CS&A's Women's Institute will be a powerful day of peer learning, mentorship, and dialogue through shared experiences.
June 15
6:00-8:00 p.m. − Welcome Reception at the Maritime, Battery Wharf Hotel
June 16
7:15-8:00 a.m. − Check-In and Breakfast (provided)
8:00-9:00 − CS&A Welcome, Co-Keynote Speakers Lisa Lyle and Becky Sykes
9:15-10:30 − Session 1 Block (two options, see below)
10:30-10:50 − Morning Break
10:50-12:00 p.m. − Session 2 Block (two options, see below)
12:00-1:00 − Lunch (provided)
1:00-2:15 − Session 3 Block (two options, see below)
2:30-2:50 − Welcome to Mentoring
2:50-4:15 − Mentor Groups (see below)
4:15-5:00 − Group Meditation and CS&A Closing Address
Session 1 Block Options
“How She Got There” − Avenues for Advancement
Panelists: Danielle Heard, Lisa Lyle, Carla MacMullen, Gabriella Rowe, Ann Teaff
Although women account for 69% of faculty and 75% of administrators at independent schools, only 34% of school heads nationwide are women. This session will explore new and evolving techniques for advancing administrative and leadership opportunities in the pursuit of advancement opportunities. What are some unique challenges that one might face as you learn to see yourself as a leader in your community? Come interact with top leaders in education as they share their collective wisdom and advice for success.
“I’m Every Woman” − Work/Life Balance: Myth vs. Reality
Panelists: Beth Beckmann, Chelsea Collins, Laurie Lambert, Amanda Riegel, Ann Sullivan, Roxanne Zazzaro
Though women, as a demographic, are more connected than any other period in human history, the continuous, technology-driven, tight-rope juggle of “having it all” as a colleague, mother, wife, sister, daughter, and friend has become more difficult than any other time. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said, “Our life comes in segments, and we have to understand that we can have it all if we’re not trying to do it all at once.” This workshop will investigate methods and concepts for finding the balance between your professional and personal goals, from mapping fundamental boundaries to honoring your individual compass.
Session 2 Block
“Woven Together” − Intersectionality and Inclusion in Your School
Panelists: Karen Bradberry, Jennifer Christensen, Sherry Coleman, Carla MacMullen, Felicia McCrary, Gabriella Rowe
As our school communities reflect the increasing multiculturalism of our local and global environments, correlated issues of gender, ethnicity, class, and sexuality continue to define and guide our work as educators, parents, and leaders. Speaking on the necessity for women to recognize intersectionality as a framework for our individual cultural realities, the scholar Kimberle Crenshaw noted, “If we aren’t intersectional, some of us, the most vulnerable, are going to fall through the cracks.” This session will investigate new ideas and methods for cultivating a campus community that is responsive to the identities and needs of everyone, with particular focus on recognizing and responding to the specific and evolving needs of girls. How can you guarantee that the voices of all members of your school community are heard, while ensuring a socially just, equitable, and inclusive environment?
Session 3 Block Options
“A Woman’s Worth” − The Art of Negotiating
Panelists: Danielle Heard, Laurie Lambert, Ann Sullivan, Aggie Underwood, Roxanne Zazzaro
Are you an expert at the “art of no?” According to recent studies, although 57% of women in the United States participate in the labor force, only 32% of working women successfully negotiated their initial salary offer (and the numbers are bleaker for graduating college women – 7% of women reported that they negotiated their initial job offers, compared with 57% of graduating college men). As women continue to make monumental strides as education professionals, the art of negotiation remains a progressively essential skill. This workshop will examine tried and true techniques for learning stronger self-advocacy through effective salary and contract negotiations. How can you ensure that you are best prepared when discussing salary offers? What are some concrete and innovative steps to take in solidifying your professional trajectory through strategic negotiation?
“I Raise My Voice” − Empowered Women Empower Women
Panelists: Beth Beckmann, Karen Bradberry, Chelsea Collins, Felicia McCrary, Becky Sykes
Mentoring must start somewhere, and for most it starts in childhood, which is a critical period. With the successive gains (and reflective challenges) faced by women along the historical climb to gender and educational equity, the next generation of women leaders will face new, unknown, and complex tests in American society. This workshop will examine methods and strategies through which women can harness their collective power as mentors and advocates, and how we, through each other, can inspire, prepare, and empower the next generation to achieve. How can we teach our girls to be smart and strong, both inside and outside the classroom?
Welcome to Mentoring
Lean On: Mentorship for the 21st-Century Woman
Welcome by Jennifer Christensen, CS&A Search Consultant
As women, we are stronger when we come together. Regardless of your position or what stage you are at in your career, we can all serve as a mentor to a colleague, friend, or student. We will discuss lateral leadership and best practices a good mentor, mentee, or sponsor to help provide context to the session that will follow. This will provide food for thought, as you begin your discussions.
Mentor Groups
Attendees will be broken up into small groups (which will be sent to you in advance of the event. We encourage you to not think of yourself as just a “mentor” or “mentee” in this situation! Everyone has something to offer within their group as they reflect and share their story. Each group will have a few members of the Honorary Faculty to guide your discussion.
Group Meditation with Checka Antifonario
Breathe, be present, and connect with deep strength and contentment within–these are the intentions that Checka Antifonario has held for her yoga and meditation students over the past nine years of leading classes, workshops, and retreats. Her personal yoga journey began in 2006 when she moved from Cambridge, MA, to the Big Island of Hawaii to live and work at Kalani Yoga and Wellness Retreat. The island’s stunning beauty and loving vibe inspired Checka to deepen her appreciation for the strengthening and healing nature of yoga, develop her “Aloha Soul” approach to life, and dive into teaching yoga as her life's work.
Checka is deeply committed to maintaining a welcoming and inclusive space for practice and community. When she is not teaching near home, she journeys far and wide leading retreats, workshops and teacher training. She strives to make every day count, and celebrate each unique person she has the honor to meet along the way. Learn more and connect at www.checkayoga.com. Checks is an alumna of Philips Academy and a former CS&A Placement Associate.