Interested in attending next year?
Philadelphia, PA, June 21-27, & July 12-18, 2025
Whether you’re new to independent schools, hoping to excel in a recent promotion, or looking to master a specific skill, explore the latest research, leading methodology, and best practices in our Summer Institute workshops. Sign up for our interest list and be notified when registration is open for our 2025 workshops!
Curious about Summer Institute workshops? Here’s what we offered in summer 2024.
If you’re looking to improve and grow your current learning support program, this workshop is for you. Join us to reexamine your offerings and explore what’s new in recommended success strategies.
Manage every aspect of your ever-growing role as an upper school Dean of Students. Fulfill your responsibilities with confidence, keeping students first in everything you do.
Discover the strategies you need to prepare for a successful capital campaign to motivate and engage your supporters—creating an inspirational and sustainable vision for the future.
Learn how to bolster your leadership capabilities, sharpen your communications skills, manage your team with confidence, and support your school’s long-term goals.
How can school leaders build capacity for change in their schools, and facilitate change at the rate their school can manage? Explore how to enact change while respecting and building on the traditions that make your school unique.
This workshop provides a comprehensive guide to creating a dynamic planned giving program that resonates with donors, fosters long-term engagement, and secures sustainable support for your cause.
Learn how to design and implement a winning annual fund program that’s the heart of your fundraising initiatives. Discover how to employ strategic data, share a strong school story, and build a confident and agile annual fund team.
Explore a mission-driven, research-based, and comprehensive approach to faculty evaluation and growth that reflects the critical relationships between leadership, leader well-being, faculty culture, and student performance, satisfaction, and enthusiasm.
Turn your lower school division into an exceptional environment that provides a stable, student-centered learning community. Discover ways to build and sustain a healthy staff of administrators and faculty that allows your school to deliver its mission with excellence.
Middle School Heads and administrators must provide support for their students, as well as fair and thoughtful discipline that leads to character development. In this workshop, you’ll create an experiential and practical roadmap to help support these goals and more.
Become a great middle school leader. Support your school’s mission and culture, engage your faculty and staff, and enrich the student experience.
Explore core concepts for building (or rebuilding), focusing, and enhancing your advisory program so it reflects and supports the mission of your school.
If you’re new to your program or your program is new to your school, this workshop is for you. Join us in this foundational course to explore the nuts and bolts of successful learning support programs for students with learning differences and learn how to achieve buy-in from your school community.
Excel as a strategic business leader, whether you’re new to the profession, starting in independent schools for the first time, or a seasoned professional.
From understanding enrollment trends to cultivating strong relationships with prospective families and fostering a vibrant school community, this workshop offers a holistic approach to navigating the challenges and opportunities within the admissions sphere.
Whether you’re new to the position or need to adapt your current skills to a private school context, this workshop provides strategies and tactics to help you excel in your role.
Learn how to build a strategic marketing communications plan and budget, streamline communications channels, and use data to make decisions that deliver a return on your investment.
The role of the Administrative Professional is vital to school operations. Discover tools and strategies to create successful partnerships that result in improved efficiency and teamwork.
Explore the practical and personal aspects of leading a school. Come away with tactical initiatives and knowledge to ensure your success. Turn anxiety into productive energy as you take the reins.
Uncover your capacity to be an even more inspiring and effective leader, reconciling competing priorities while still affecting necessary higher-order change initiatives for staff and students.
Empowered to Excel
In 2024, 255 participants from 182 schools joined us in Philadelphia, PA, to develop effective strategies, take home tangible resources, and network with their peers and colleagues. There was an offering for everyone from Board members to School Heads, Business and Advancement Officers divisions, and academic leaders. Summer Institute, unlike larger conferences, is designed for a maximum of 24 participants in each workshop, providing hands-on learning experiences on each specific topic.
Here's a quick recap of Summer Institute 2024. You can also see photos from the event on our Facebook page.
Attendee Snapshot
School Memberships
Thanks to all who joined us at Summer Institute! We had a great time and hope you did too.
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Winning Development Operations Through Effective Management
Date(s): 10/23/2024 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Explore why a well-managed development operation is critical for the success of your fundraising efforts.
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members
Donor Relationships: Giving Tuesday’s Superpower for Independent Schools
Date(s): 10/24/2024 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Learn how to leverage your unique donor relationships to maximize engagement, build excitement, and drive record-breaking donations this Giving Tuesday.
$0.00
For all members & General
Before You Make the 2025-26 Tuition Decision
Date(s): 10/30/2024 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Gain key insights and practical tools for setting tuition and effectively communicating changes to your community.
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members
What to Do When a Crisis Goes Social
Date(s): 11/6/2024 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Learn how to manage your school's reputation online and navigate the complexities of responding to crises as they unfold.
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members
The Relationship Between Faculty Culture and Student Experience: 7 Years of Data
Date(s): 11/7/2024 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Learn the surprising findings about the changing dynamics of faculty culture and the student experience during COVID and after the “return to normal.”
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members
Determining Your School’s Wealth Profile
Date(s): 11/13/2024 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Learn wealth screening strategies to identify potential donors and determine how much they can give.
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members
Soft, Flat, or Declining Enrollment? Use This Framework to Find Out Why
Date(s): 11/20/2024 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Discover how to unveil the root causes for declining or flatlining enrollment at your school.
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members
Reframing Self-Care as a Professional Responsibility
Date(s): 12/4/2024 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Learn why prioritizing physical and mental health is key to leadership success.
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members
How to Successfully, Consistently, and Productively Engage With Donors
Date(s): 12/11/2024 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Discover how the ISM Donor Cycle serves as a guide to build productive relationships with your donors and prospects.
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members