International Coalition of Girls' Schools

CELEBRATE THE POWER OF GIRLS AND GIRLS' SCHOOLS! This week, girls' school colleagues will gather in Australia at Melbourne Girls Grammar for the ICGS Educating Girls Symposium, spending time in community with one another, building personal and professional networks, and sharing best practices. Then on September 6, ICGS will host our third Educating Girls Symposium of 2024 at Westlake Girls High School in Auckland, New Zealand. Finally, on November 8, girls' school educators, advocates, and allies are invited to join us for our final Educating Girls Symposium of the year, to take place at Wimbledon High School GDST in London, England. Looking ahead, be sure to mark your calendar now to join us in New York City for the first Educating Girls Symposium of 2025, set to take place on February 7 at Marymount School of New York. Designed to Celebrate the Power of Girls and Girls’ Schools, each Educating Girls Symposium is a one-day event hosted on the campus of a member girls' school. The Educating Girls Symposium is ideally suited for schools located in the region of the gathering to bring a larger delegation of team members to participate. Complementary programming may include workshops and optional school tours. Early bird registration is open for the September and November events, and presentation proposals are now being accepted. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eJp_qZm4

Get this! The Good Schools Guide reveals that nearly 25% of Team Great Britain's women Olympians attended girls' schools. It's no wonder that "athletes educated at all-girls' schools feature disproportionately in the team." When girls are coached in a supportive environment, free from gender bias, they thrive. At girls' schools, every athlete and every captain is a girl, empowering students to believe they can achieve at every level, all the way to the world's greatest stage.   https://lnkd.in/gSaFjA-c

As the leading advocate for girls’ schools, ICGS conducts, sponsors, and disseminates research on issues of importance to girls’ education. We are thrilled to introduce our network to Ysabella Chambers-Dawson, a distinguished and innovative Coalition Research Fellow, who is studying pastoral care in Australian and New Zealand girls' schools. Please see below for details and share widely with your colleagues in Australasia!

Our Global Executive Director, Megan Murphy, delivers a compelling message on the importance of amplifying the voices of girls and women in decision-making and at the ballot box. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ghRKTS5Q

Discover the power of girls' schools! 🌟 In this ICGS video, hear students share what attending a girls' school means to them. From unique opportunities for academic excellence and leadership to personal growth, girls' schools provide a nurturing and empowering environment. Watch how these institutions help young women thrive and reach their full potential. Share this video with anyone who is considering becoming part of a girls’ school community!

ICGS is thrilled to congratulate Halla Tomasdottir on her election as President of Iceland! 🎉 As an entrepreneur, thought leader, and unwavering advocate for gender equity, President-Elect Tómasdóttir’s leadership exemplifies the transformative power of women in government. We were honored to have her share her thought leadership and calls to action with our Coalition in 2018, when she served as a keynote speaker at our Global Forum on Girls' Education. She has been a beacon of inspiration in the global movement for gender equality, having long advocated for women’s empowerment as a key lever in driving economic growth, educating future generations, doing good business, and building prosperous societies. We are inspired by visionaries like Tómasdóttir—leaders who inspire gender equity and encourage young women to use their voices to enact change. Join us in celebrating President-Elect Tómasdóttir and her ongoing dedication to creating a more just and equitable world. https://lnkd.in/dsn9XWtf

Are you looking for innovative strategies and renewed passion to tackle the day-to-day challenges of education? Addressing unique and complex student needs, meeting parental expectations, and managing budget constraints can be tough, but solutions are within reach! Imagine a place where you can connect with like-minded educators, share struggles and triumphs, and find renewed inspiration. That place is the ICGS Educating Girls Symposiums! Our regional symposiums, hosted on the campus of an ICGS member school, are designed to foster meaningful connections among girls' schools in your region. At the Educating Girls Symposium, both teaching and senior leadership teams can find just what they need to succeed. With a community of like-minded educators, you will gain new skills, strategies, and perspectives to enhance your effectiveness and reignite your belief in the positive impact you're making on students. Don’t miss this opportunity to join ICGS in your area for top-tier speakers, pivotal discussions, and best practice programmes and pedagogies designed specifically for girls’ school educators. 🇳🇿 Auckland, New Zealand at Westlake Girls High School September 6 (early bird registration closes August 6) 🇬🇧 London, England, UK at Wimbledon High School GDST November 8 🇺🇸 New York, New York, USA at Marymount School of New York February 7 Secure your spot today and take the first step towards reconnecting and revitalizing your approach. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eJp_qZm4

What an extraordinary conference last month, with 600 girls' school educators and advocates from 12 countries, representing 175 girls' schools and engaging in 125 breakout sessions.   Delegates were inspired by powerful keynote speakers throughout the three-day event: Annie Jean-Baptiste urged educators to design from the margins, Marin Alsop highlighted the transformative role of music in nurturing children's potential, and Mary Pope M. Hutson delivered a galvanizing call to action on the essential work of girls' schools.   The conference also marked the conclusion of the ICGS Global Action Research Collaborative’s 18-month fellowship for the 2023-2024 cohort, with educators presenting their impactful classroom research. Additionally, 27 new fellows embarked on their research journeys to explore how best to foster student agency, adaptability, and autonomy in the classroom.   We celebrated exceptional educators for their unwavering dedication to empowering girls: Alice Phillips, Headmistress of St Catherine's School, Bramley (UK); Carolyn Mak, Director of Well-Being and School Counseling at Branksome Hall (Canada); Alexandra van der Loos, Head of Year 13 Chemistry and Across School Lead at Westlake Girls High School (New Zealand); as well as the Ursuline Academy Wilmington, DE (USA) and St Ursula's College Kingsgrove (Australia).   Reflecting on the success of this year's conference, we want to express our utmost gratitude for you — our girls' school educators and advocates. It is you who makes this conference the powerful, invigorating, and meaningful experience that it is.   You shared your insights and expertise, your research-backed best practices, and your passion for ensuring girls live healthy, fulfilling lives.   You connected with like-minded advocates — our generous sponsors — who champion your efforts for girls' education, motivation, and empowerment.   You forged life-long, supportive relationships, blending professional growth with unforgettable experiences in Charm City.   And you recommitted to shaping a brighter future for girls everywhere.   One educator captured it perfectly: "I always leave our ICGS conferences buoyed by the power of girls' schools." We couldn't agree more. The time for girls’ schools is now, and this year's conference showcased the tremendous impact and potential of our collective efforts.

🌍✨ Excitement is building as over 600 dedicated educators and advocates from girls' schools across 12 countries prepare to gather in Baltimore, Maryland, USA for the #ICGSConference! Where will your conference badge take you this week on your journey of professional learning and growth? Share your insights and experiences by tagging #ICGSConference! 📸

Meet the latest cohort of the ICGS Global Action Research Collaborative (GARC) on Girls’ Education! These dedicated educators from around the world are diving into an 18-month journey of action research, beginning at the ICGS Conference in Baltimore. Action research empowers teachers to study their own classrooms to improve their effectiveness. Before conducting their research, Fellows receive hands-on training from ICGS research advisors. This year’s focus explores empowering students to believe in themselves and their role in their own learning journey. The overwhelming challenges girls face today – from eco-anxiety to university admissions – can stifle agency and yield responsibility in the learning process. From engaging in discussions with authority to questioning and challenging stereotypes, how are girls developing student agency in the classroom? GARC Fellows will explore learning concepts and teaching methods to build adaptability and autonomy and encourage healthy decision making and reflection in girls. Interested in joining these passionate educators in conducting your own classroom research? GARC is open to all teachers at ICGS member schools, regardless of research experience. Apply by October 11, 2024, and learn more at https://lnkd.in/gahdTk_Z #ICGSConference