Becoming ICGS
As Board President Paul Burke noted in this letter to Coalition member schools, in June 2021, the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools’ Board of Trustees approved the following motion: “To lead worldwide in girls’ education and better reflect its membership, programs and future, NCGS will reposition itself as a global coalition.”
This exciting evolution builds upon the Coalition’s momentum and underscores our commitment to elevating women’s leadership worldwide through educating and empowering our students to be ethical, globally minded changemakers. Going forward, NCGS is changing its name and identity to the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS).
Resources
Video Message to Member Schools from Executive Director Megan Murphy:
The National Coalition of Girls’ Schools embraces a new name, new collaborations, and global initiatives with optimism and energy:
Link to Official Press Release – April 2022
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why is the Coalition focused on expanding to become ICGS?
A. There is no doubt: The time for girls—and girls’ schools around the world—is now. In recent years, people across the globe have come together to support one another and to develop creative solutions for navigating this new world. Our girls’ school students have had the unique opportunity to witness global changemaking happening in real time on an unparalleled scale. What is most inspiring is that so much of the change and progress has been directed by girls and women. At no other time has there been among girls and young women such a deep sense of shared potential, purpose, and power. Girls’ schools provide unique benefits that catalyze important progress, and there is incredible strength that can be derived from our connections with one another.
Q. How has the Coalition’s global outlook and identity changed over time?
A. In the past decade, the number of member schools in the Coalition has nearly doubled to more than 340 schools from a wide variety of sectors including state, public, charter, independent, and religiously affiliated day and boarding schools. Most notably, the countries that are home to member schools has risen by 50 percent, with 17 countries now represented.
As the Coalition’s membership has grown and become more diverse, our reach, influence and scope have expanded too. All professional development, research, advocacy, and networking programs are developed through a kaleidoscopic lens that considers the many types and characteristics of the girls’ schools within our global network. While the Coalition is focused more intently than ever on providing greater global value, we are equally dedicated to ensuring continued regional excellence and relevance across our broad network of girls’ schools.
Q. Why is it important to rename to the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools?
A. Among the principles that guide the work of the Coalition are Equity & Inclusion. To reflect these principles, the name of the organization needs to be more inclusionary and represent its current membership, programs, and future. This repositioning and renaming is also in keeping with the Coalition’s principles of Community & Collaboration, which motivate us to engage the power of many voices to strengthen our schools, communities, and world.
Q. How will repositioning to ICGS make the Coalition more effective?
A. While regional dialogue serves a critical role in supporting educators and always will, global connectivity will provide the combustible energy that lifts regional discussion to new heights, new places, and greater possibilities for the greater good of the girls we serve. We know that together, we can achieve anything. As ICGS, we will be able to expand opportunities and programs for the schools we serve and the students we educate. This includes building teacher and student exchange programs, expanding research resources, connecting faculty on a global resource sharing platform, and convening students to form a formidable network of young global changemakers.
Q. What steps have been taken toward pursuing the Coalition’s global trajectory thus far?
A. Since 2015, the Coalition’s Board has held in-depth discussions and assembled various task forces on a wide variety of opportunities and challenges facing girls’ schools. In 2019-20, the Board began focusing on a comprehensive Strategic Visioning process, culminating in the adoption of the Coalition’s vision statement: “To elevate women’s leadership worldwide by educating and empowering students to be ethical, globally minded changemakers.” Additionally, the Board affirmed four broad strategic goals to guide the Coalition’s work, including: leading worldwide in girls’ education, promoting best education practices in girls’ schools, advancing girls’ schools, and expanding membership value to our teachers and the students they serve.
Q. What are the global offerings that have been made available by the Coalition?
A. The Coalition has designed and hosted numerous programs and initiatives that appeal to a global audience. Global Forums I and II included nearly 2,000 delegates from 25 countries and in partnership with 21 organizations based in 14 different countries. Our upcoming Global Forum on Girls’ Education® III in June will bring record numbers of educators together through a unique hybrid program of live, in-person events combined with both virtual and on-demand experiences. The Global Action Research Collaborative includes 70 teacher-researcher fellows from eight countries. The Coalition’s Global Mentoring Network for Aspiring Leaders includes 60 participants from seven different countries. Additional offerings, such as On Educating Girls podcast, Headways, and webinars routinely include guests, facilitators, and participants from a variety of perspectives and countries.
Q. When will the repositioning to ICGS become official?
A. The NCGS administrative team has been preparing to formally announce the establishment of the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools at a celebration during the Global Forum on Girls’ Education® III, which will take place virtually June 21-22 and in Boston June 27-29. These preparations have included hosting Membership Assemblies via Zoom to address questions and topics of interest for all of our member schools and establishing a Think Tank to explore how ICGS will support global exchanges among members schools. By December 2022, all repositioning efforts—including launching an updated website, outlining enhanced member benefits for schools worldwide, and creating a new logo and other brand identity components for ICGS—will be complete.
Q. How has this news been communicated to member schools and others?
A. Board President Paul Burke first began disseminating the message of global inclusivity in his February 2021 blog post, “United in Elevating Women’s Leadership Worldwide,” wherein he notes: “We need empathy, and we need one another. NCGS membership reflects that connection; over the past decade, we have become increasingly global, and we are determined to ensure that continues.” That sentiment was underscored in several other messages, including this Member News posting in June 2021. Additionally, Executive Director Megan Murphy announced repositioning efforts in her video address welcoming attendees to the Virtual Educating Girls Symposium in October 2021. Paul Burke underscored this announcement in his Coalition Connection message to member schools, “What After All, Is In a Letter,” sent on November 5, 2021. Megan Murphy released this video update in February. Membership Assemblies via Zoom have been another opportunity for members to ask questions and learn more about ICGS.
Q. Has the Coalition considered forging partnerships with other girls’ schools organizations throughout the world?
A. For the past several years, strategic collaborations have been underway with regional and national girls’ school organizations around the world to collaborate on a variety of global programs, including the upcoming Global Forum on Girls’ Education® and Global Action Research Collaborative among others. Currently, the Coalition is working in partnership with several girls’ school organizations to explore affiliation and merger opportunities with ICGS. Among these is the U.K.-based Association of State Girls’ Schools, which is in the final phase of merging with ICGS ahead of the Global Forum III in June. The European Association of Single-Sex Education is also now formally affiliated with ICGS. Most notably, the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia, a long-standing partner, has voted to merge its 180-member organization with ICGS. Boundless horizons await through these and other mission-aligned collaborations.
Q. How can my school become part of ICGS?
A. In addition to the benefits of joining a global network of like-minded educators, ICGS schools have access to a vast array of resources through our Member Center. The Coalition offers numerous professional development opportunities, including the Global Forum on Girls’ Education®. We also produce our own podcast, webinars, publications, infographics, and research studies; source books and films that will deepen educators understanding about how to best serve girls; and develop toolkits to provide quick access to curated resources on topics relevant to girls’ schools and the education and healthy development of girls. Contact Director of Membership & Outreach Jean Baker at jbaker@girlsschools.org to learn more and join ICGS today.
Q. Where can I find answers to my questions not addressed here?
A. All inquiries related to the repositioning to the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools may be directed to Director of Communications Kathleen Osborne at kosborne@girlsschools.org.