Deepening Global Connections: Foxcroft Participates in Professional Development with the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools

Foxcroft’s attendees included Head of School Dr. Lisa Kaenzig, Director of Institutional Advancement Hayley Munroe, Director of STEAM Education Julie Fisher, STEAM teacher Dr. Meghen Tuttle, History teacher Patti Mora ’95, Director of Communications and Marketing Bethany Stotler, and Director of the Mars STEAM Building Dr. Christine de Denus. Forum tracks were offered following Advancement & Communications, AI & Technology, Curriculum & Pedagogy, Strategic Leadership, and others, with each Foxcroft educator finding inspiration and ideas to bring back to their work at the School.

“It was such a joy for our Foxcroft delegation to attend and also share the work of our own school at the ICGS Global Forum,” shared Dr. Kaenzig. “The Forum brought together impressive educators from around the world to share transformative work in our collective endeavors to educate girls and transform their lives. I found myself in many sessions and conversations learning about important work - from colleagues in both the United States and from many other countries - that I want to ensure we are doing at Foxcroft in ways that will be meaningful for our students.”

In addition to attending conference sessions, Fisher, Munroe, and Tuttle presented together in a session titled “The Garden Legacy Project: Rooting Schools to Community Through Collaboration.” Tuttle and Fisher shared insights from their collaborative research project with Oak Spring Garden Foundation on the partnership between Miss Charlotte and Rachel “Bunny” Mellon ’29, two forward-thinking women driven by place-based education, and Munroe spoke to the role of Advancement and fundraising in supporting faculty projects such as this one. Many years ago in the summer of 2023, Tuttle and Fisher’s project began with the support of a Kenan Grant from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable trust, which supports professional development of faculty for summer research, scholarship, and creativity to enhance teaching and learning at the School.

After sharing their presentation with the ICGS audience, Tuttle, Fisher, and Munroe fielded thoughtful questions from attendees, clearly inspired by the comprehensive research drawn from the archives and their interdepartmental collaboration. Speaking to a question about donor relations, Munroe emphasized how maintaining frequent communication with donors to highlight the impact of their gift on the student experience today is key. Tuttle and Fisher responded to questions about strategies for involving students in the process of going through the archives while conducting research, learning the school’s history, practicing civil discourse, and finding the story within a school’s campus. “That’s our goal,” offered Fisher, “that every student, by the time they leave, has been to the archive and visited Oak Spring… and has gotten their hands in the dirt.”

“I was so proud of our team whose work was highlighted during their own presentation,” reflected Dr. Kaenzig. “Foxcroft was well-represented in our community of girls’ schools. It was impressive to hear often from educators at the Forum about the international reputation that Foxcroft maintains in the global girls’ community.”

Outside of the breakout session, the 2026 ICGS Global Forum’s speakers and attendees provided invaluable opportunities for learning and networking. Attendees heard from keynote speakers Dr. Martha Piper and Dr. Indira Samarasekera, co-authors of Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First; Kory Wilson, Executive Director of Indigenous Initiatives and Partnerships at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and Chair of the BC First Nations Justice Council; and Catherine McKenna, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Climate and Nature Solutions and Canada’s former Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. Foxcroft’s delegation networked with other Heads of Schools, colleagues in their respective departments from Vancouver to Los Angeles to back home in Virginia, as well as professionals in the education industry whose work supports girls’ schools. 

Back on campus, Foxcroft’s delegation remains inspired by what they learned in Toronto and looks forward to seeing how these fresh ideas will shape the next school year and beyond. They plan to share their learning and the ways the group can bring that to Foxcroft at an all-school In-service meeting this fall.