Women in Education Leadership Summit

Visionary Leadership Summit

August 1-4, 2021 Virtual Summit, 9 am - 3 pm

banner of four images with first image being colored pencils, second image being a classroom setting with young students and one student raising their hand, third image of a smiling woman at a desk, and fourth image of a classroom of students standing and reading

The demands and pressures on school leaders are growing. You are required to be something more than an educator. Today’s students need you to think creatively, address issues that go beyond the classroom walls, and lead with a willingness to take risks. 

One thing we know: the visionary voice of educational leaders is needed more than ever. Courageous leaders in the K-12 are needed more than ever. Your faculty need you. Your students need you. The community needs you. Our students are facing a world unlike any other, and this demands our highest potential. 
 
From addressing mental health and anxiety in youth and teens, to helping students develop character and appreciate diversity, to preparing students to take AP exams, your skill set needs to reach far and wide. In this time of educational peril, we can’t afford to let our best leaders burn out.

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Who Should Attend

The Women in Education Leadership Summit is designed for any school leader who wants to deepen her understanding of leadership, raise her own skill set, and better connect with others to make a difference and move her campus forward. 

  • Principals, Heads of Schools and Deans: Those in upper-level administration who want to raise their leadership capacity and learn skills and strategies to better serve their community.
  • Directors: Women who run programs and departments, make big decisions, need to collaborate across campus groups, and move important initiatives forward
  • Faculty: Women in the classroom who want to deepen their ability to create an environment that fosters learning and connect with their students and families in more meaningful ways.

How Does the Summit Prepare Women Leaders?

Individualized Approach

WELS is not about giving answers to leaders. It's about developing people's capacities to respond to current education-related challenges. We help leaders to better understand their values, their patterns, and their personal tendencies when relating to others. Leaders will explore their own abilities to recognize core issue and think creatively about possible solutions, learning to lead with hope in the most trying times. The Summit consists of a variety of activities-including value card exercises, paper/pencil self-assessments, ethical dilemmas, drawing activities, acting workshops, and visionary speakers. We explore the pressing issues and how to create an environment we all deserve. All participants complete a Leadership Circle® 360 survey and receive personal coaching based on survey results. Through this approach, WELS helps leaders to formulate their own visions for change and to implement solutions appropriately.

Leadership Education

USD is at the forefront of leadership education. In 1980, it founded the first doctoral program of leadership in the United States. The Summit is staffed by top faculty and education experts from USD's School of Leadership and Educational Sciences, all who have research expertise in women leadership and current education issues. The summit staff are established experts in leadership development with many years of practical expertise in the field. Summit activities address themes such as leaders as learners, data-based decisions, integrated and strategic planning, viewing campus cultures as systems, and student success strategies. 

The Learning Community

WELS brings together visionary leaders from education who are ready to rise up and provide new possibilities to their campus communities. This is a community of women who believe it’s possible for education to work for us all. With opportunities for interaction through small and large group activities, we encourage our participants to share their experiences and insights with one another, creating a powerful cross-pollination of ideas and inspiration. We also encourage our participants to go on outings with other participants and to take advantage of the beautiful San Diego area to build up their networks. You will engage with other women leaders in a space that integrates personal and professional wellness, leadership skills and strategies, and personal awareness. THE TIME IS NOW: YOU are someone who wants to lead the world forward. You dream of bigger… of a better system where your students can thrive. Join us: Evolve your leadership. Evolve education. Evolve the world.

Program Objectives

  • Develop educational leaders who are both authentic and visionary, collaborative and creative.
  • Help women leaders develop a strong sense of self and value so they may advocate for what they believe in and for what their students need most. 
  • Encourage women leaders to develop habits of awareness and reflection to aid them both personally and professionally.
  • Create a community of support where ideas, challenges, and solutions can be shared.