IBSC Ideas Lab

Professional Conversations for Heads of Boys’ Schools in the Americas 

IBSC ideas labStarting October 29, 2025

 

IBSC Ideas Lab invites heads of boys’ schools in North and South America to connect virtually using Zoom. Limited to 14 participants plus the facilitator, this IBSC Ideas Lab includes three one-hour sessions for participants to discuss relevant topics.

Designed as an interactive exchange among colleagues, IBSC Ideas Lab engages dedicated educators who learn and grow together. Before each session, participants engage with relevant resources to provide a foundation for discussions. Together we surface fresh ideas and build mutual support structures and enduring professional friendships.

Available exclusively to IBSC member schools, first-time participants who can commit to joining all three sessions get preference in registration to support the success of each small group. No more than two participants from one school may register for an IBSC Ideas Lab.

In the spirit of open dialogue and collaboration, IBSC Ideas Labs are not recorded, allowing participants the freedom to express themselves openly and share their experiences candidly.

Who Should Attend?

Heads of boys’ schools in North and South America

Format

IBSC Ideas Lab attendees participate in three scheduled one-hour calls using Zoom. Byron Hulsey, headmaster of Woodberry Forest School (United States), facilitates each session.

Conversation Topics

Conversation 1
Leading with Purpose and Vision
Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 4:00 PM EDT, 3:00 PM CDT, 1:00 PM PDT
Check the event time in your time zone.
60 minutes

In an increasingly competitive landscape, how does your school's unique story cut through the noise? How do we as heads transform our mission from a statement on a plaque into a lived, breathing reality for every student, staff member, parent, and alumnus?

Engage in a dynamic discussion with fellow school heads about the art and science of leading with vision. Explore effective strategies for articulating and embedding your school's distinct mission and values throughout the community. Share your insights on inspiring collective commitment from diverse stakeholders—including boards, faculty, and families—and learn how your peers are leveraging a purpose-driven narrative to guide strategic development, foster a powerful sense of belonging, and ensure their schools flourish for years to come.

Conversation 2
Wellness, Resilience, and the Modern Boy
Wednesday, November 5, 2025, 4:00 PM EST, 3:00 PM CST, 1:00 PM PST
Check the event time in your time zone.
60 minutes

How do we build a school culture where boys’ well-being is the foundation for their success—not an afterthought? As we confront the complex mental health challenges facing our students, how can we proactively shape the narrative of healthy masculinity, cultivating young men of character, empathy, and resilience?

Join this vital conversation to share and learn about the most effective whole-school approaches to student wellness. Move beyond isolated programs to discuss creating genuinely supportive environments where boys feel seen, heard, and valued. Engage with your peers on fostering emotional intelligence, tackling mental health stigmas, and implementing sustainable strategies that build resilient, ethically responsible men. Take this opportunity to collaboratively learn how our schools can lead in defining and developing well-rounded, compassionate young men prepared for a rapidly changing world.

Conversation 3
The AI Imperative
Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 4:00 PM EST, 3:00 PM CST, 1:00 PM PST
Check the event time in your time zone.
60 minutes

How do we, as leaders, strategically incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into our schools without losing the essence of our mission? How can we ensure our institutions are not merely adapting to AI but also leading the way—preparing our boys to be ethical innovators, critical thinkers, and compassionate leaders in an AI-driven world?

Participate in an open discussion with your peers about one of the most important challenges and opportunities in education today. This session highlights the head's role in promoting a whole-school AI strategy. Share your experiences and learn from fellow heads about integrating AI across all areas, from improving teaching and learning in the classroom to streamlining school operations and personalizing student support. Let us work together to explore how to uphold our core values while equipping our boys with the skills and ethical principles needed to succeed.

Registration

IBSC member rate: US $180

Cancellation Policy

If you are unable to attend, you must cancel your registration in writing by emailing IBSC@theibsc.org by October 15, 2025. IBSC will refund 90% of registration fees if a written request is received via email by this date. No refunds will be made for cancellations received after this date. Schools seeking to register an alternate to replace a participant unable to attend should contact IBSC@theibsc.org.

Please note: Watch your email for login information for this IBSC Ideas Lab by October 22, 2025. If you registered later than this date, watch for login information within 24 hours.

Participation certificates: Participants present for all three conversations will receive a certificate of participation within two weeks of the final session.

Facilitator

Byron HulseyByron Hulsey

Byron C. Hulsey, a 1986 graduate of Woodberry Forest School (United States) and a former member of the faculty, became the school’s ninth headmaster on July 1, 2014. He is an experienced educator and leader who possesses a love of learning, a passion for excellence, and a deep and abiding respect for the culture and traditions of Woodberry Forest School. Before returning to Woodberry, he served as head of school at Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama, for eight years.

As a Woodberry student, Hulsey was senior prefect; he received the Archer Christian Memorial Medal, the school’s highest student honor, in 1986. He was a Jefferson Scholar at the University of Virginia, where he earned his undergraduate history degree in 1990. Following graduation, he taught for two years at Bryanston School, a boarding school in Blandford, England, before returning to his native Texas to earn MA and PhD degrees from the University of Texas at Austin as a Patterson-Banister Fellow in American History. He is the author of Everett Dirksen and His Presidents: How a Senate Giant Shaped American Politics, published in 2000 by the University Press of Kansas.

Hulsey joined the Woodberry faculty in 1998. He served as assistant director of college counseling, taught history, coached basketball and baseball, and lived on dorm. He returned to the University of Virginia in 2000 as associate director of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation. Three years later, his deep interest in secondary education called him to Norfolk Academy, where he served as assistant headmaster. He moved to Randolph School in 2006.

Hulsey has a daughter, Claire, who attends St. Andrew’s School in Delaware, and a son, Ben ’22, who attends Washington and Lee University. Byron and his wife, Anne Bruce Ahearn, live on the campus of Woodberry Forest School.