The NAIS Leadership Academy offers immersive professional development experiences designed exclusively for school leaders seeking to elevate their leadership impact. This dynamic program offers four specialized tracks, each tailored to address the critical challenges and opportunities facing today’s school leaders.
Participants will learn and develop strategies across three key domains necessary for a thriving school community: leadership and governance, school sustainability and operations, and school climate and culture.
2025 registration is now open!
Program Tracks
Leading Your Growth
Develop a personalized leadership roadmap that fosters self-awareness, resilience, and strategic vision. Through expert-led sessions and peer collaboration, participants will refine their leadership philosophy, enhance decision-making skills, and cultivate a growth mindset to lead with confidence and clarity.
July 28–30, 2025; NAIS Headquarters, Washington, DC
- The NAIS School Leadership Institute (SLI) is an intensive, three-day program to help you better understand your own leadership style and identify your strengths—as well as areas for growth—in five key facets of independent school leadership.
The application for the 2025-2026 cohort has now closed.
- The NAIS Fellowship for Aspiring School Heads is a yearlong program that includes small group mentorship with an experienced head, in-person and virtual learning, including a summer institute of engaging sessions, and lifelong relationships with a cohort of supportive peers. The fellowship program is best suited for independent school administrators who are seriously considering headship in the next few years.
Leading for Influence
Strengthen your ability to inspire and mobilize stakeholders across your school community. This track focuses on building organizational capacity through strategic communication, relationship-building, and leveraging influence to drive meaningful change and secure long-term institutional success.
July 12–18, 2025; Emory Conference Center, Atlanta, GA (followed by online programming through April 2026)
- The NAIS Institute for New Heads (INH) is a program for individuals starting their first or second year of headship. Join us to build a strong peer and mentor network, acquire an understanding of the essential tasks of headship, and return to school supported by a toolkit of valuable resources.
September 17–19, 2025; Chicago, IL
- NAIS Leadership Through Partnership (LTP) is a foundational governance program that provides heads and board chairs dedicated time to build a collaborative relationship, learn about best governance practices, and explore the most common challenges and opportunities facing independent schools today.
Leading for Climate and Culture
Build and sustain a thriving school culture that fosters engagement, belonging, and shared purpose. Participants will explore strategies for shaping a strong organizational climate, aligning values with daily practices, and leading through times of transition and transformation.
July 28–30, 2025; Location TBD
- The NAIS Civil Discourse Lab in Partnership with Close Up Foundation gives independent school leaders an opportunity to explore best practices and the principles of open inquiry and discourse, while examining how efforts to foster inclusivity and broaden perspectives connect to preparing young people to participate in a thriving, diverse, and pluralistic democracy.
July 15–16, 2025; NAIS Headquarters, Washington, DC
- This two-day institute organized by NAIS in partnership with the Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG) focuses on how schools can utilize intercultural dialogue to engage your community and further your strategic goals, especially around contested issues or at times of division.
Leading Modern Learning
Stay ahead of the evolving educational landscape by exploring innovative teaching and learning models. This track examines the intersection of leadership and pedagogy, equipping leaders with the data and insights to implement forward-thinking curricula, integrate cutting-edge learning strategies, and prepare students for the future.
July 8–9, 2025; NAIS Headquarters, Washington, DC
- The NAIS Emergent Design Lab (EDL) is a leadership and professional development experience that encourages participants to use and share design principles, action research, collaborative skill-building, and best and emerging practices. Together we develop innovative solutions and models that independent schools can use to address challenges and opportunities related to inclusion and social responsibility inside and out of the classroom.
May 15–16, 2025; NAIS Headquarters, Washington, DC
- The NAIS Institute on Leading Systems for Teacher Learning is designed for small teams of school leaders to practice adaptive leadership skills and mindsets to address complex, evolving problems. Teams also build instructional coherence across departments through purposefully designed professional development systems centered on teacher learning and growth.
Please contact us with any questions.
| All participants are welcome to participate in NAIS programs. NAIS has an institutional commitment to the principles of diversity. In that spirit, NAIS does not discriminate in violation of the law on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, sexual orientation, age, physical challenge, nation of origin, gender, or any other characteristic. |
NAIS reserves the right to cancel an event if there is insufficient enrollment. In this situation, participants will be notified well in advance of the event and given a full refund.