Events Calendar

The need for community and connection in schools is more crucial now than ever before. Traditional systems of punishment and expulsion have been found to be inequitable and ineffective. This two-day, in-person training session introduces educators to key skills and considerations necessary for building and sustaining restorative practices at school and district levels, provides opportunities for engagement and practice, and offers a framework for effective implementation in diverse and individualized contexts. This is not a sit-and-get class, but rather an opportunity for participants to engage with each other through an active series of discussions and activities.

As you help manage challenges and opportunities in your independent school, you can see the power of shared knowledge and support. The NAIS Connect online communities have become a hub for robust discussions, resource sharing, and support. To provide another forum for connection, NAIS offers online meetups for executive assistants and support staff. These free, 45-minute get-togethers offer an opportunity to connect in small groups and discuss topics of your choice as you get to know others who do what you do. 

Facilitated by expert workshop leaders in 4.5-hour sessions over three consecutive days, these highly interactive virtual workshops take place over Zoom and feature an additional three hours of asynchronous work in Canvas required to earn a completion certificate.

In this session, discover the latest findings on how independent schools are teaching students to connect with the world. Join us for this presentation on the most recent Global Engagement Report, a partnership between NAIS and the Institute for Global Learning (formerly GEBG).

The Lab School of Washington Speaker Series session presented by David Black, PhD, Pediatric Neuropsychologist and Director, Center for Assessment & Treatment (CAAT).   Lab’s Speaker Series is rich with information, insights and tips that will help you nurture the opportunities—and navigate the challenges—learning differences can present.  Each speaker is accessible and ready to answer your questions. All events are open to the public and offered free of charge – and now virtual!  Registration required.

Join us to explore relevant learning science, immediately applicable systems for setting and communicating AI use guidelines, and ideas for further learning. Gain a new frame of understanding and leave with practical tools and assets you can apply immediately in your classes, course design, and assessment design. 

In this session from the 2025-2026 NAIS Executive Assistant and Support Staff Webinar Series, learn how to implement AI tools responsibly, ensuring data privacy, fairness, and transparency remain at the forefront. 

Gain practical tools to implement best practices in word study and the science of reading. The session supports the development of comprehension and literary analysis while fostering a lifelong love of reading. Participants will explore innovative strategies for teaching reading in the lower school, considering evolving research and diverse student needs that require more than intuition—they demand insight. Participants will examine informal, evidence-based assessment strategies that provide actionable insights and support instruction in real time. A review of the reading instruction landscape will emphasize the big picture over checklists, showing how what educators say and do shapes readers’ growth across genres.

Thrive 2026, NAIS's annual conference, is where independent school leaders come together to connect, explore, inspire, and recharge. This is your opportunity to gain new ideas, build meaningful connections, and leave ready to lead with joy and purpose.

Reconnect and recharge with heads of school from independent schools around the country. The Heads’ Summit is an event for sitting heads of school only that will take place in Seattle, WA, before Thrive 2026, the NAIS annual conference.