2026 IBSC Annual Conference

The Boys in Between: Fostering Middle School Leadership and Research Agency
The Crescent Student Research Institute (CSRI) offers a model for engaging middle school boys in authentic, inquiry-based research. Join us to outline key elements of program design and implementation and examine how CSRI’s six-school network expands shared learning and creates avenues for schools to join.
Presenters: Trish Cislak and Sandra Boyes, Crescent School (Canada)
Appeal: Middle School (Ages 12-15)
Knowledge Level: New to the topic
Room: Boys’ Preparatory 48

Empowering Middle Leaders: Master Classes in Strategic and Educational Leadership
Middle leaders play a pivotal role in translating vision into daily practice. A master class assists in understanding how a structured leadership development series can strengthen middle management capacity by embedding financial, legal, educational, marketing, and philanthropic literacy into leadership development.
Presenters: Alan Jones and Joanne Wheeler, Christ Church Grammar School (Australia)
Appeal: All Ages
Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Room: Boys’ Preparatory 51

Reversing Underachievement in Academically Gifted Boys Through Goal Coaching
Find out how integrating academic goal coaching into gifted education programs can counter underachievement in boys by strengthening motivation and self-regulated learning. Discover evidence-informed strategies to reduce cognitive overload, build identity-aligned academic goals, and strengthen confidence to sustain long-term academic engagement.
Presenters: Helen Barrie and Lysney Porter, Waverley College (Australia)
Appeal: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Room: Boys’ Preparatory 47

Character Counts: Developing the Leader Within Every Boy
How do we help boys recognize their leadership potential? Boys rise when leadership feels tangible and connected to their everyday lives. Get practical examples from our character education program that help boys notice and build upon their hidden strengths, along with engaging, replicable resources and everyday practices that support boys to lead within their school communities.
Presenters: Steve Aucamp and Catherine Linnell, Saint Kentigern Boys' School (New Zealand)
Appeal: All Ages
Knowledge Level: New to the topic
Room: Boys’ Preparatory 58

Character, Relationships, and Leadership: Building Positive Schools for Boys
Too much of what we hear about boys and men in our world today is framed in terms of crisis. We propose a positive, research-based framework from our book, Character, Relationships, and Leadership—Building Schools for Boys. Draw on examples from boys' schools globally, including an in-depth study of how Brisbane Grammar School approaches this challenge from a strategic and cultural perspective.
Presenters: Phil Cummins, University of Sydney, a School for tomorrow; Anthony Micallef, Brisbane Grammar School (Australia)
Appeal: All Ages
Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Room: Henning Block Lecture Theatre

Mapping the Manosphere: A Framework for Understanding and Guidance
Boys are carpet bombed with messages about what it means to be a man, but there is one space that shouts the loudest—cyberspace. Delve into the different subgroups within the manosphere and why teenage boys are drawn to it. Leave equipped to identify key manosphere narratives and support students through informed and empathetic conversations.
Presenter: Tim Jarvis, Michaelhouse (South Africa)
Appeal: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: New to the topic
Room: Life Sciences 1

Mattering Matters: Cultivating Connection in Year 9
The challenge: enhancing a culture of connection in a growing school. Examine an initiative that sought to strengthen connection and belonging among Year 9 students and staff at Brisbane Grammar School. Guided by Ron Ritchhart’s eight cultural forces, explore strategies and routines that promote mattering, deepen relationships, and enhance the purpose and impact of form tutors.
Presenters: Samuel Lobascher and Kaitlin Emerson, Brisbane Grammar School (Australia)
Appeal: Middle School (Ages 12-15)
Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Room: Life Sciences 2

Teaching the Skills of Community and Connection: Empathy as an Academic Skill
Can empathy be taught like reading? Discover phenomenological tools—like bracketing and intersubjectivity—to bridge cultural divides. Originally from religious studies, these versatile techniques foster meaningful student relationships across disciplines. Leave with concrete strategies to integrate these empathy-building skills into your own curriculum and learning environment.
Presenter: Eric Whitehair, The Boys' Latin School of Maryland (United States)
Appeal: Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: New to the topic
Room: Life Sciences 3

The Weekday Home—Creating Belonging in Dorm Life
In residential communities where students depart each weekend, the challenge becomes cultivating a genuine sense of belonging from Monday to Friday. Explore how intentional routines, mentoring structures, and shared traditions can transform a dorm into a weekday home, examining practices that foster connection and help boys feel a sense of belonging within their community.
Presenter: Corey Cofield, Belmont Hill School (United States)
Appeal: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: New to the topic
Room: Life Sciences 4

Cultivating Excellence: Scaling High-Performance Through the Caledonian Institute
The quality of learning rests with the teacher, who designs and adjusts for each student. To truly support, inspire, and challenge our staff, Scots launched the Caledonian Institute. We uniquely translate research directly into practice, successfully generating a tangible culture of high-performance and deep learning. See how we do it.
Presenters: Ian Finn and Rob Loe, The Scots College (Australia)
Appeal: All Ages
Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Room: Life Sciences 5

Cultivating Safety and Brotherhood: Mission-Driven Abuse Prevention
Explore how mission-driven schools build robust safe environment policies. Examine how protecting minors—through clear boundaries, reporting duties, and ethical conduct—is a natural extension of a commitment to brotherhood, integrity, and service. Learn scalable strategies for all staff and school types to cultivate a culture of safety.
Presenter: Matthew D'Urso, Delbarton School (United States)
Appeal: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Room: Boys’ Preparatory 62

Empowering Educators: Innovative Professional Learning in Boys' Schools
Explore Melbourne Grammar School’s integrated staff development strategy, featuring the Early Careers Network, Middle Leaders Program, and Faculty-Based Inquiry Projects. Learn how these initiatives build leadership capacity, foster collaboration, and create a culture of continuous improvement in boys’ education.
Presenter: Paula Ransom, Melbourne Grammar School (Australia)
Appeal: All Ages
Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Room: Boys’ Preparatory 57

Active History: Experiencing the Humanities Through Lab-Based Learning
Researchers extol the benefits of STEM laboratory classes. From experimentation to critical thinking, boys who engage in labs practice bridging theory with practice in creative ways. At The Haverford School, we added a lab component to history classes to give boys opportunities for hands-on learning. Join us to discover the evolution of our Humanities Lab and learn practical lab lessons.
Presenters: Kori Brown and Emily Odeh, The Haverford School (United States)
Appeal: Middle School (Ages 12-15)
Knowledge Level: New to the topic
Room: Environmental Centre 5

Does AI Affect Cognitive Development?
The latest versions of AI write responses to prompts, ask for clarifications, identify inappropriate prompts, and get used for schoolwork. Schools are concerned about how this technology will impact cognitive development as new research reveals those using AI show less brain connectivity. Join us to delve into the latest research and encourage a general discussion of this concern.
Presenter: Abigail James, University of Virginia
Appeal: All Ages
Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Room: Environmental Centre 3

Writing by the Numbers: Resourcing Agency
Learn to combat AI insurgency by prioritizing process over product via three phases. First, cognitive cartography uses intellectual blueprints to guide structural decisions. Then, neural priming uses semantic/syntactic prompts to resolve the "blank page" conundrum. Finally, slow writing uses codified feedback loops to build expertise.
Presenter: Collins Aki, Montgomery Bell Academy (United States)
Appeal: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Room: Environmental Centre 2