Summer 2026
Registration is now open for the Association for Academic Leaders summer professional learning opportunities! Whether you're focusing on GenAI, leadership development, teaching and learning, or student mental health, our professional lineup offers valuable learning for every Academic Leader on your team:
AI Bootcamp (two-day, in-person)
Want to discuss how we can support your school’s initiatives and leadership development this winter or spring? Let’s find time to chat in the coming weeks.
Generative AI
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Assessing Your Assessments in the Age of AI
This course prepares academic leaders to guide faculty conversations about assessment in the age of Generative AI. Participants will identify misalignments, examine what assessments truly measure, and leave with practical tools to lead conversations that drive meaningful, actionable improvements.
June 15 - June 19
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AI You Can Use: Practical Applications for Academic Leaders
Discover how AI can act as your personal chief of staff. We will explore practical ways to automate your routine office work and give you more headspace for strategic thinking and supporting your faculty.
June 22 - June 26
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Building the Custom AI Tool Your School Needs (No programming)
Build the digital assistant you’ve always wanted. We’ll show you how to create custom AI tools tailored to your school’s specific tasks. You'll save time and simplify your workflow without writing a single line of code.
July 13 - July 17
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Leading Your Team or Department in Understanding Generative AI
Learn to guide your team in exploring Generative AI and considering the implications for teaching and learning in alignment with school mission and values.
July 13 - July 17
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Making Custom-Built Bots to Align Curriculum to Mission
Learn to use custom AI tools for mission-driven curriculum design and adaptation. This course covers creating custom tools, evaluating Generative AI-generated content, and tailoring it to your school’s unique program.
July 20 - July 24
Teaching & Learning
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What to Ask (and What Not to Ask): Student Feedback in Academics
Academic leaders will learn how to generate actionable, reliable insights from academic surveys. This course covers designing effective instruments, writing clear, neutral questions, and avoiding common pitfalls that compromise data quality. Participants will explore practical examples and leave with strategies they can apply immediately.
June 15 - June 19
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Competency-Based Learning: A Primer for Academic Leaders
Gain a foundational understanding of competency-based learning. Designed for Academic Leaders, this course offers practical insights and strategies to initiate meaningful conversations within your school community.
June 29 - July 3
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Curriculum Mapping: What You Need to Know Before You Start
Plan effective curriculum mapping that honors your school's values and culture. Leave with a personalized plan and timeline, developed from our templates. We'll suggest how AI tools can support and streamline the process.
July 6 - July 10 -
Onboarding New Faculty to Your School's Culture and Pedagogy
Ensure long-term faculty success by learning actionable onboarding strategies that align new hires with your school’s mission, culture, and pedagogy.
July 6 - July 17
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Rethinking the School Schedule: Designing for What Matters Most
Daily school schedules must balance evolving needs across programs and constituents, making change both necessary and complex. In this course, participants will learn how to design a thoughtful, effective process for developing and implementing a schedule that aligns with their school’s curricular goals.
August 3 - August 7
Leadership Development
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Assessing Your Assessments in the Age of AI
This course prepares academic leaders to guide faculty conversations about assessment in the age of Generative AI. Participants will identify misalignments, examine what assessments truly measure, and leave with practical tools to lead conversations that drive meaningful, actionable improvements.
June 15 - June 19
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Leading from the Middle: What to Expect (and Where to Start)
Moving from the classroom to a leadership role is a big shift. Gain the practical tools and confidence you need to manage your former peers, lead effective meetings, and set a clear tone for your team.
June 22 - June 26
and
July 20 - July 24 -
Instructional Rounds: Fostering Reflective Teacher Practice
Explore instructional rounds as a tool for improving student learning by fostering teacher reflection. Learn to implement a pilot program and develop observation frameworks.
June 22 - June 26
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More Than a Welcome: Getting New Faculty Mentoring Right
Develop mentoring strategies that support new faculty and their mentors, with a focus on growth, well-being, and a strong start. Participants will design a program aligned with their school’s culture and equip mentors to guide new faculty with confidence and clarity.
June 29 - July 3
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Aligning Teacher Evaluation with Pedagogical Priorities
Teacher evaluation has not kept up with innovation in independent schools. This course will help participants rebench an evaluation process so that it aligns with the school's current values. Academic Leaders can then effectively use the teacher evaluation process to move pedagogical initiatives forward.
Tentatively: June 29 - July 3
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Evaluating Department Leaders as Academic Leaders
Learn about using a competency-based approach that will help leaders reconsider how they assess the effectiveness of department and team leaders
July 6 - 10
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Tough Talks: Challenging Conversations with Parents and Guardians
Gain confidence and skill in navigating emotionally charged conversations with parents and guardians. This course equips independent school leaders to engage in difficult discussions with empathy, candor, and a clear sense of authority.
July 13 - July 17 -
Curriculum Leadership: Storyboarding for Impact
Learn to guide and communicate curriculum work more effectively using curriculum storyboards—practical tools that support planning, collaboration, and clarity across your school community.
July 20 - July 24
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Tough Talks: Challenging Conversations with Direct Reports
This course helps independent school leaders strengthen their supervisory skills by engaging in the kinds of conversations that are tempting to avoid, yet essential for professional growth, accountability, and team cohesion.
July 20 - July 24
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Leading a Mission-Aligned Curriculum Audit
Learn to lead a curriculum audit aligned with mission-centered goals. Gain tools and templates for planning an audit within a school year, adaptable for single departments or cross-division competencies.
July 27 - July 31
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Getting Recruiting Right: Attracting Strong Candidates to Your School
Recruiting is a strategic, ongoing effort to attract educators who bring your mission to life, not just fill open roles. In this course, participants will explore practical tactics to strengthen recruitment efforts and build meaningful professional relationships from the very first interaction.
July 27 - July 31
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Leading Curricular and Pedagogical Change
Our adaptable framework helps Academic Leaders plan for curricular and pedagogical change and manage a sustainable and supportive implementation process.
August 3 - August 7
Student Mental Health
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The Emotional Lives of Teenagers with Dr. Lisa Damour
Join NY Times best-selling author Dr. Lisa Damour to learn how to apply new insights on teens’ cognitive and emotional development in schools.
June 15 - June 26
and
July 6 - July 24 -
Leading Strong, Connected School Communities
A school’s culture can be its greatest strength. Join us to explore practical ways to build an environment where every student and staff member feels genuinely welcome and supported.
July 6 - July 10
Summer Book Club
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Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose
In Mattering, Wallace explores a fundamental human need: to feel valued and to know we have value to offer. Through research, stories, and practical guidance, she examines how an “erosion of mattering” contributes to disconnection, burnout, and uncertainty, and how small, intentional actions can restore purpose and resilience. This book offers a timely framework for strengthening relationships and building cultures where people feel truly known, needed, and invested in.
Friday, June 12 @ 11:00am ET -
Klara and the Sun
In Klara and the Sun, Nobel Prize–winning author Kazuo Ishiguro invites readers into a near-future world through the eyes of Klara, an Artificial Friend whose careful observations reveal as much about humanity as they do about technology. The novel explores love, loyalty, sacrifice, and the desire to protect those we care for. This beautifully written and thought-provoking story offers rich questions about what it means to see others clearly, to serve with purpose, and to navigate a world reshaped by artificial intelligence.
Thursday, June 25 @ 11:00am ET -
Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter
In Multipliers, Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown examine why some leaders unlock the full potential of their teams while others unintentionally hold it back. Drawing on research and real-world examples, the book introduces five practical disciplines that help leaders amplify talent, encourage rigorous thinking, and drive stronger results. This engaging and actionable read offers a valuable framework for academic leaders seeking to foster more innovative, accountable, and high-performing teams.
Friday, July 17 @ 11:00am ET -
The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better
In The Disengaged Teen, Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop examine why so many adolescents become disconnected from learning and what adults can do to reengage them. Drawing on research and real-world stories, they identify four learning modes: Resister, Passenger, Achiever, and Explorer that shape how students experience school, motivation, and identity. This timely and practical read offers academic leaders valuable insight into student engagement and mental health, along with actionable strategies to help young people rediscover curiosity, confidence, and purpose.
Friday, July 24 @ 11:00am ET -
From Page to Practice: Summer Book Club Reflections
Join us for a dynamic ICYMI session that brings all four summer book club titles into one engaging conversation. After a brief kickoff, choose a breakout room by book and dive into key insights with guidance from Association Advisory Council Members. Whether you’re catching up or continuing the dialogue, this session offers a flexible, high-impact way to connect ideas and perspectives. Participants will leave with a broader view of the insights surfaced throughout the series and practical takeaways to carry forward into their work.
Friday, July 31 @ 11:00am ET
