Breakout Session F — 2025 ICGS Conference

Breakout Session F
June 24, 2025
2:00-2:50 p.m.

Heads Panel on Institutional Sustainability
Running a school is like running a state: What resources do you consume in the present rather than conserve for the future? Join four heads of school in a session moderated by a management consultant in institutional economics to explore challenges and opportunities in fostering long-term sustainable economics for their school—and all schools. Examine actions they took (in position, product, population, price, philanthropy, productivity and plant). Investigate the culture and indicia of sustainable and unsustainable schools. Investigate with depth, data, and honesty 10 vital signs of school health. Session includes sustainability analytics by region, scale and type for 50 girls schools and extended Q&A.

Presenters: Sally Keidel, Head of School | The Agnes Irwin School; Danielle Heard, Head of School | Nashoba Brooks School; Jennifer Landis, Head of School | Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child; Christopher Lauricella, Head of School | Albany Academy; William Kummel, Principal | Rational Partners – moderator (United States)

Rooted in Voice: Centering Girls Through Targeted Universalism
Join Girls Leadership for an engaging session on targeted universalism—our approach to designing inclusive experiences that meet the needs of all girls by centering those most impacted. We’ll share how and why we co-create our curriculum in partnership with girls, and explore how this process deepens equity, belonging, and impact.

Presenters: Takai Tyler, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Courtney Torres, Chief Programs Officer | Girls Leadership (United States)

ICGS & Challenge Success: Using Data for Actionable Change
Having data is one thing—turning it into actionable change is another. How can schools effectively share data with their communities to drive meaningful improvements? And once action is taken, how can data continue to provide insight and motivation to sustain progress? In this session, representatives from Miss Porter’s School will join research-to-practice experts from Challenge Success to demonstrate how data from the Challenge Success-Stanford Survey of School Experiences and the ICGS/Challenge Success partnership was used to support school improvement efforts. A practical case study from Miss Porter’s will illustrate key strategies that school leaders can implement to catalyze similar action. Participants will leave with concrete change ideas drawn from Miss Porter’s experience, including strategies to help students build confidence and develop skills for managing school-related stress. The session will also provide guidance from Challenge Success on effective data sharing and exploration opportunities within various school contexts.

Presenters: Liz Schmitt, Chief Enrollment and Student Affairs Officer; Nelle Andrews, Dean of Curriculum and Instruction | Miss Porter’s School; Drew Schrader, School Data Partner; Sarah Miles, Director of Research | Challenge Success (United States)

Beyond Crisis Management: The Significance of a School Critical Incident Team
In the increasingly complex world of education, it is vital for educators to be prepared to respond to critical incidents in a comprehensive, intentional, effective, and strategic manner. This workshop will showcase Marlborough School’s Critical Incident Team and the protocol we employ to evaluate potential critical incidents. We’ll delve into real-world scenarios and engage in discussions on how to recognize, respond to, and support individuals and groups impacted by critical incidents. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of our comprehensive approach and learn best practices for managing personnel, site logistics, and postvention protocols.

Presenters: Morgan Duggan, Director of Educational and Counseling Services; Stephanie David, Director of Communications and Marketing | Marlborough School (United States)

Cross-Cultural Experiences for Girls’ Education
Based on experiences of hosting individuals and groups from across the world in cultural and educational exchange activities at The SEGA Girls Secondary School in Morogoro, Tanzania, this session explores and celebrates the value of cross-cultural experiences for girls’ education, personal development and global understanding. The presenters will address: Which key factors ensure that cross-cultural activities yield the best results for host girls’ schools and visiting groups? How can common pitfalls be avoided? What powerful epiphanies, moments of growth and learnings emerge for cultural exchange participants? How can impacts for students and visitors be deepened and enhanced?

Presenter: Pauline Dolan, Co-Founder / Board Member | SEGA Girls Secondary School & Nurturing Minds (United States)

Leading With Empathy
An advantage of serving as a girls’ school leader is the opportunity to center and model compassion in our practice. Are you interested in learning how you can boost morale and engagement through an empathetic leadership approach? In this thought-provoking and interactive session, two seasoned leaders will explore the changing nature of school teams, including “cumulative grief” and how empathetic leadership can be leveraged to care for constituents while maintaining momentum. Participants will discuss what empathetic leadership is (and is not) while considering the elements they can employ to inspire hope and nurture their teams toward success.

Presenters: Cintra Horn, Assistant Head of School for Student Affairs | Ashley Hall (United States)

The Attack on Transgender Youth: What’s a Girls’ School To Do?
Over the past decade, many schools have tackled the challenge of how to include and support trans students while also remaining true to their girls’ school mission and responsive to all stakeholders. Now school leaders find themselves facing a charged and explosive political climate concerning this topic—one in which one-third of American and all of British trans youth now live under a ban on gender care, even if medically-prescribed and parent-approved. We will discuss strategies for managing your school’s path forward in the midst of a contentious public discourse which has alerted stakeholders to pay close, critical attention to trans inclusion in curriculum, admissions, athletics, and more.

Presenter: Julie Mencher | LGBT diversity consultant, educator, researcher, and psychotherapist; author of the ICGS Study,”Girls’ Schools in a Multi-Gender World: Leading and Learning Today (United States)

Unlocking Potential: Reflecting and Refining Integrated Math in Year 1
Educators and administrators will review and reflect on the first year of Integrated Math implementation, examining both successes and challenges. By analyzing data on student engagement, comprehension, and skill development, participants will gain insights into effective strategies that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and real-world application. This session will highlight key instructional techniques, resources, and approaches tailored to diverse learning needs, illustrating how these foundations have set the stage for Year 2 advancements and refined practices that support every learner’s potential.

Presenters: Anna Kachmarski, STEM Curriculum Coordinator; Susan Lee, Middle School Mathematics Teacher; Anne McGonigle, Upper School Mathematics Teacher | Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart (United States)

Doing Phones Differently: Researching the Wise Phone Initiative
Pymble Ladies’ College in Sydney, Australia, is doing phones differently in 2025 with a bold approach to students’ mobile/cell phone usage. Students in Years 4 to 8 have started using College-provided “Wise Phones,” intentionally designed to limit features, including social media apps, camera and group messaging. It is our goal to change behaviours around the smart phone habits of parents and our young students by balancing safety with appeal, and empowering our girls to reclaim their time, physicality and relationships. In this presentation, leaders of the College will discuss the journey that led to the Pymble Wise Phone initiative and utilise our own research data and analysis to share key findings.

Presenters: Dr Kate Hadwen, Principal; Dr Sarah Loch, Director – Pymble Institute; Anthony England, Director – Innovative Learning Technologies | Pymble Ladies’ College (Australia)

From Classroom Project to CNN Hero: Fostering Student Innovation That Changes The World
What happens when students are empowered to lead with purpose? In this session, Payton shares how she grew a class project into an international social enterprise that serves 2,000 girls annually and employs 40+ women in West Africa. Attendees will receive practices from SHE’s ‘Design for Impact Toolkit’, which covers topics including: human-centered design, global citizenship, systems change, impact models, and much more. With stories behind the viral ‘Uniform That Grows,’ this session offers practical tools for educators and school administrators to help students lead compassionately and create meaningful change in their communities and beyond. Big ideas welcome.

Presenter: Payton McGriff, 2024 CNN Hero, Founder of SHE & Changemakers Uniforms (United States)

AI-Enhanced Learning: How Chatbots Can Boost Student Confidence and Independence—Global Action Research Collaborative on Girls’ Education Research Presentation
Imagine a classroom where students take ownership of their learning, confidently giving and receiving feedback, and using AI tools to guide their growth. In this session, we explore two action research projects that used AI to enhance student self-efficacy and engagement. One project focused on empowering Year 10 girls in an English classroom, using a customised AI chatbot to support their writing process and foster greater independence. While the other looked at how peer feedback activities, including AI chat tools, could increase assessment self-efficacy in Grade 12 Business students, helping build student agency. Together, these projects reveal how AI tools can support students’ development, showing that the key to success lies in strategically blending technology with human connection to increase student agency and deepen their engagement.

Presenters: Kate Faber, Social Sciences Teacher | St. Clement’s School (Canada); Kelli Crawford, English and Inclusive Learning Teacher | All Hallows’ School (Australia)

Taking Matters into Their Own Hands: Cultivating Life Skills and Civic Agency Among 11- to 15-Year-Old Girls—Global Action Research Collaborative on Girls’ Education Research Presentation
In this session, we will explore how enrichment opportunities in civic education and life skills programs can allow girls to embrace leadership roles, express agency, and drive sustainable change in their communities. Through different lenses, both presentations will examine how fostering student choice and voice leads to a sense of belonging and autonomy for adolescent girls.

Presenters: Katie Hannah, Teacher of Enriching Opportunities and Head of Year 11 | The Belvedere Academy GDST (United Kingdom); Bridget Riley, Middle School Social Studies Teacher | Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart (United States)