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Join this welcoming session for first-time Summer Institute attendees! Get a quick overview of the schedule and key sessions, connect with others, ask questions, and gain tips to make the most of your experience.
“Release the Power: Reimagining Early Release Days Through Design Thinking, UDL, and Innovation” explores how elementary school leaders can transform shortened school days into meaningful learning opportunities for students. Early Release Days often present a leadership challenge: balancing staff professional development time while ensuring students remain engaged in purposeful learning. Too often, these days default to passive activities or unstructured programming. This session encourages leaders to rethink Early Release Days as opportunities for creativity, problem-solving, and student voice.
Participants will explore how the Engineering Design Process (EDP) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can support innovative and inclusive student experiences. Through a hands-on design activity, collaborative discussion, and practical planning tools, leaders will gain strategies to design engaging Early Release programming that is both impactful for students and feasible for schools.
A lot has changed FERPA was written in 1974. Directory information is no longer confined to paper. Text and photos are can be scraped, consolidated, and searched from the web. Students' social lives are intertwined with their online presence. Yet many of our school privacy practices are grounded in assumptions from a half-century ago that no longer hold true. In this session, we will engage in collaborative activities and discussions to interrogate the assumptions behind our current practices, identify unmet needs, and brainstorm guiding principles that center students' well-being and autonomy in privacy practices grounded in the modern landscape.
This presentation is geared towards school leaders who are relatively new to their buildings, or leaders who seek actionable strategies to implement positive change in their building.
School culture doesn’t happen by accident—it’s shaped by what leaders notice, nurture, and prioritize. This presentation supports elementary administrators in learning how to assess school culture as a new leader, pinpoint what’s working and what needs attention, and put intentional structures in place that strengthen morale and improve student learning. Through a focus on trust, relationships, and everyday leadership moves, participants will walk away with actionable ideas for building collegial school communities where staff trust one another and feel confident in their leadership.
This session will also focus on the undeniable connection between shared efficacy, strong relationships, and student achievement. When all staff are invested, our practices improve, and our students benefit directly.
This course shares the process, purpose, and impact of introducing a service dog into their learning community. Participants will gain an understanding of how to implement a school service dog program—from initial planning & stakeholder buy-in to policies, funding considerations, handler responsibilities, and day-to-day logistics. Beyond the practical, the course highlights the social, emotional, & behavioral benefits for all. Administrators will learn how service dogs can support student regulation, reduce anxiety, foster connection, & contribute to a positive school climate, particularly for students with trauma, special needs, or emotional challenges. This course celebrates the joy a dog brings to campus. Through real-world examples, participants will see how a service dog can become a unifying presence—building relationships, boosting morale, & adding moments of calm & happiness to even the busiest school days.
College, career, or military - students need more than credits to succeed. Learn how Bourne High School created a structured School-to-Career progression that intentionally develops workplace skills, self-advocacy, and career readiness from Grade 8 through senior internships. Walk away with practical ideas to build a future-ready culture in your own school.
