IBSC Culture of a Boys' School Conference

Montgomery Bell Academy

Montgomery Bell Academy
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
January 31 - February 1, 2020

Join us to explore the singular culture of a boys’ school. Discover how a school’s history, values, mission, students, and faculty contribute to creating a culture that helps boys develop an intellectual and emotional core.

New York Times columnist David Brooks writes about thick and thin institutions: “Some leave a mark on you, and some you pass through with scarcely a memory.” Address how a boys’ school becomes and continues to be a thick institution by creating a culture in which every boy feels known and loved. As Brooks writes, “A thick institution becomes part of a person’s identity and engages the whole person: head, hands, heart, and soul.”

Engage in collaborative breakout sessions with facilitated discussions to examine what features of a boys’ school contribute to the soul of a boy, how to build and maintain a culture of healthy masculinity, and how schools might take advantage of boys’ desire to do good and appeal to their higher longings.