Headways™

Mental Health Matters: Redefining Wellbeing in Girls’ Schools

Meeting Dates/Times:

• March 5 at 8:00 a.m. PST / 11:00 a.m. EST / 4:00 p.m. GMT
• March 12 at 9:00 a.m. PDT / 12:00 p.m. EDT / 4:00 p.m. GMT
• March 19 at 9:00 a.m. PDT / 12:00 p.m. EDT / 4:00 p.m. GMT
• March 26 at 9:00 a.m. PDT / 12:00 p.m. EDT / 4:00 p.m. GMT

Please note the U.S. shifts to Daylight Savings on March 8, so subsequent sessions will meet at 9:00 a.m. PDT/11:00 a.m. EDT/4:00 p.m. GMT for the last three weeks.

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.

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Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy in Girls’ Schools

Meeting Dates/Times:

• March 5 at 8:00 a.m. PST / 11:00 a.m. EST / 4:00 p.m. GMT
• March 12 at 8:00 a.m. PDT / 11:00 a.m. EDT / 3:00 p.m. GMT
• March 19 at 8:00 a.m. PDT / 11:00 a.m. EDT / 3:00 p.m. GMT
• March 26 at 8:00 a.m. PDT / 11:00 a.m. EDT / 3:00 p.m. GMT

Please note the U.S. shifts to Daylight Savings on March 8, so subsequent sessions will meet at 8:00 a.m. PDT/11:00 a.m. EDT/3:00 p.m. GMT for the last three weeks.

Facilitator:
Laura McGarry, Graham-Pelton

In this Headways™ session, leaders and board members 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.

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Making Headway: Uplevelling Your Leadership with Confidence and Authenticity: A Captains & Poets Workshop for Mid-Level Leaders

Meeting Dates/Times:

• April 16 at 1:00 PST / 4:00 p.m. EST / 9:00 p.m. GMT (April 17 at 6:00 a.m. AEST)
• April 23 at 1:00 PST / 4:00 p.m. EST / 9:00 p.m. GMT (April 24 at 6:00 a.m. AEST))
• April 30 at 1:00 PST / 4:00 p.m. EST / 9:00 p.m. GMT (May 1 at 6:00 a.m. AEST))
• May 7 at 1:00 PST / 4:00 p.m. EST / 9:00 p.m. GMT (May 8 at 6:00 a.m. AEST)

Facilitator:
Jennifer Johnson, CEO and Chief Learning Officer, Captains & Poets

Effectively fulfilling a leadership role requires courage, clarity, and a deep sense of self-awareness. And when transitioning from colleague to leader, the challenge can feel even greater – especially when surrounded by those who “know us” in a particular way. This Captains & Poets workshop equips aspiring school leaders with the tools to uplevel their leadership and refine their professional identity thoughtfully and authentically. Grounded in our signature approach, this series supports leaders in making headway with confidence, purpose, and integrity by activating their unique Leader Within. A 30-minute Reflection Exercise and short Pre-Survey will be sent out ahead of time to help participants make the most of the experience.
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Powerful Girls Book Club

Meeting Dates/Times:

• • April 14 at 3:00 p.m. PDT/6:00 p.m. EDT/Wed, April 15 8:00 a.m. AEDT
  • April 27 at 3:00 p.m. PDT/6:00 p.m. EDT/Wed, April 15 8:00 a.m. AEDT
  • May 11 at 3:00 p.m. PDT/6:00 p.m. EDT/Wed, April 15 8:00 a.m. AEDT
  • May 25 at 13:00 p.m. PDT/6:00 p.m. EDT/Wed, April 15 8:00 a.m. AEDT
  • June 8 at 3:00 p.m. PDT/6:00 p.m. EDT/Wed, April 15 8:00 a.m. AEDT
  • June 23/24/or 25 time TBD to coordinate a possible meetup at the Global Forum in Toronto)

Facilitator:
Ann Muno, author, Powerful Girls: Raising Strong, Just, and Compassionate Young Women

Join author Ann Muno in a lively discussion about her book Powerful Girls: Raising Strong, Just, and Compassionate Young Women, a thought-provoking exploration of how adults can better support girls through adolescence and help build healthier, more just communities. Drawing on personal experience, research, and stories from real girls, Muno examines where girls’ power is often diminished—and how it can be restored through belonging, identity development, media literacy, race consciousness, and connection to values. Organized around eight essential “powers,” the book offers practical strategies for parents, educators, and mentors who want to nurture confident, compassionate young women and create cultures where girls truly thrive.

This is a special six-session series meeting every other week. Participants should purchase the book at a local bookstore or through Amazon.

Note that due to the length of this session, the participation fee is $375USD.
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Leadership and Strategy in Girls’ Schools

Meeting Dates/Times:

• Tuesday April 21 5:00 p.m. EDT/2 p.m. PDT/Wednesday April 22 7:00 a.m. AEST
• Tuesday April 28 5:00 p.m. EDT/2 p.m. PDT/Wednesday April 29 7:00 a.m. AEST
• Tuesday May 5 5:00 p.m. EDT/2 p.m. PDT/Wednesday May 6 7:00 a.m. AEST
• Tuesday May 12 5:00 p.m. EDT/2 p.m. PDT/Wednesday May 13 7:00 a.m. AEST

Facilitator:
Jane Danvers, Principal, Kambala, Sydney, Australia

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.

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Delivering World Class Careers Education, Learning and Guidance

Meeting Dates/Times:

• Tuesday April 28 at 4:00 p.m. GMT/11:00 a.m. EDT/8:00 a.m. PDT/Wednesday April 29 6:00 a.m. AEST
• Tuesday May 5 at 4:00 p.m. GMT/11:00 a.m. EDT/8:00 a.m. PDT/Wednesday May 6 6:00 a.m. AEST
• Tuesday May 12 at 4:00 p.m. GMT/11:00 a.m. EDT/8:00 a.m. PDT/Wednesday May 13 6:00 a.m. AEST
• Tuesday May 19 at 4:00 p.m. GMT/11:00 a.m. EDT/8:00 a.m. PDT/Wednesday May 20 6:00 a.m. AEST

Facilitators:
Karen Wray, Careers Lead and Careers Adviser, Beaconsfield High School, Beaconsfield, UK
Erin Bradley, Head of Careers, Teacher of Design and Technology, Putney High School, London, UK

Join us for a series of four workshops to discover the great practice taking place across member schools. Each workshop will cover a particular area of carers education or learning. We will start with a discussion about the scope of the subject are and then go on to share and discuss practices. Below are the topics we will cover:

Session 1: Embedding careers learning in the curriculum
How do we embed careers learning and link careers to the academic curriculum. What examples of great practice are there? How can we as careers professional support teaching staff and academic departments?

Session 2 Careers education
What do you offer, how do you link from one academic year to the next when lessons might spaced apart by several months and on different topics. What is important? How achievable is it to embed in younger years. How to ensure message is not lost amongst demand for academic excellence

Session 3 Careers strategy
What is your Careers strategy? How do the link the strategy to the need to deliver events/day to day activities? How to do you measure success?

Session 4 What is the future
How do we prepare students for a world of AI in the workplace and the expected reduced numbers of ‘graduate jobs’ to be funnelled into? Where are the jobs going to be? Will the knowledge-based economy (lawyers accountants, consultants) become super aspirational as jobs become more scarce or will they become too scarce to be achievable? What are the jobs going to be? Do students have too much choice and not enough information? Are they capable of exercising that choice or following a well-trodden path?

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Technology Directors’ Virtual Roundtable

Meeting Dates/Times:

• July 14 at 2:30 p.m. EDT / 11:30 am PST / 7:30 p.m. London
• July 21 at 2:30 p.m. EDT / 11:30 am PST / 7:30 p.m. London
• July 28 at 2:30 p.m. EDT / 11:30 am PST / 7:30 p.m. London
• August 4 at 2:30 p.m. EDT / 11:30 am PST / 7:30 p.m. London

Facilitators:
Dave Ritzmann, Senior Director of Technology – Academy of Our Lady of Peace, San Diego, California, USA
Tyler Gaspich, Director of Information Resources and Technology, The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Connect with fellow ICGS Technology Directors to share successes, discuss challenges, and explore opportunities in a roundtable format across four weeks. Some possible topics include:

• AI and Emerging Technologies
• Security and Privacy
• Curriculum and Pedagogy
• Leadership and Professional Development for Technology Teams

A survey will be sent to all participants prior to the first session to gauge interest in these and other topics, and a final list will be sent prior to the first session. It will also be a way to connect (or reconnect) with colleagues at other schools

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Artificial Intelligence in Girls’ Schools – Advanced Cohort

Meeting Dates/Times: TBD May 2026

Facilitator:
Kerry Daud, Head of Faculty – Digital Innovation and Design, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, Brisbane, Australia

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.

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Neurodiverse & Included: Creating Spaces Where All Girls Thrive

Meeting Dates/Times: TBD September/October 2026

Please note the U.S. shifts to Daylight Savings on March 8, so subsequent sessions will meet at 11:00 a.m. PDT/2:00 p.m. EDT/6:00 p.m. GMT for the last three weeks.

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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Leadership and Strategy in Girls’ Schools

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

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®

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

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

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.

Artificial Intelligence in Girls’ Schools – Advanced Cohort

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.

Normalizing Neurodiversity: Exploring Strategies Designed to Amplify your Educational Power and Students’ Success

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.

Building for Belonging in Girls’ Schools

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.

Tackling Culture from the Middle

Facilitators:
Cintra Horn, Assistant Head for Student Affairs, Ashley Hall School, Charleston, South Carolina, 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

Facilitators:
Monique Eguavoen, Director of College Counseling, Westridge School, Pasadena, California, USA
Valerie Welsh, Director of College Counseling, The Baldwin School, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA

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.