Welcome | Stephanie Keaney

Vocal Performance by Saint Mary’s Chorale led by Jennifer Moran
Everyone at the conference has left behind professional and personal responsibilities. Switching gears can be challenging, so we will take this opportunity to put our stressors away for the next 26 hours. We will spend time mentally setting the stage for this growth opportunity, looking ahead to what might be, could be, and will be our future as Women in Leadership.

Setting the Stage: Art Session | Sandra Litzenberger
What is leadership? What does it look like? How does our creative mind perceive and express leadership sensibilities? What are its visual qualities? Using simple drawing media, we will create abstract visual vocabularies followed by an exploration of what the newly created shapes and colors say about our perceptions.

You have passion for your work and your school. You have ideas, solutions, and the determination to make positive changes. And yet, there are so many layers, and so many players, that contribute to your success. Some elements you have control over. Many elements you do not. Are you being honest with yourself about what you can control? Or are you wearing yourself thin, attempting to manage everyone and everything that touches your work?

This is a message for heart-centered women leaders who are working hard to meet their goals but need support managing the chaos.

Join this highly interactive and fun workshop co-created to bring voice, reflection, and action steps to initiate self-examination about your mindset and beliefs about women in educational leadership. This session will celebrate strengths and identify challenges. Participants will work directly with the speakers in facilitated small groups to explore four themes and the associated, specific, in-demand leadership skills we have learned that can help ground awareness for moving from where you are to where you want to be.

The Leadership of Leaning in… | Michelle Pearson, Black Box Dance Theatre
Move and be moved (literally) in this full-body, transformative seminar designed to build and strengthen leadership skills, deepen emotional intelligence, and create a meaningful community.  Michelle Pearson and her team of artists provide an interactive experience of storytelling and peer support that encourages deep listening, negotiating differences, and innovative collaboration. Through the lens of art and movement, participants practice techniques for skillfully and respectfully eliciting stories, reading non-verbal cues, and unearthing multiple meanings for both listener and teller. Participants will be led through movement structures and partnering exercises leading to the creation of non-fiction art.

“Movement like this is far from being just an exercise. Rather, it offers methods and knowledge for staying intellectually and socially engaged, emotionally and spiritually nourished, and physically empowered." No experience is necessary; all bodies are welcome. 

Leaning into Superwoman: A Multimedia Approach | Sandra Litzenberger, The Fletcher Academy
Our brain is made up of 2 hemispheres, one of which governs language and the other of which governs visual perception and expression. The visual-perceptual part of our brain generates ideas and intuitions that only sometimes come to our conscious awareness. To bring what we perceive into better focus, participants will create images in mixed media (collage, drawing media, watercolor) using the idea of “Superwoman” as the inspirational starting point.

Asking for What You Need: Advocating and Negotiating with Confidence | Rebecca Malotke-Meslin
Have you ever considered asking for a promotion or negotiating with a vendor on deliverables, then quickly talked yourself out of it? What is holding you back? Effectively advocating and negotiating resources could impact achieving your goals and improving your organization's sustainability. In this session, participants will reflect on the barriers preventing them from asking for what they need, such as a lack of confidence, fear of rejection, or inexperience. Next, they’ll learn strategies to prepare and confidently communicate for effective negotiating.

Wine and Wisdoms | Saint Mary’s Head of School Residence
Sponsored by Sindy Wylie, Cetera Financial Group

You Can't Do It All By Yourself: Being a Better Delegator | Rebecca Malotke-Meslin
For women leaders, admitting we need help may lead to feelings of inadequacy or imposter syndrome. Alternatively, asking for help may seem like a burden rather than a relief. The more unnecessary tasks you have on your plate, the less time you have to work on achieving your goals. We’ll dig into the fear and worry holding you back and create a plan for you to start delegating consistently and successfully.

Extreme Makeover: Reframing Challenging Situations | Gerrelyn Patterson, Ph.D,  Chair, Department of Educator Preparation, College of Education, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Enhance your skills in turning obstacles into opportunities and strengthening your resilience in stressful and challenging situations. Through an interactive workshop and engaging discussions, discover practical strategies for reframing perspectives, managing stress, and building a resilient mindset. Participants will receive strategies to navigate challenging situations and unlock creative problem-solving. This session will equip participants with the mindset and tools towards reframing difficulties into pathways to navigate professional or personal challenges with confidence and effectiveness.

A Seat at the Table is Not Enough: Recognizing and Addressing Micro-aggressions | Michelle Corvette, Ph.D., Director of Faculty Development and Immersive Learning, William Peace University
This session will introduce the concept of promoting psychological safety at work by recognizing microaggressions, how they affect women and other underrepresented groups, and provide actionable strategies for disrupting microaggressions to champion equity. Utilizing immersive learning engagement activities, participants will practice applying the strategies and consider how to continue these practices in their own work as leaders. 

Women: The Bridge to Building Global Leaders | Jessica Campbell, Dean of Academic Innovation, Saint Mary’s School
“To me, leadership is not about necessarily being the loudest in the room, but instead being the bridge, or the thing that is missing in the discussion and trying to build a consensus from there.” Jacinda Ardern

As many of us know, there are more CEO’s with the name John than women. Fewer than 1/3 of UN states have EVER had a female leader. As we work to educate the next generation of female leaders, how will we prepare them to “battle the odds” and become the voices that are missing within all major global conversations? In this workshop, participants will work in groups with some of Saint Mary’s international students to discuss current and upcoming challenges for female leaders. Participants will leave with ideas and strategies to help students prioritize equity, diversity of thought, and personal growth when they eventually become leaders themselves.

Panel Discussion with NCAIS Leaders | Ayesha Swinton, Ph.D., Moderator
Panelists: Lisa Nagel, Head of School at The Duke School; Dr. Donna Eason, Assistant Head of Upper School at Cary Academy; Carolyn Ronco, Lower School Division Director at Durham Academy; Monica Rodriguez, Head of School at Montessori School of Raleigh; Dr. Jessica Holden, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Saint Mary’s School
During this session, participants have the opportunity to ask questions of the panel. Come ready to soak up the wisdom and knowledge of women leaders from a cross-section of roles at NCAIS schools. 

A Moment for Mindfulness and Your Next Steps | Tiffany Gregory, The Fletcher Academy
After the past two days, our hearts and minds are full: full of new information, new colleagues, new ideas, and new strategies. Before we all scatter to the wind, getting back to our roles and responsibilities at home and work, let’s take a few minutes to center ourselves and clearly articulate a plan for the future. 

Adjourn