Events and Convenings
Join us for events, including free webinars, communities of practice, cohort groups, and other gatherings.
Webinars
Please join Elevate member and non-member schools for our webinars.

1p EST | TUE, April 13, 2021
Starting an Institutional Research Function at Your School
In this webinar, EXPLO Elevate Director of Research Sudipti Kumar shares findings from our upcoming report 'Starting an Institutional Research Function at Your School: What An Independent School Needs to Know.' The report explores the role of an institutional researcher at independent schools, including why the role is a critical one, how schools can build the function over time, what skill sets to look for when hiring the right institutional researcher, and examples of the types of projects people in this role have undertaken. Joining Sudipti will be a set of panelists whose voices were critical in developing the report and who will be able to share their experience in the Institutional Research role at their respective schools: Libby Barlow, Director of Institutional Research at St. Paul’s School, Sarah Enterline, Director of Institutional Research at St. Mark’s School, and Denise Uehara, Principal Researcher and Knowledge Mobilizer at Kamehameha Schools.
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Free and open to all educators.
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Immediately following the webinar, the report will be made available to webinar participants as well as for EXPLO Elevate member schools.

12p EST | WED, April 7, 2021
GatHERing Greatness: Women Leading Independent Schools
Women occupy such a small percentage of headship, yet their intuitive brand of leadership can yield important lessons for those considering a similar path. Successful women recognize that building community is essential for both professional success and personal wellness. The head of school role is a solitary practice, leaving many women without a close support network exactly at the moments when they need it most. Join Amanda Riegel, EXPLO Excelle Director, Dr. Noni Thomas Lopez, Head of School, The Gordon School, and Carrie Green, Director of Middle School, Kent Denver School, to learn how successful women meet these essential needs for connection and build resilience.
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Free and open to all educators.

2p EST | WED, March 31, 2021
The History of Asian Americans in the U.S. and Combating Stereotypes in Education
Asians and Asian Americans have been in the United States for centuries and are one of its fastest-growing minoritized groups, yet this diverse population's histories, struggles, and successes are rarely discussed in U.S. schools. This webinar will explore what it means to be 'Asian American' as well as the two dominant, competing stereotypes that surround this group: yellow peril and the model minority myth. We will discuss the historical and social conditions that generated these stereotypes and how they are harmful to individuals and our broader society. We will then turn to applications for school settings by discussing the current experiences of Asian American educators and students as well as action steps to combat stereotypes and improve representation and inclusion. This session will be led by Dr. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn, an educator, speaker, and professional learning facilitator who has led learning experiences with schools and districts as well as organizations including Learning for Justice, Microsoft, and NY Times Student Travel.
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Free and open to all educators.
Member School Convenings
EXPLO Elevate member schools are welcome to join our topical convenings.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021, 7:30 PM ET
Supporting Staff through the Pandemic: A Leadership Conversation with Susan Perry
Recently, we hosted a webinar on Supporting Staff through the Pandemic, with Dr. Susan Perry. What we learned from Susan during this webinar is that not only are we still in the “disillusionment” phase of dealing with the crisis but also that the global pandemic will impact our community for months and even years ahead. We have had many conversations with both our members and our broad network on the ways to nurture faculty in the past year. So, how do we continue to support our faculty now and what will our faculty need going forward? We thought it would be beneficial for members to engage with Susan in a smaller group setting. We will be structuring the hour as a group conversation. Feel free to attend ready to join in or ready to listen.
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Free and open to school leaders and administrators from EXPLO Elevate Member schools.
Communities of Practice
Please join our Communities of Practice, where educators gather to address a particular topic area or challenge.

Biweekly; Fifth Meeting Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 4 PM ET
Tech Tools for Teaching and Learning (TT4TL)
The Tech Tools for Teaching & Learning (TT4TL) Community of Practice is a group of Educators who come together to identify best practices for how technology-based tools can improve teaching and learning within their school’s classrooms, both in-person and virtually. Some educators have used technology as part of their teaching practice for years, whereas other educators had to quickly adopt new tools as a result of distance learning during COVID-19. Whatever the case, teachers and students can effectively use technology-based tools in the classroom, both in-person and virtual, to more effectively gather information, collaborate, communicate, present information, and assess student progress. This CoP is expected to meet every two weeks until June.
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Free for EXPLO Elevate Members, $150 for Non-Members.
Past Webinars
Watch the recording and view the slides of prior webinars:
What We Can Now Do: Permissions
Leadership Proximity: A Practical Means of Approaching Leadership amidst Complexity
Supporting Staff through the Pandemic
A Third Way: Creating a Sustainable Student-Led Science Research Program
Curriculum Review and Renewal: the Experience of Two Schools
Using Virtual Whiteboards for Better Collaboration
Tech Tools You’ll Still Be Using Next Year
Collaboration Strategies: Designing Student Groupings
Remember More! Retrieval Practices for Deeper Learning
Inquiry-based Learning in the Remote Environment
The First Ingredient: Rising to Meet Challenges to Relationships in Fall 2020
Redesigning Learning Spaces: Prioritizing Flexibility, Equity, and Deeper Learning
Reawakening Humility: Centering Crisis Leadership in this Virtue
Design the Future: How Schools can Plan For Uncertainty
Riverbank Colleagues: The Resource Leaders Need to Take on The Next Rapids
Supporting Educators in Culturally Responsive Practices: A Summer WORKbook
Pilot-Programs in 2020–Now More Than Ever Make Some Small Bets
Blended Learning In Action: Greenfields Academy
Navigating Challenging Conversations: Why We Disagree and How To Understand Effectively
Beyond Synchronous and Asynchronous: Elastic Proximity
Great Management in Times of Crisis: Leading Through COVID-19
Reopening School in a Pandemic: Planning For Fall 2020
Guiding the Emotional Life of Children in the Time of COVID
Agile Design: Making Courses Work Online and Face-to-Face
Building Resilience in a Time of Loss: Strategies for Children, Parents, and Faculty
COVID-19 ANNOUNCEMENT
Due to the evolving nature and impact of COVID-19, we are putting our annual conference (scheduled for the fall) on hold and will reschedule at a later date. In the meantime, please join our weekly virtual gatherings for short presentations and Q+A with Elevate school leaders and other content experts.
Elevate Annual Conference
FALL 2020 | On Hold due to COVID-19
Leading Through Ambiguity and Change
