2021 IBSC Virtual Conference

Schedule for June 23
Hosted by the IBSC Americas Region

4:00 - 5:30 PM EDT

Opening Student Performance

The Roxbury Latin School (United States)

Closing Comments

Chris Post, secretary, IBSC Board of Trustees, and headmaster, The Boys' Latin School of Maryland (United States)

Concluding Remarks

Tom Batty, chair, IBSC Board of Trustees, and principal, Scotch College (Australia)

Keynote Address

How Can We Find Our Better Angels?

Featuring Jon Meacham

Join renowned historian, contributing writer to The New York Times Book Review, contributing editor at Time Magazine, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham as he challenges our IBSC community to create ways we can better contribute to our schools and boys’ education. Using his latest book, His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope, Meacham recounts the story of civil rights icon John Lewis and how his journey can inspire us all to effect social and political change.

Panel Conversation: Shared Stories from Our Schools

Join IBSC leaders from the United States and Canada to take the lessons Jon Meacham shares and explore how they can benefit boys’ schools.

Panelists: Michael Fellin, headmaster, and Jonathan Arendt, upper school English teacher, Crescent School (Canada); Lorri Hamilton Durbin, head of school, and Flora Mugambi-Mutunga, director of community building and inclusion, Town School for Boys (United States)

Workshops

Following the general session, you may select a 30-minute workshop to attend from the list below. In the event app, simply select which workshop room you want to enter.

You may download workshop materials from any presenter who shares them with us by clicking the link under the workshop description.

Becoming a Strong 21st Century School of Character
Attend this moderated panel discussion that shares wisdom and experience of schools’ continuing journeys in becoming successful 21st century schools of character. Their progress evolves in tandem with the Character Education in Schools for Boys 2019 research. Focus on strategies for implementing a holistic framework for character education.
Presenters: Philip Cummins, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation, Research, Creativity and Leadership in Education; Michael Fellin, Crescent School (Canada); Ian Lambert, The Scots College (Australia); Gerard Atkin, Palmerston North Boys' High School (New Zealand)
Grade Levels: All

Connecting Boys to Dance: The Ultimate Brain Break
Join this interactive workshop to discover how to use dance and movement as a stress-reducing activity, promoting physical and mental wellness in boys.
Presenter: Maureen Powers, Selwyn House School (Canada)
Grade Levels: All

Enhancing Student Well-Being Through Strengthening Head, Heart, and Humanity
In response to the global youth mental-health crisis, Upper Canada College, one of Canada's oldest independent schools for boys, is developing a comprehensive, multidimensional approach to fostering student well-being. By connecting dots between community, culture, strategic thinking, research, and resource, the school strives to support each boy's individual journey to becoming his best self.
Presenters: Scott Cowie and Laurie Fraser, Upper Canada College (Canada)
Grade Levels: All

Libraries Matter: Research and Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Google
Prepare students for college-level research with vital and vibrant techniques for young men. As we acknowledge the disassociation between perceived expertise in research methodology and the reality of students' lack of research skills, we must reconnect the dots among classroom instruction, research, and approaches to inculcating critical thinking skills into library instruction.
Presenter: Tinsley Silcox, St. Mark's School of Texas (United States)
Grade Levels: Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)

Set Your GPS: Intentional, Reflective, and Authentic Postsecondary Planning
What strategies can we use to empower students to program a personal GPS, connecting the dots of their own nature, learning style, and dreams, while navigating external influences that negatively impact post-secondary decisions? Our boys must be authentic, mapping their postsecondary journey, guided by inner truth.
Presenters: Christine Wessler and Sheena Matthews, St. George's School (Canada)
Grade Levels: Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)

Technology for Good: Weaving Technology with Identity, Empathy, and Citizenship
Gain strategies for connecting current and emerging technologies with the development of boys as empathetic members of communities within and outside of school. Join us as we share ways The Buckley School encourages kindness and caring in a rigorous academic environment using tools such as virtual reality, simulation games, digital storytelling, and 3D and graphic design.
Presenters: Julie King and Pete Simpson, The Buckley School (United States)
Grade Levels: Lower/Primary School (Ages 5-12), Middle School (Ages 12-15)

The Truth About Faculty Culture—Creating, Managing, Leading
For over 20 years, Hal developed and taught the Faculty Culture module of the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) Leadership Institute. The thesis is that Faculty Culture is the root solution to most school problems, but the strategic importance is misunderstood. This needs to change.
Presenter: Hal Hannaford, Selwyn House School (Canada)
Grade Levels: All

Traditional Progress: Evaluating and Crafting Belief and Mission Statements
It is often difficult to overcome the "traditions" of the past when schools self-reflect. With careful self-evaluation, schools can maintain the traditions of the past while reaching toward future growth and advancement. Undertake exercises for self-evaluation through conversation, surveys, and data collection in order to build consensus across a community.
Presenters: Michael Carr and Josh Hartle, Delbarton School (United States)
Grade Levels: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)