-effective regional alumnae events. Participation fees are based on how many guests attend from your school. Invite your alumnae to make three powerful connections in one evening: engage with their alma mater, unite with classmates in their region, and network with local girls' school alumnae.

 

The Girls' School NET is also a great way for administrators and educators to connect with peers working in a common capacity across the network of 200 NCGS member schools. Receptions are complimentary for NCGS member school representatives.

 

 

The second session in our new School Communities: The Power of Many Voices series (full description above) will be held at Westridge School.

 

Mark your calendars, enjoy your final days of the current school year, and we look forward to seeing you at these NCGS events in the new school year and beyond!