FORGE

The research-based, collaborative leadership coaching I experienced in the FORGE program has helped me to create joyful and meaningful professional learning for individuals at all levels of my organization, with the goal of building a collective culture at my school that values continuous learning and active growth. The week-long summer intensive connected me with a cohort of fantastic independent school practitioners whose passion for their work inspired me toward greatness in my own endeavors. I know we will continue to benefit from each other’s professional wisdom even beyond the summer intensive and subsequent coaching sessions. A special thanks to the leaders of FORGE who shared their wisdom in high-impact plenary sessions and who facilitated deep work on our individual problems of practice!

FORGE completely surpassed my expectations and was highly impactful in helping me form a leadership community and build relationships with others undertaking challenging work at their schools. The cohort model not only helped with these relationships but allowed for authentic peer and mentor collaboration. The programming allowed me to be deeply reflective about my own capacities, growth edges and how I can work to build capacity in others. Equity was at the forefront of all of our work and I walked away with practices that will allow me to keep centering this at my own school. This is without a doubt the most profound professional development experience I’ve ever had!

My participation in FORGE was one of the most meaningful professional development experiences I've ever had. The intense in-person shared time this summer learning and tackling complex problems together set a tone of collaboration and innovation, which I then carried with me into the school year. The periodic check-ins with my small group not only kept me accountable as I lived through the problem of practice I set out to address at FORGE, but it became a kind of lifeline to me. I looked forward to our virtual gatherings, knowing I would be leaning on and learning from a group of trusted educators whose feedback helped me continue to grow. The virtual sessions hosted by Klingenstein throughout the year, up to and including our recent closing meeting, were rooted in reflection, giving all of us a much-needed chance to pause, look back as well as forward, and recommit to the difficult but important tasks of working in and leading independent schools.