NAIS Summer Institutes and Leadership Development

NAIS offers intensive institutes as well as national conferences. Together, these opportunities provide leadership and professional development for individuals in many roles in schools and at many stages in their careers. 

NAIS SUMMER INSTITUTES

Follow the links below to read more and to register for the institutes. To view the information in pdf format, click on the cover image. 

NEW! Heads Equity and Diversity Seminar (H.E.A.D.S.)
June 20-22, 2010 (Alexandria, VA)
H.E.A.D.S is now open to heads of school, division heads, and assistant heads.  Don't miss this unique seminar that is limited to 25 participants.

Summer Diversity Institute
June 23– 28, 2010 (Alexandria,VA)

Institute for New Heads
July 7-12, 2010 (Atlanta, GA)

School Leadership Institute 
August 3-6, 2010 (Alexandria, VA)

• People of Color Conference (PoCC)
  December 2-4 2010, San Diego, CA
• CASE/NAIS Independent Schools Advancement Conference
  January 23-25 Chicago, IL
• NAIS Annual Conference
  February 23-25 2011, National Harbor, MD (Just outside Washington, DC)

OTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

• Leadership through Partnership
  October 8-10, 2010 Dallas, TX
• NAIS/SSS Financial Aid Workshops
  (Fall and Winter, various locations)

Also read about the NAIS Fellowship for Aspiring School Heads, a year-long comprehensive course of professional development for individuals at NAIS member schools.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Who needs leadership development? Current and prospective school leaders interested in pursuing and developing their careers in independent school leadership at any level or who want to understand better their individual leadership style. NAIS professional development programs are especially appropriate for the following:

• Emerging leaders (teachers planning a career path including administration). School Leadership Institute
• Aspiring heads (administrators or teacher-leaders planning a career path culminating in a headship). School Leadership Institute
• New heads (heads in their first five years of headship). Institute for New Heads
• Career change leaders (administrators and executives from other fields seeking leadership roles in independent schools). School Leadership Institute
• New trustees and/or chairs of boards of trustees. Leadership though Partnership Workshop

MENTORING EMERGING INDEPENDENT SCHOOL LEADERS

NAIS is coordinating a list of mentor volunteers (current and former heads of school) to work with aspiring heads. Mentors typically meet with their protégés at the Annual Conference and/or at one of NAIS's summer institutes, communicate periodically throughout the year, oversee a leadership project conducted by the protégé, and offer impromptu counsel and advice when called upon. NAIS supports mentors via online resources and a communications network and is committed to creating an infrastructure to support best practices in mentoring. Current and former heads of school interested in becoming a mentor should contact Jay Rapp at rapp@nais.org.

All participants are welcome to participate in NAIS programs. NAIS has an institutional commitment to the principles of diversity. In that spirit, NAIS does not discriminate in violation of the law on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, sexual orientation, age, physical challenge, nation of origin, gender, or any other characteristic.