All symposia, unless otherwise noted, will be held from 8:30 – 2:30.

The summer seminar will meet daily from 8:30 – 5:00.  Fridays will end at 3 pm.

Leadership

• How can I facilitate and sustain change in the congregational school?
• What are ways in which I can engage my professional and lay leadership in an effective viable partnership?

Twelve 1-2 day symposia will be held during the 2-year period. These sessions will focus on topics such as educational research, business and financial management, curriculum and instruction, family and group dynamics, organizational management, lay-professional relationships and grant writing.

Educators will be introduced to many practical leadership methodologies. By the end of the second Summer Seminar, participants will submit a plan for a modest Action Research Project to implement in their individual schools. Each project will draw directly on the knowledge and skills acquired during the Leadership Institute seminars.

Pedagogy

• What techniques and models are available to empower my faculty members to maximize their potential as educators?
• How can reflective practice and creating a “community of learners” help my teachers grow professionally?

Experienced school leaders in the field are critical to the success of the Leadership Institute. With this in mind, a personal Mentor will be assigned to guide and supervise each principal. To reinforce growth and learning and encourage a peer network, participants will visit their mentors’ school. These site visits may consist of shadowing the mentor and analyzing instructional practices and curricular materials with guided reflection throughout the experience.

Leadership Institute educators will possess a wide range of Jewish knowledge and professional experience. Accordingly, participants will be asked to create an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) with their mentors, in which they will define their goals for professional development and/or further Jewish learning. Participants will decide with their mentors how to best invest their time to meet these goals.

Judaica

• How can I translate Judaism into meaningful educational experiences that can enrich Jewish life for my students, their families and myself?
• How can I best infuse a particular religious philosophy into the school curriculum?

During our Summer Seminars, held the first two weeks of July for two consecutive summers, participants will engage in intensive study with expert educators and scholars. We will explore overall goals of Jewish education in a modern pluralistic society and how this vision is reflected and incorporated into our individual schools. Educators will develop a deeper understanding of how a Jewish worldview can inform educational theory and practice, which can then be translated into meaningful Jewish experiences.

In January of 2009, participants will travel to Israel for the Israel Seminar portion of the Institute. This seminar will examine the central role that Israel plays in Jewish education and how we as leaders can make Israel a relevant and vital component of our congregational schools.

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