What's New:
Hosted by The Haverford School, Philadelphia, USA, June 27–30, 2010
Conference Partner Schools
The Haverford School, Chestnut Hill Academy, La Salle College High School
Welcome to Philadelphia – Philly, City of Brotherly Love, Cradle of Liberty! Educators representing boys’ schools from around the world will gather in Philadelphia, USA for the 17th Annual IBSC conference from June 27–30, 2010. The conference unites the best of the International Boys' School Coalition – an emphasis on continual improvement and innovation in teaching boys – with the best of Philadelphia – its remarkable role in the founding of the United States and its constantly changing and vibrant life today. Philadelphia was the home of Benjamin Franklin, the great statesman, writer, scientist and inventor. The conference theme, “Inventions in Teaching” is inspired by his ceaseless energy and creativity! Details of the conference programme, speakers, special features and events are now posted on the conference website.
Workshops at the 17th Annual Conference
High quality workshops are an important part of the IBSC conference and we are eager to solicit proposals for the coming conference. Welcomed are presentations about classroom practices, programmes related to the physical, social-emotional or spiritual development of boys, mentoring, community service, arts, athletics and leadership. Also welcomed are workshops focusing on advocacy of boys' schools and other topics of interest to teachers and administrators working in boys' schools.
Boys Will Read!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Hosted by Loughborough Grammar School
Loughborough, United Kingdom
This one-day IBSC conference focuses on boys and literacy, and specifically on programmes that promote boys' competency in and enjoyment of reading at all age levels. The conference will be especially rewarding for English teachers, librarians and reading specialists in boys' schools. We believe that boys' schools are uniquely positioned to be leaders in boys' literacy education, and this conference presents an opportunity to share and celebrate exemplary practices. The conference begins with an address by Sir Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate 1999-2009 on boys and reading. There are opportunities to observe children's author Michael Cox at work with boys' classes, and to attend other specialist workshops. The conference will start a process that creates and fosters a network of educators in boys' schools on boys and reading.
The conference schedule and registration form may be downloaded here.
Creating A Culture of Wellness in Boys' Schools 
Friday March 12 – Saturday March 13, 2010
Hosted by Selborne College
East London, South Africa
This innovative conference focuses on boys' wellness in many dimensions – physical, psychosocial, academic and intellectual – and the organisational wellness of our schools. The keynote speaker is Dr. Michael Thompson, one of the world's experts on the social-emotional development of boys, and author of the best-selling Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys and most recently, It's a Boy!: Understanding Your Son's Development from Birth to Age 18. The conference includes breakaway sessions on specialized topics. Creating A Culture of Wellness in Boys' Schools breaks new ground in our understanding of boys' well-being and growth, and highlights the unique mission of schools dedicated to the wellness of boys.
For registration materials and information about hotel accommodation in East London, view the conference website..
Hosted by St. Christopher's School
Richmond, Virginia, USA
This is the second annual conference and is designed to provide teachers at the beginning of their careers in boys’ schools with a collaborative setting to share and mine effective approaches and practices in our all-boy settings.
Targeted are teachers, novice or experienced, who are just completing their first year in boys’ schools. Also welcome are teachers with more experience in boys’ schools but who might gain from the conference focus. Special guest presenters are Dr. Michael Thompson and Abigail James. Above all, the conference is designed to respect and support these teachers, to celebrate and deepen their work with boys, and to help them grow into tomorrow’s champions of the mission of our schools! More details about registration and the program will be posted shortly on the IBSC website.
Registration is Live!
Visit the conference webpage for detailed information and to register. Registration for conference delegates is US $285.00 for those in current IBSC member schools, and US $700.00 for non-member schools. Payment may be made by cheque or credit card (MasterCard, Visa, or Diners only). The registration fee includes the opening reception and dinner, light breakfast and lunch on Thursday and Friday, and transportation to and from the hotel on conference days.
IBSC Research Project Announced: Locating Significance in the Lives of Boys
We are pleased to announce that the IBSC is launching a new research project, Locating Significance in Boys' Lives. At this time, we are inviting applications from member schools in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa who wish to be a Project School.
For this project, the IBSC has commissioned Dr. Adam Cox, author of Boys of Few Words, and a frequent presenter at IBSC annual and regional conferences. The research will take place in up to fifteen IBSC schools world-wide. As proposed in this project, rendering a model of how and where boys locate significance in their lives is essential to understanding how they value themselves and their various efforts, as a foundation of identity, purpose, and accomplishment. More detail is provided in Questions & Answers.
The project will involve an intensive two-day research visit to each participating school. In the first year of the project, between October and April, Dr. Cox will focus on North America and the United Kingdom, and present a preliminary report for discussion at the IBSC Annual Conference in Philadelphia in June, 2010. In the second year, Dr. Cox will visit project schools in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. A final report will be published in mid-2011.
The deadline for applications from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa member schools is November 30, 2009. For more information about the project, or to make application, contact the Executive Director at adams@theibsc.org.
Focus on Boys’ Education 
January 19th, 2010
The Old Livery Hall at Guildhall
The City of London, United Kingdom
A one-day conference, Focus on Boys’ Education, took place on Tuesday, January 19th at Guildhall in The City of London.
The programme began with an address by Ray Lewis, founder of the Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy, on the many challenges facing boys in UK education. Dr. Abigail Norfleet James, author of Teaching the Male Brain, and an international speaker and consultant, presented her recent research findings on the purpose of boys’ schools, with an emphasis on how gender-based teaching can promote boys’ engagement, motivation and achievement. Dr. Michael Thompson then gave a presentation on the social-emotional development of boys in relation to parenting and education. Dr. Thompson is author of many best-selling books, including Raising Cain and It’s a Boy: Your Son’s Development from Birth to Age 18, and has consulted in over 500 schools world-wide.
The British press ran stories in the London Evening Standard, Telegraph, and Guardian.
To view copies of the press clippings, click here.
Hosted by Shore School, North Sydney, NSW
Sunday, October 25 to Monday, October 26th, 2009
Now more than ever, schools are expected not only to provide an academic education for boys, but also to care for their social and emotional well-being. During this conference, we tackled the question, "How can boys' schools ensure that we meet the specific mental health challenges of the boys in our care?" Presented topics included: managing suicidal behaviour in schools; school management of self harm and suicidal behaviour; and strategic classroom management of boys with mental health problems. Speakers included Gordon Parker, Jonathan Gaston, and Claire Kelly. To view the full conference program, please visit the conference webpage.
IBSC Conferences in Hong Kong,
Thursday, October 22nd to Friday, October 23rd, 2009
IBSC Conferences in Hong Kong, October 22 and 23, 2009 On Thursday, October 22, the IBSC held its inaugural conference for member schools in Hong Kong at Diocesan Boys' School. This was a special joint staff development day for teachers from St. Paul's College, Diocesan Boys' School and Tak Sun Secondary School. The guest speaker for the conference was Abigail Norfleet James, and over the course of the day, she made presentations on boys' learning and related teaching strategies. The discussion was stimulating and productive indeed. The next day, Heads and senior administrators at our IBSC schools and other boys' schools in Hong Kong met at St. Paul's College for Teaching Boys - A Global Dialogue. Abigail James and the Executive Director made presentations. We are grateful to Vice-President John Kennard, Principal of St. Paul College, Terence Chang, Headmaster of Diocesan Boys' School, and Dr. Edward Woo, Principal of Tak Sun Secondary School for their leadership in building this professional community of boys' schools in Hong Kong.
IBSC Conference Materials
Educating Boys, Thursday October 29, 2009
Hosted by the Allen-Stevenson School
New York City
This very successful one-day conference was partnered by the IBSC and the New York State Association of Independent Schools. Bringing together theory and practice we honed strategies to help schools improve the educational journey for boys, whether in boys' schools or coed schools. Guest speakers included Peg Tyre, author of The Trouble with Boys, and Richard Hawley, co-author of Teaching Boys: A Global Study of Effective Practices. Conference program details are available on the conference webpage.
Since its beginning five years ago, the IBSC Action Research programme has grown from strength to strength, and is a recognized leader in action research on boys’ education on a global scale. More information and recent published reports are posted on the Action Research section of our website.
For the 2010/11 cycle (June, 2010 to July, 2011), teams will be selected for three research topics.
How can boys’ engagement and achievement in the study of Foreign Languages be developed and enhanced?
How can we create and deepen meaningful and authentic leadership opportunities for boys in our schools?
How can school library programmes and initiatives support and enhance boys’ enthusiasm for and skills in reading?
Applications are no longer being accepted (the deadline was October, 30, 2009); Participants will be selected by November 30, 2009.
Journeys into Masculinity: the 2008/9 Action Research Report
The 2008/9 Action Research Team began their work at the 15th annual conference in Toronto, and presented their findings at the 16th annual conference at Lindisfarne College, New Zealand in July.
The reports offer deep insights into the challenges that face boys on their journey into manhood and illustrate the great opportunities that boys’ schools have to assist them in coming to grips with complex and sensitive constructs such as masculinity.
The findings also highlight the vital role that boys’ schools can play in providing safe environments in which boys’ voices are recognised and respected.
Journeys into Masculinity is now available to IBSC members. Please visit the Action Research section of our website for this and other Action Research reports.
Positive Relationships, Positive Learning: 2007/8 IBSC Action Research Report
This collection of reports is the culmination of the creative and inspired work of five educators in the IBSC action research programme for 2007–8. They met at the 14th annual IBSC conference at The Roxbury Latin School, worked on their projects during the year, and presented their findings at the 15th annual IBSC conference in Toronto.
Positive Relationships, Positive Learning is grounded in two principles. Boys learn best in empathy-rich classrooms. And nurturing boys’ social-emotional competency is central to our mission as schools for boys.
The reports explore peer leadership and mentoring initiatives, programmes that promote healthy relationships, and exercises that “engage the empathy muscle for a workout”, in the words of one contributor. Whether on a small or large scale, the projects described here are intriguing and inspiring. These are also vivid stories of the step-by-step process of action research, a brand of inquiry that remains at the cutting edge of educational practice.
For front-line teachers and school leaders alike, the journeys recounted here provide compelling testimony of the power of action research to spark professional growth and school change.
We are grateful to these educators for giving us such a privileged glimpse into the vitality and vibrancy of their schools. And special thanks to Di Laycock, coordinator of the program, for her leadership.
During the past year, nearly 1000 teachers and over 1500 boys told stories of memorable and powerful teaching and learning in the middle and senior school years. The project involved eighteen IBSC schools in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Teaching Boys: A Global Study of Effective Practices is the result of this unique world-wide collaboration.
Teaching Boys: A Global Study of Effective Practices is available at this time only to current IBSC schools. Electronic copies have been sent to Heads of member schools. More information about the report and on-line access is available on the Teaching Boys web page.
The report affirms and celebrates what teachers in boys’ schools do every day, and will generate vigorous discussion and reflection. It extends, often in imaginative ways, the range of effective pedagogy for boys, and signposts new paths for further thinking and research about boys’ achievement and motivation. No simple recipe book, the report invites the reader to listen to and engage in a vibrant conversation about teaching geared to boys.
Hosted by Lindisfarne College
Hastings, Hawke’s Bay, North Island, New Zealand
July 7 to 10, 2009
The boys’ schools of New Zealand, and in particular Lindisfarne College, took great pleasure in hosting the 16th Annual Conference of the IBSC. A thought-provoking programme provided insight and helped delegates dive into the study of best practices in the education of boys. Perhaps especially, the conference encouraged delegates to peer strongly through four Windows into Manhood: The Spirituality of Boys, Fathers as Role Models, Engaging Boys in Learning, and Leadership and Challenge.
Please take a few minutes to view the Conference Archive. Included is a wonderful photo tour --- it brings back vividly all those good experiences at the conference. Many thanks to Jenny Forbes, a parent at Lindisfarne, for her fine work as official conference photographer!
The Conference Archive also includes handouts and powerpoints for some workshops. We encourage other workshop presenters to send materials to us at office@theibsc.org, so that we can expand this excellent and very helpful resource.
Interested individuals have long expressed interest in how the IBSC could capitalize on its status as an international organisation by facilitating a visits and exchanges programme between member schools. Since its inception last year, several IBSC schools have begun to utilise this service, the purpose of which is to help IBSC schools interested in visits or exchanges identify and communicate with other member schools to arrange visits and exchanges.
To enter the IBSC Visits and Exchanges Programme, you will need your school’s IBSC “Members Only” username and password.
The homepage of the programme outlines the various categories of faculty and student visits and exchanges. The on-line submission page is designed to capture a school’s intentions as a “sending” and as a “hosting” school, along with relevant information about the school itself. Once submitted, core information for each school is posted on a “notice board”, and the reader can then follow links to the full information for schools that may be of interest. Contact information for those directly responsible for faculty and student visits and exchanges programmes in other schools is provided there.
Our hope is that IBSC schools will take up this opportunity, and that it will lead to some wonderful collaboration, enriching the professional lives of our teachers and the experiences of boys in our global network of boys’ schools.
The International Boys’ Schools Coalition is eager to help all member schools who might have positions to be filled.
As we continue to explore on-line ways to share effective practice in boys’ schools, we are pleased to invite you to investigate our Great Programs in Boys’ Schools. At this area of our website, schools are invited to contribute summaries of programmes – big or small – that work especially well with boys.
