Board President’s Reflections – July 2023
by Danielle Heard
Thank you, Cleveland! From the warm welcome from Mayor Justin Bibb to the generous hospitality and delicious meals provided by local business owners to the exceptionally flexible back-up band that allowed previously unrecognized girls’ school talent to shine in the recording studio of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to the beautiful water views from the Hilton, Cleveland provided an outstanding setting for ICGS delegates from around the world to REthink, REcharge, and REengage with timely and impactful issues in education at the 2023 ICGS Conference.
Though the conference was the main event, ICGS delegates made the most of their time in “The Land” with pre-game strategy sessions, pre-conference professional development, a trip to Progressive Field or the West Side Market, photos with the giant rubber stamp, and post-conference school visits. Coalition Governing Directors arrived a few days early and engaged in fiduciary, strategic, and generative discussions framed by an excerpt from Roman Krznaric’s The Good Ancestor: A Radical Prescription for Long-Term Thinking, published in 2020, in which he explores what he believes may be “the most important question of our time, and one that offers hope for the evolution of human civilization,” in the words of Jonas Salk, “Are we being good ancestors?”
As we gathered together as ICGS in 2023, there can be no doubt that a version of this question was asked by the founders of our individual schools and the founders of our Coalition more than 30 years ago. With each commitment to elevating education for girls, we have individually and collectively taken the long view, knowing that the foundations established by those who came before us have provided the vision and strength on which we continue to build. As we cherish these gifts from the past, we are also conscious of the new opportunities we build with each new lesson learned, each new critical question asked, and each piece of knowledge shared.
The compounding strength of this Coalition was palpable as we gathered in June. We heard from inspiring leading thinkers such as Carol Gilligan, whose groundbreaking work In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women’s Development, published in 1982, shed light on both the absence and the imperative of research focused on girls’ development. We were inspired by Manoush Zomorodi and Dee Perry, who reminded us to embrace the beauty of boredom as a catalyst for creativity, and to celebrate the art of a truly great question. We were challenged to continue challenging our own mindsets by Nadira Hira; to find joy, be open, and believe in what’s possible. And, we experienced the flywheel impact of meaningful research conducted by our distinguished and growing cohort of GARC fellows, the GDST’s Girls’ Futures Report, and more, affirming the impact of our work and the importance of continued research to fuel the virtuous cycle of best practices in girls’ schools.
One of the most consistent and compelling throughlines I heard from conference delegates as they reconnected with friends and colleagues who they have met through ICGS conferences, research initiatives, and more, reflects what ICGS Global Executive Director Megan Murphy reminds us is the core of what makes us a Coalition: Active investment in authentic connection. This is what makes ICGS stand out among any number of other outstanding organizations—we are connected in our commitment to each other, to educational excellence, and to the advancement of girls’ schools.
I look forward to reconnecting with you again soon, whether that’s in September at the Educating Girls Symposium at Benenden School in Kent, England, in a Headways Zoom room, or at a future conference as we, as good ancestors, continue to build ever stronger foundations and brighter futures for girls’ schools.