2026 BIPOC Symposium
October 21 – 22, 2026 | The Westin Waltham Hotel | Waltham, MA
The AISNE BIPOC Symposium is a gathering designed for educators, administrators, and leaders who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color working in independent schools across New England. The symposium creates a dedicated space for connection, reflection, professional growth, and community building.
In a time when many educators and leaders are navigating increasing complexity, heightened demands, and ongoing challenges to equity and belonging work, this symposium offers an opportunity to reconnect with purpose, deepen relationships, and explore pathways toward sustainable leadership and collective thriving.
Through facilitated conversations, affinity spaces, leadership coaching, and community-centered programming, you will engage with colleagues who understand both the opportunities and challenges of leading while holding multiple identities. Together, we will explore what it means not only to persist, but to thrive.
What to Expect:
- By participating in the AISNE BIPOC Symposium, you will:
- Strengthen connections with BIPOC colleagues from across New England.
- Explore strategies for sustainable leadership and personal wellbeing.
- Engage in meaningful conversations about identity, belonging, and professional growth.
- Build supportive networks that extend beyond the symposium experience.
- Leave with renewed energy, practical tools, and a stronger sense of community.
Pricing and Hotel
| Number of Attendees | AISNE Member Schools | Non-Member School |
| 1 – 3 | $569/pp | $669/pp |
| 4 – 9 | $509/pp | $609/pp |
| 10 – 12 | $455/pp | $555/pp |
Hotel reservations are not included.
REGISTER NOW
We strive to create an inclusive learning environment for all. If you have any questions or accessibility needs, please contact us at info@aisne.org.
Hotel Information
The Westin Waltham Hotel
70 3rd Ave., Waltham, MA 02451
AISNE has a block of rooms reserved at the The Westin Waltham for the evenings of October 20 and October 21. The rate is $299/nt + taxes for a standard room. To book your reservation please click here. Please note that reservations to the AISNE block must be made on or before Friday, September 18, and are based on availability.
Agenda at a Glance
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
- 3:30 – 5:30 PM | Registration
- 3:30 – 5:30 PM | Leadership Lounge: One-on-One Conversations
- 5:30 – 6:45 PM | Welcome and Opening Session: Connection & Community
- 7:00 – 8:30 PM | Evening Activity (details coming soon….)
Thursday, October 22, 2026
- 7:00 – 8:00 AM | Morning Activities
- 7:00 – 8:30 AM | Breakfast & Leadership Lounge
- 8:45 – 10:00 AM | General Session: Fear & Challenge
- 10:15 – 11:15 AM | Affinity Groups
- 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | General Session: Rest & Renewal
- 12:30 – 1:30 PM | Lunch
- 1:45 – 3:00 PM | General Session: Agency & Advocacy
- 3:00– 3:30 PM | Closing Connection: Hope & Joy
Detailed Agenda
Wednesday, October 21
3:30 – 5:30 PM | Arrival, Check-In, and Leadership Lounge Meetings (1:1’s)
Check in, connect with colleagues, or use this time to participate in an optional one-on-one coaching session with symposium facilitators and experienced independent school leaders.
5:30 – 6:45 PM | Welcome and Opening Session: Connection & Community
The symposium begins by creating the conditions for genuine connection. Through storytelling, reflection, and facilitated dialogue, we will build relationships across schools, roles, and identities while exploring the importance of community as a source of belonging, encouragement, and shared purpose. Together, we begin cultivating a space where everyone has both wisdom to offer and support to receive.
7:00 – 8:30 PM | Evening Activity (details coming soon…)
Thursday, October 22
7:00 – 8:00 AM | Morning Activities
You may choose from wellness-focused offerings designed to support reflection, restoration, and community. Morning activity option details coming soon…
7:00 – 8:30 AM | Buffet Breakfast and Leadership Lounge Meetings (1:1s)
Enjoy breakfast with colleagues while taking advantage of the opportunity to participate in a morning Leadership Lounge coaching session.
8:45 AM – 10:00 AM | General Session: Fear & Challenge
Leadership often requires navigating uncertainty, isolation, and difficult moments. In this session, we will reflect on the challenges you encounter as a BIPOC educator and leader while exploring how fear influences decision-making, relationships, and professional growth. Through structured conversation and shared storytelling, we will identify common experiences, normalize struggle, and uncover the resilience that already exists within the community.
10:15 – 11:15 AM | Affinity Groups
We will gather in facilitated affinity spaces that encourage authentic dialogue, shared experiences, and meaningful connection. Affinity groups provide opportunities to reflect on common challenges, celebrate successes, and build networks of support across the AISNE community.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | General Session: Rest & Renewal
Sustaining meaningful work requires more than perseverance. This interactive session explores what genuine renewal looks like within demanding educational environments and invites us all to to consider practices that support wellbeing, healthy boundaries, and collective care. Through reflection and dialogue, we will share strategies for sustaining ourselves while encouraging one another to move beyond survival toward flourishing.
12:30 – 1:30 PM | Lunch
We will continue conversations over lunch deepening relationships and exploring themes that emerged during the morning affinity sessions.
1:45 – 3:00 PM | General Session: Agency & Advocacy
Every educator has the capacity to influence culture, relationships, and change. This session explores how you can exercise agency within your schools while remaining grounded in your own values and identities. Through collaborative activities and peer learning, we will exchange practical strategies for advocating effectively, building coalitions, and creating positive change within your own community.
3:00 – 3:30 PM | Closing Connection: Hope & Joy
The symposium concludes by looking toward the future with optimism and intention. Together, we will reflect on what we are carrying forward, celebrate the relationships formed throughout the gathering, and identify the commitments that will sustain you in the months ahead. We close by affirming that hope and joy are not simply emotions but practices that can strengthen leadership, deepen community, and inspire lasting impact.
About the Presenters
Jason Craige Harris is a strategist, facilitator, mediator, and coach who partners with leaders and organizations to build cultures rooted in dignity and driven by impact. Drawing on insights from multiple fields, he helps teams develop trust, pursue ambitious goals, and design structures that work. A recognized expert in ethical leadership, restorative practices, conflict resolution, and dialogue across difference, Jason is also a writer, spiritual advisor, and sought-after speaker with Pollyanna, an organization building stronger and kinder communities. He harnesses the transformative power of storytelling to foster humility, curiosity, and compassion across sectors, contexts, and age groups. With a deep focus on preventing, analyzing, and repairing breakdowns in relationships and systems, Jason equips others with practical tools for navigating complexity and creating environments where everyone can thrive.
Shernice Lazare is a nationally recognized educational leader and facilitator specializing in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in independent schools. As a senior leader at Pollyanna, she works closely with school heads, senior leadership teams, trustees, and faculty to design and implement comprehensive, mission-aligned DEIB strategies that are both sustainable and actionable. With a strong foundation in organizational development and systems-level change, Shernice leads schools through multi-phase processes that often include institutional assessment, climate analysis, strategic planning, and ongoing professional learning. She is particularly skilled at helping schools move from aspirational DEIB statements to clearly defined goals, measurable outcomes, and embedded practices that shape daily school culture. Shernice has facilitated workshops and long-term engagements with independent schools and educational organizations nationwide, supporting communities in addressing complex challenges related to identity, belonging, and equity. Her approach integrates research-based frameworks with practical application, ensuring that faculty and staff are equipped not only to understand DEIB concepts, but also to apply them in classrooms, leadership structures, and community interactions. Known for her thoughtful, engaging facilitation style, Shernice creates spaces that balance challenge with support—encouraging honest dialogue while fostering trust and accountability. She brings particular expertise in guiding difficult conversations, building shared language across stakeholders, and supporting leadership teams in navigating change with clarity and purpose.
We look forward to learning alongside you and your peers at this event.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations and transfer requests must be sent via email to info@aisne.org. Cancellations received up to 14 days before the start of the event will receive a 100% refund, less a $150 administrative fee. This fee covers the cost of our minimum commitments with our hotel partners; thank you for your understanding. Transfers of registrations from one person to another are permitted up to 3 business days before the start of the event.
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