IBSC AI in Boys' Schools: Less Complexity, More Connection

AI essentials

An IBSC Online Program

April 27, 2026

  

Join Rebecca Winthrop, senior fellow and director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, for an online presentation exploring how AI can genuinely serve teachers and students in boys' schools.

AI is reshaping education at a pace that can feel overwhelming and the conversation too often centers on the technology itself rather than the people it's meant to serve. Winthrop, who leads the Brookings Global Task Force on AI in Education, reframes the question: Instead of asking what AI can do, she asks what teachers need AI to do for them so they have more time for human-centered activities including mentoring, building relationships, and nurturing the curiosity that keeps boys engaged.

Explore why student disengagement is one of the most pressing challenges in education today and how thoughtfully integrated AI can help address it—not by replacing the irreplaceable human work of teaching, but by creating the conditions for more of it. Grounded in global research and practical insight, this session offers a clear-eyed look at what AI means for boys' schools navigating this shifting landscape.

Attend this interactive session online to dive into these themes.

  • Teacher Liberation: Understand how AI can reduce administrative burden and free educators for the relational work that matters most to boys.
  • Student Agency and Engagement: Learn what the research says about disengagement and how AI, used well, can foster greater ownership of learning.
  • Beyond the Hype: Cut through the noise to focus on what's genuinely useful and what's just adding complexity.
  • A Framework for Action: Walk away with practical ways to think about AI adoption that puts people, not platforms, at the center.

Who Should Attend?

Educators and school leaders who want to move beyond the hype around AI in education, understand its real potential to support teaching and learning in boys' schools, and make thoughtful decisions about where and how to integrate it

Format

The interactive session hosted on Zoom includes a 45-minute presentation, followed by 15 minutes for Q&A.

Monday, April 27, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT, 9:00 PM BST, 10:00 PM CAT
Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 4:00 AM AWST, 6:00 AM AEST, 8:00 AM NZST
Check the time in your time zone.
60 minutes

All attendees registered for the live session also gain access to the event recording and any associated resources for 21 days after the event. Even if your schedule cannot accommodate the live event, register so you can watch the recording at your convenience.

Please note: The recording of this event is exclusively for the individual use of registered attendees. We kindly request your cooperation in maintaining the integrity of the content.

Registration

  • IBSC member rate for 1 – 3 people from the same school: US$135 per person
  • IBSC member rate for 4+ people from the same school: US$120 per person
  • IBSC nonmember rate: US$175 per person

Register before 2:00 PM EDT, April 27, 2026.

Group Screening Access for IBSC Members
Interested in using this session for professional development? IBSC member schools can access the recording for group screenings at a discounted rate. Access to the recording is available for 21 days starting April 29, 2026. Contact Bruce Collins at collins@theibsc.org for more details.

IBSC member rate: US$1,500

To register for group access, choose the group screening rate option on the registration form. The group screening option includes the recording of the presentation and the Q&A. This option does not include access to the live event. One person will have access to the recording to screen it for colleagues at their member school.

Cancellation Policy
If you are unable to attend, you must cancel your registration in writing by emailing IBSC@theibsc.org by April 13, 2026. 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 on April 24, 2026. If you registered after this date, watch for login information within 24 hours.

Participation certificates: Participants present for the live online session will receive a certificate of participation within two weeks of the event.

Questions?

Please contact Bruce Collins at collins@theibsc.org.

Presenter

Nick BallouRebecca Winthrop

Rebecca Winthrop is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. Her research focuses on education globally, with special attention to the skills young people need to thrive in work, life, and as constructive citizens.

Winthrop works to promote quality and relevant education, including exploring how education innovations and family and community engagement can be harnessed to leapfrog progress, particularly for the most marginalized children and youth. She advises governments, international institutions, foundations, civil society organizations, and corporations on education issues. She serves as a board member and adviser for a number of global education organizations and lectures at Georgetown University.

Winthrop currently leads the Brookings Global Task Force on AI in Education and co-leads the Family Engagement in Education Network. She has served as the chair of the UN Secretary General’s Global Education First Initiative’s Technical Advisory Group, helping to frame an education vision that focuses on access, quality, and global citizenship. With UNESCO Institute of Statistics, she co-led the Learning Metrics Task Force that involved inputs from education professionals in over 100 countries to identify how to measure what matters in education systems. She has been a member of numerous other global education initiatives including the G-20 Education Task Force, the Mastercard Foundation’s Youth Learning Advisory Committee, the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Councils on Education, and an education adviser to the Clinton Global Initiative.

Prior to joining the Brookings Institution in June 2009, Winthrop spent 15 years working in the field of education for displaced and migrant communities. As the head of education for the International Rescue Committee, she was responsible for the organization’s education work in over 20 conflict-affected countries. She has been actively involved in developing the evidence base around and global attention to education in the developing world. In her prior position, she helped develop global policy for the education in emergencies field, especially around the development of global minimum standards for education in contexts of armed conflict and state fragility.

Winthrop has authored numerous articles, reports, books, and book chapters, including most recently, The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better, with her co-author, award-winning journalist Jenny Anderson. 

She earned her education and advanced degrees from Columbia University Teachers College (Ph.D., 2008); Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (M.A., 2001); and Swarthmore College (B.A., 1996).