2025-2026 Headways™ Offerings
Discover our lineup of four-week Headways™ sessions for 2025–26, designed to inspire and inform educators and school leaders on essential topics. In addition to hour-long virtual meetings, engage with relevant resources and participate in online discussions between meetings.
More sessions are on the way—stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to learn and connect.
Each Headways™ session is $275USD. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more and for individuals enrolling in three or more sessions during the year. Contact Laura Blankenship (lblankenship@girlsschools.org) for more information.
To access details for Headways cohorts that began earlier this year, please click here.
September/October 2025
Leadership and Strategy in Girls’ Schools
Dates: September 22 – October 17, 2025
Meeting Time: Wednesdays (September 24, October 1, 8 and 15) at 1:00 p.m. PST/4:00 p.m. EST/9:00 p.m. BST/Thursdays 6:00 a.m. AEST (Sydney)
Facilitators:
Linda Douglas, Principal, Wenona School, Sydney, Australia
Jo Sharrock, Headteacher, Putney High School (GDST), London, UK
Designed for experienced and emerging heads and principals of girls’ schools, this course offers a dynamic space to reflect, connect, and lead with clarity. Topics include global citizenship, strategic planning, executive wellness, and future-focused curriculum.
Artificial Intelligence in Girls’ Schools
Dates: September 29 – October 24, 2025
Meeting Time: Tuesdays (September 30, October 7, 14, 21) at 2 p.m. PST/5 p.m. EST/ 10 p.m. BST / Wednesdays (October 1, 8, 15, 22) at 7:00 a.m. EST (Sydney)
Facilitator:
Brett Quimby, English Teacher, The Marlborough School, Los Angeles, California, USA
Tyler Gaspich, Director of Information Resources and Technology, The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
This course explores how generative AI is showing up in girls’ schools—and what it might mean for teaching, learning, and leadership. We’ll consider both practical and ethical dimensions, with special attention to the implications for all-girls environments.
Leading Academic Initiatives: The Art and Science of Faculty Change Management with R.E.A.L Discussion®
Dates: September 29 – October 24, 2025
Meeting Time: Wednesdays (October 1, 8, 15, 22) at 3:00 p.m. EDT / 8:00 p.m. BST / Thursdays (October 2, 9, 16, 23) at 5:00–6:00 a.m. Sydney
Facilitator:
Liza Garonzik, Founder of R.E.A.L® Discussion
Additional guest facilitators from ICGS schools
This session tackles common challenges in managing academic initiatives and driving faculty change. With a focus on realistic case studies, we’ll explore how identity, tenure, discipline, and school culture affect implementation—and how leaders can plan for impact.
Telling the Story of Girls’ Schools
Dates: September 29 – October 24, 2025
Meeting Time: Thursdays (October 2, 9, 16, 23) 12:00 EST / 5:00 p.m. BST
Facilitator(s): ICGS partners
This four-week session for communications professionals, admission/enrollment officers, and other school leaders will be a dynamic, interactive discussion with several key ICGS partners working in marketing, advertising, reputation building, and other external-facing work schools engage in every day to recruit students, solicit donors, and keep their community informed. You will learn cutting-edge strategy from our partners and practical on-the-ground tips from your colleagues around the world.
Partners include:
- James Ramsdell, Finding School, “The 80/20 Conundrum: How to Find your School’s 20%.”
- Rob DiMartino, Finalsite, with Luke Myers (Emma Willard), Patrick Coyle (Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart), and Bethany Stotler (Foxcroft School) in a panel discussion about marketing and engagement.
- Stephen Holmes and Andrew Taylor, 5Rs Partnership, Schedule Innovation as Untapped Positioning
- Twist Creative, Branding for Girls’ Schools
Where We Stand – Place-Based Learning in Girls’ Schools
Dates: October 20 – November 12, 2025
Meeting Time: Tuesdays (October 21, 28, November 4, 11) at 2:30 p.m. EST / 7:30 p.m. BST/ Wednesdays (October 22, 29, November 5, 12) at 7:30 a.m. NZDT (New Zealand)
Facilitator:
Alex Van der Loos, Head of Chemistry, Westlake Girls High School, Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand
This session helps educators design local curriculum that empowers girls to explore and act on issues in their communities. Sessions will include strategies for building agency, forging community connections, and embedding global citizenship through place-based learning.
November/December 2025
Artificial Intelligence in Girls’ Schools – Advanced Cohort
Dates: October 27 – November 21, 2025
Meeting Time: Mondays (October 27, November 3, 10, 17) at 1 p.m. PST/4 p.m. EST/ 9 p.m. BST / Tuesdays 6:00 a.m. EST (Sydney)
Facilitator:
Christina Advento, Teacher-Librarian, Trinity Hall, New Jersey, USA
This Headways™ session is designed for educators and staff with intermediate AI experience who are ready to advance their schools’ AI integration. Building on foundational knowledge, participants will engage in practical discussions about harnessing AI in their school to enhance the unique strengths of girls’ education while navigating implementation challenges and ethical considerations.
Building for Belonging in Girls’ Schools
Dates: November 3 – December 5, 2025
Meeting Times: Wednesdays (November 5, 12, 19, and December 3) at 3:00 p.m. EST / 8:00 p.m. BST / Thursdays (November 6, 13, 20 and December 10) at 5:00 a.m. Sydney
Facilitators:
Johara Sealy, Assistant Head for Diversity and Equity, Nightingale Bamford School, New York, NY USA
Susan Martell Jenkin, Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer, Miss Porter’s School, Farmington, CT USA
This session explores how schools can foster environments of belonging and equity within their communities. Through discussion and reflection, participants will examine inclusive practices, identify barriers to equity, and develop actionable strategies to support all students and staff.
Normalizing Neurodiversity: Exploring Strategies Designed to Amplify your Educational Power and Students’ Success
Dates: October 27 – November 21, 2025
Meeting Time: Thursdays (October 30, November 6, 13, 20) at 3:30 EST / 8:30 p.m. BST / Fridays (October 31, November 7, 14, 21) at 5:30 a.m. Sydney
Facilitators:
Julie Bierman, Learning Specialist, Roland Park Country School, Baltimore, MD, USA
As our understanding of neuroscience grows, the number of students with diagnosed neurodiversity continues to rise and educators may struggle to differentiate instruction, even when class sizes are small. Join this Headways cohort to explore and discuss proven strategies for building environments that normalize neurodiversity. Want to build your students’ metacognitive powers? Help them understand the interplay of anxiety and learning? Understand and explore ways to facilitate parent and teacher partnership? Hear from neurodiverse kids themselves about what works (and have the opportunity to ask them questions)? Please join us to bust some neuromyths and explore material and ideas that will amplify your power as an educator and increase your students’ success.
January/February 2026
Tackling Culture from the Middle
Dates: January 12 – February 6, 2026
Meeting Time: Wednesdays (January 14, 21, 28, February 4) at 1:00 p.m. PST/4:00 p.m. EST/9:00 p.m. BST/ Thursdays (January 13, 20, 27, February 5) at 8:00 a.m. Sydney
Facilitators:
Marissa Muoio, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Leadership, Stuart Country Day School, Princeton, NJ USA
Middle leaders—division heads, department chairs, and program directors—are uniquely positioned at the intersection of school vision and daily practice. They carry the responsibility of interpreting institutional priorities, supporting faculty, and shaping the lived experience of students. Yet, leading “from the middle” often comes with challenges: balancing authority and collegiality, navigating competing demands, and influencing school culture without always having the final word.
This Headways program invites division heads and other middle leaders to explore strategies for cultivating positive, resilient, and values-driven school culture from their sphere of influence. Participants will engage in conversations about trust, transparency, humor, and relational leadership as levers for shaping culture.
With Purpose: Strategic College Counseling Today
Dates: January 12 – February 6, 2026
Meeting Time: Wednesdays (January 14, 21, 28, February 4) at 11:00 PST/2:00 p.m. EST/7:00 p.m. BST/ Thursdays (January 13, 20, 27, February 5) at 6:00 a.m. Sydney
Facilitators:
Monique Eguavoen, Director of College Counseling, Westridge School, Pasadena, CA
Valerie Welsh, Director of College Counseling, The Baldwin School, Bryn Mawr, PA
In today’s rapidly evolving admissions environment, effective college counseling requires more than just knowledge – it demands strategy, adaptability, and insight. This workshop will dive into current trends (including test-optional policies, AI’s impact on applications, equity in access, and the landscape of higher education) to ensure our approach and practice remains relevant and impactful as we guide students in finding their best-fit college or university.
February/March 2026
Mental Health Matters: Redefining Wellbeing in Girls’ Schools
Dates: February 26 – March 19, 2026
Meeting Time: Thursdays (February 26, March 5, 12, 19) at 8:00 a.m. PST/11:00 a.m. EST/4:00 p.m. BST
Facilitator:
Laurie Garland, Deputy Head of Sixth Form Pastoral, Mental Health Lead, and Deputy Safeguarding Lead, Wycombe High School, London, UK
In today’s complex world, mental health and wellbeing must be central to how we lead, teach and care in girls’ schools. This series explores what it truly means to prioritise wellbeing – for students and staff alike. We’ll look at whole-school approaches, targeted support, stronger peer and parent partnerships, and how to better care for the adults at the heart of girls’ education. Together, we’ll redefine what wellbeing can look like in schools where girls thrive.
Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy in Girls’ Schools
Dates: March 2 – 27, 2026
Meeting Time: Thursdays (March 5, 12, 19, 26) at 8:00 a.m. PST/11:00 a.m. EST/4:00 p.m. BST
Facilitator:
Laura McGarry, Graham-Pelton
In this Headways™ session, leaders and board memebers in girls’ schools will dive into the evolving landscape of philanthropy, exploring how strong governance, inclusive strategies, and emerging technologies can transform fundraising. Participants will examine how high-performing boards drive successful campaigns, discover fresh approaches to engaging diverse donors, and learn how to harness the power of AI to deepen connection and impact. The series concludes with a candid look at endowment campaigns—debunking myths, identifying trends, and uncovering new opportunities to strengthen long-term sustainability.
Neurodiverse & Included: Creating Spaces Where All Girls Thrive
Dates: March 2 – 27, 2026
Meeting Time: Wednesdays (March 4, 11, 18, 25) at 11:00 a.m. PST/2:00 p.m. EST/7:00 p.m. BST
Facilitator:
Vikki Jonsmyth-Clarke, Deputy Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead at Wycombe High School, London, United Kingdom
This series explores how we can better understand and support neurodiverse girls in educational settings. Grounded in current research and best practice, each session will focus on how to create a sense of belonging using inclusive strategies that benefit all learners—not just those with identified needs. Through open conversation, shared experiences, and practical insights, we’ll examine how to recognise the often-overlooked presentations of neurodiversity in girls, foster inclusive environments, and implement approaches that empower every student to thrive.
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