2025 IBSC Annual Conference

A Seat at the Table: Fostering Student Voice Across All Grade Levels
Our young men actively participate in envisioning and evaluating our present and future campus life. Join us to learn how we incorporate surveys in the faculty evaluation process and put students shoulder to shoulder with adults on our Curriculum Committee, which sets program and policy. Explore our philosophy of student voice and hear from students who actively shape our school and our services.
Presenters: Robert Warfel and Margaret VanSteenwyk, Church Farm School (United States)
Appeals to: Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: New to the topic

Best Practices for Attending to Student and Educator Well-Being in Boys’ Schools
Results from surveys administered to over 7,000 students at boys’ schools show rates of clinically significant depression and anxiety remain concerning. Examine survey findings to highlight the aspects of school life most linked to well-being and hear how one school has used data to prioritize interventions and improve mental health.
Presenters: Nina Kumar, Authentic Connections; Byron Hulsey, Woodberry Forest School (United States)
Appeals to: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Designing Whole-School Well-Being
In 2024, Waverley College launched a new well-being approach. Learn how we ensure all students are supported by age-appropriate, context-driven, and research-backed programs that meet the needs of our students and their families. This involves a bespoke pastoral care/social-emotional learning program named Kanyini, daily structured well-being sessions called CCC Time, and a Whole-School Well-Being Framework.
Presenters: Gabrielle Smith and James Horrocks, Waverley College (Australia)
Appeals to: All Ages
Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Everyday Feminism: Elevating the Female Standpoint in Boys' Schools
Committed to their mission, all-boys schools center the male experience. Accordingly, a malecentric worldview permeates school life. Research suggests a range of biases and discrimination toward women. Join us to address how boys’ schools can elevate the female perspective, increase representation, and equip men on campus to notice and address diminishing or marginalizing practices.
Presenter: Jason Larocque, St. John's Preparatory School (United States)
Appeals to: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Harkness Beyond the Table: Learning from Each Other Through Public Speaking
Teaching each other rests at the heart of the Harkness method. It decenters the instructor, emphasizes collaboration, and highlights the ability of students to contribute uniquely to learning. Based on Belmont Hill's integrated approach, join us to discuss ways to move this method beyond the classroom and learn how a robust culture of public speaking honors this pedagogy in more complete ways.
Presenter: Matthew Conway, Belmont Hill School (United States)
Appeals to: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: New to the topic

A Collaborative Road Map to Building a Student-Centered Internship Program
Learn the steps to build a successful student-internship program that leverages your school’s alumni, parents, and friends while simultaneously building a program that endures year over year. Get a playbook of how to develop your own internship program and hear firsthand experiences from employers and interns on the generated outcomes.
Presenters: Jacob Conca, Barbara Mitchell, and David Nelson, Xaverian Brothers High School (United States)
Appeals to: Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Boys Aren’t Toxic: Teaching Positive Masculinity to Grades 6–8
It's crucial to help boys define masculinity for themselves in a world shaped by figures who promote misogyny and hate. We know boys aren’t toxic—they’re navigating complex narratives as best they can. Find out how The Sterling Hall School empowers boys in grades 6–8 to explore gender norms, mental health, and consent while fostering resilience and positive masculinity.
Presenters: Kate Taylor, The Sterling Hall School (Canada); Jonathon Reed, Next Gen Men
Appeals to: Middle School (Ages 12-15)
Knowledge Level: New to the topic

The Circle of Care: Creating a Community of Kindness, Empathy, and Brotherhood
A significant challenge in boys’ education today is about addressing immature performances of masculinity. We have deliberately created a program called The Circle of Care, which exists to support boys’ emotional needs through mental health support. The Circle helps create a community of caring individuals encouraged to be their authentic selves among their brothers.
Presenter: David Stewart, St. Andrew's College (Canada)
Appeals to: Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: New to the topic

What Boys Teach Us About Authenticity in Character Education
When we listen to boys, they reveal where authenticity lies in character education. Building on research conducted by IBSC and CIRCLE, join us to delve into successes and challenges associated with character education at Belmont Hill and get a model for engaging boys in research to explore authentic and inauthentic approaches to building a culture of character in boys’ schools.
Presenters: Greg Schneider, Belmont Hill School (United States); Joseph Nelson, Swarthmore College
Appeals to: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: New to the topic

Building Collective Action Teams with Healthy Parent-School Partnerships
Join us for an interactive workshop for K–9 educators and school leaders to develop a plan addressing collective action norms outlined by Jonathan Haidt in The Anxious Generation. Receive a Collective Action Team (C.A.T.) guide for building effective teams within school and parent communities, mobilizing toward sustainable solutions for key challenges impacting student well-being.
Presenter: Ellen Cartwright, Fairfield Country Day School (United States)
Appeals to: Lower/Primary School (Ages 5-12), Middle School (Ages 12-15)
Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Developing Cognitive Patience in the Digital World
Digital sources provide a firehose of ideas with little time for comprehension. Students search for key words rather than developing understanding with little connection to complex memory processes; they lack cognitive patience. Join us to examine current research, gain strategies to help students slow the pace of reading and writing, and share ideas from your own practice.
Presenter: Abigail James, University of Virginia
Appeals to: All Ages
Knowledge Level: New to the topic

Great Expectations: Data and Insights to Engage Prospective Day and Boarding Families
The expectations of parents continually change and we must identify what families seek for their child's education journey. Share highlights of recruitment strategies for all-boys day and boarding schools based on EMA’s 2024 RIDE Report data from an exhaustive survey of thousands of independent school applicant families from 82 countries who offer brilliant insights.
Presenters: John Williamson, Enrollment Management Association; Chris Young, The Fessenden School
Appeals to: All Ages
Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Better Together—Creating an Effective Head of School-Communications Partner
Effective strategic communications plays a key in a head of school's leadership, yet many school professionals do not understand why the head and communications leader's relationship is so important. Learn the building blocks of this partnership, the skills communications professionals must have, and what to do when inevitably challenges arise.
Presenters: Jan Abernathy and John Botti, The Browning School (United States)
Appeals to: Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Female Leadership in Boys' Schools—Toward an Academic Understanding
Join us to review some of the available academic research around gender when it comes to women being appointed to leadership roles in education and examine the experiences of women who have succeeded in all-boys schools. Using the lens of academic research, discuss our own stories and whether they match or might even challenge the theories.
Presenter: Sally-Anne Huang, St. Paul's School (United Kingdom)
Appeals to: All Ages
Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Known and Loved—Why Is It So Difficult to Deliver on Our Promise?
We proclaim loudly our guarantee is that everyone will be known and loved, but are we sure we fulfill our promise? This workshop is designed to challenge our policies and practices to ensure they align with this commitment. Such examination is never easy, but such a process is necessary and rewarding.
Presenters: Minna Shulman and Hal Hannaford, Selwyn House School (Canada)
Appeals to: All Ages
Knowledge Level: Intermediate

The New Student Life Office: Less Burnout, More Joy, Helping Boys Find Their Way
Discuss a team-based approach to student life that focuses on developing the whole boy through restorative practices, social and emotional learning, cultural responsiveness, and a community of role models. Review how to structure an office that avoids burnout while supporting a joyful and fulfilling experience. Help boys find their way in today’s world—and enjoy the work.
Presenters: Nick Nowak and Matthew Kinney, Cardigan Mountain School (United States)
Appeals to: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: Intermediate