Breakout Session A — 2025 ICGS Conference

Breakout Session A
June 23, 2025
2:20-3:10 p.m.

Inspiring Humans, Not Donors: How to Develop a Case for Support That Inspires Action
special Advancement session presented by Graham-Pelton

With an average attention span of just 8 seconds, today’s fundraising professionals face the challenge of making a case for support that truly cuts through the noise. But what if your case could not only capture attention but also deeply engage your school community?

In this dynamic session, you’ll learn the proven “Case IN5” framework—a simple, five-part approach to crafting a case for support that inspires action. You’ll discover how to engage stakeholders intentionally, where the true value lies not just in the final case but in a purposeful, engaging development process. Together, we’ll explore practical ways to involve your school community, shape your message, and leverage the process itself to transform your case for support into a powerful tool for growth and lasting connection.

Presenter: Laura McGarry, Managing Principal | Graham-Pelton

Featured Presentation

Progress for Women Means Progress for All – Breaking Down Barriers, Building Allies and Raising Voices through Education

In this featured presentation, Cheryl Giovannoni delivers a powerful rebuttal of the current “gender wars” narrative, underlining that we have lost what is intrinsically true – that women’s equality and progress is not just what women deserve, it is good and progress for everyone.

Within the noise and the toxicity, the most powerful weapon we have is raising our voice. In a world of echo chambers and the rise of the manosphere, women’s voices continue to shine through and we must have the confidence to speak up and speak out. All around us there are women who lead by example and are continuing to move the dial in a world that in many places is pushing back. Men are powerful allies and are needed to help us in this fight.

This is not only our torch to bear as educators, but the magic of girls’ schools is in their cultivation of courage in developing a girls’ individual voice. In its 2024 research report, Designing the Future of Girls’ Education, we outlined how schools in all settings can help ensure girls receive the education they deserve, which ensures equality of access and opportunity and builds confidence and skills to step out into the world. Girls’ schools achieve this in environments that others cannot match – through education that develops freedom; encourages risk taking and harnesses playfulness; in not shying away from discussion about complex or controversial topics.

We know words are not enough, but these are the seeds of change that lead to lasting action. In the words of Maya Angelou, “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” Now is not the time to give up and quieten down, now is the time to crack on.

Presenter: Cheryl Giovannoni, Chief Executive | Girls’ Day School Trust (United Kingdom)

Faith in Inclusion: Expanding Learning Support in Girls’ Schools
With a deep commitment to Catholic education and enhancing educational opportunities for all students, Julia is eager to share her knowledge and experience of how she overcame adversity and budget restraints to help various schools develop, establish, and maintain effective learning support programs that promote equity and inclusion. Currently, Julia works closely and collaboratively with faculty and counselors at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace (OLP), an all-girl Catholic high school in San Diego, California, to strengthen the Pilot Success Team Learning Support Program in order to provide an inclusive learning environment for young women with mild to moderate cognitive disabilities or significant learning challenges at OLP.

Presenter: Julia Marentez, Learning Support Specialist | Academy of Our Lady of Peace (United States)

Mastery, Not Metrics: Reducing Stress and Redefining Success in Girls’ Education
Are you committed to equitable and meaningful assessment practices designed to reduce stress, eliminate bias, and support authentic learning for young women? This session covers methods for “righting the ship” by shifting from traditional grading to mastery-based evaluation, rethinking the purpose of grades, and aligning assessment with girls’ learning and growth. Participants will learn actionable strategies for fostering student ownership, enhancing transparency, and reducing grade-related anxieties. Ideal for educators and administrators looking to create assessment systems that prioritize students’ well-being, engagement, and success.

Presenters: Elizabeth Simison, Academic Dean; Nelle Andrews, Dean of Curriculum & Instruction | Miss Porter’s School (United States)

Who is a Scientist? Broadening Girls’ Vision of STEM Role Models
Women and people of color continue to be underrepresented in many STEM fields. Two factors that discourage potential young scientists are stereotypes and lack of role models. Children begin to internalize harmful stereotypes early, clouding their ability to see themselves in STEM. In this presentation, learn how a lower school science teacher has provided students with “windows and mirrors” by featuring women and people of color as the Scientist of the Day. The presenter will share the impact on students and tools to bring this practice to your classroom, including a database of scientists.

Presenter: Elizabeth McDonald, Lower School Science Teacher | Katherine Delmar Burke School (United States)

Healthy Dialogue in Schools: Greenwich Academy & Living Room Conversations
This session will spotlight a collaborative effort between Greenwich Academy and Living Room Conversations to foster a school culture of empathy, inclusion, and belonging. By integrating the Living Room Conversations dialogue model into student and parent life, Greenwich Academy has empowered students to lead school-wide dialogues and has provided parents with skills to better communicate with their children. Attendees will leave with resources for embedding healthy dialogue practices and listening skills into their own school community.

Presenters: Connie Blunden, Jane Bagley Lehman Director of the Center for Public Purpose; Kamele McLaren, Director of DEIB and Professional Growth | Greenwich Academy; Annie Caplan, Director of Engagement | Living Room Conversations (United States)

Designed with Girls in Mind: A Philosophy for Learning
In 2024, Kambala launched our philosophy for dispositional learning to establish a framework specifically designed with girls in mind. This workshop will present the journey of research, collaboration, and community input that shaped this philosophy, as well as to outline the strategic rollout of the framework through professional learning, wellbeing programs, and academic initiatives. Kambala’s philosophy is the culmination of many voices with the intention to empower young women of the future to be resilient, inclusive, and ambitious global citizens.

Presenter: Jane Danvers, Principal | Kambala (Australia)

Beyond the Lens: Navigating Consent, Student Agency, and Privacy in School Media
As new media takes a front seat in school marketing, how can our media marketing efforts affirm student agency while also future-proofing our content in an ever-changing data privacy landscape? Understanding data privacy trends and principles can help us protect our institutional photo collections. At the same time, education about media consent and digital privacy empowers girls’ sense of agency, identity, and community. Join leaders from Stone Ridge’s IT, EdTech, and MarComm teams as we unpack the process and framework that guides our collaborative approach and try out some hands-on tools to balance effective marketing while supporting student well-being.

Presenters: Kate Kalas, Director of Marketing and Communications; Brittany Adkins-Williams, Associate Director of Information Technology; Wawet Faustino, Information Security and Network Administrator | Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart (United States)

The Cultural Norms of Inclusivity and Safe Spaces
The importance of establishing a healthy school culture is essential in today’s society. Cultivating a place of comfort, safety and inclusivity promotes a student’s autonomy and complete their sense of growth and self-confidence while feeling being a part of a greater whole. Presenters will discuss how to establish a healthy school culture; how to develop a set of Cultural Norms that can integrate into the dynamic of the student body; and how to implement activities, groups and school events that promote the influx of rapid change while educating and promoting involvement. This session will go over a step-by-step module on how to foster an inclusive community allowing each student to celebrate their individual strengths and the importance of belonging.

Presenters: Tori Closson, Coordinator of Student Culture; Dan Mahler, Social Studies Educator | Padua Academy (United States)

AI in Girls Schools: Benefits, Challenges, and Considerations
AI has become ingrained in students’ lives, signifying a need for schools to engage in purposeful dialogue around its usage. This session will provide a general introduction for AI in schools, including: how AI works and its possible applications, what conversations our schools could be having, and AI’s global impacts. Attendees will gain a basic understanding of the benefits and challenges of AI, learn to leverage AI, and identify points of discussion for their schools.

Presenter: Tyler Gaspich, Director of Information Resources and Technologies | The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (United States)

Vital Signs: Using Pulse Survey Data to Nurture Student Belonging and Faculty Engagement
For the last five years, Hathaway Brown has used a pulse survey—short, frequent surveys designed to gather real-time insights—to understand the student experience. Analyzing this information, our findings have helped us create opportunities for student programs that enhance community, build social-emotional skills, and foster civil discourse. In addition, the data has been impactful in shaping the professional development themes for teachers. We will explore how rigorously and consistently collected pulse survey data can allow schools to gain insights into our students’ lived experiences and nurture a culture of belonging for students and faculty alike. This session is ideal for Deans, Directors, Counselors, Curriculum Directors, and Deans of Faculty.

Presenters: Rachel Lintgen, Upper School Director; Arete Calabrese, Dean of Students | Hathaway Brown School (United States)

Redefining Leadership with Lean In Girls: Empowering Girls to Lead with Confidence
Fewer than 1 in 4 girls ages 8-17 see being a leader as very important, and nearly 50% believe speaking their minds makes them unlikeable. Together, we can change this! Join us for an interactive, solution-driven session where we’ll introduce Lean In Girls, a free, evidence-based leadership program designed to help girls (ages 11–15) build confidence, resilience, and leadership skills. Experience the curriculum firsthand and hear directly from girls’ schools to learn how they are successfully integrating the curriculum into their classrooms, advisories, and after-school programs to boost self-esteem and empower girls to lead on their own terms.

Presenters: Erikka Moreno, Director of Partnerships; Kelly Meredith, Partnership Development Sr. Manager | Lean In Girls (United States)