As of 31 March 2023. This schedule is subject to change.

 

The Schools Conference is dedicated to advancement professionals from K-12 schools. Learn from fellow peers and speakers in the region and beyond through various sessions covering four main tracks: Alumni and Community Engagement, Fundraising, Leadership and Marketing and Communications. Get inspired at the plenaries and exchange best practices at roundtable discussions.

Important Note: The Schools Conference will run concurrently with Road Map to Advancement, Leadership Forum and Deep Dive into Advancement Services on 16 May 2023.

Monday, 15 May - Grand Hyatt Melbourne

Time

Programme

8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

CASE Registration and Hospitality Desk

Savoy Pre-function Area, Level 8

8:00 a.m.

Registrations

Registration Centre, Level 8

9:00 a.m.

Welcome to Country and Opening Plenary

Opening Plenary

Simon is taking the audience on a data-driven exploration of the future. The demands on education are changing as global trade, geopolitics, and work are transformed. The result is a new set of skills that students, and for that matter, advancement professionals, must acquire to guarantee career success. Schools want to show that they understand broad cultural and economic shifts to attract students and philanthropic funding. A more tech-heavy world is a more interpersonal, is a more human world. It will be soft skills like communication and the ability to self-manage that sets the future worker apart from the rest of the crowd. As your country, as your school, as the workforce becomes more culturally diverse, cross-cultural competency becomes a crucial skill. Prepare for an exciting trip deep into the data vault to emerge with real insights into the future.

Speaker: Simon Kuestenmacher, Co-Founder, The Demographics Group

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

10:30 a.m.

Coffee and Conversation

Room: Mayfair Pre-function Area, Level 8

11:00 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions 1

 

Alumni & Community Engagement Track

Connecting Alumni - Connecting Our Community

The start of a pandemic might not be the ideal time to launch an alumni network for a private K-12 international school in China. But within three short years, Beijing City International School has developed a thriving global network of alumni who actively engage with one another, and have enriched the life and reputation of the school. Learn how one novice alumni relations officer with a small budget adopted innovative and agile strategies, overcame strict COVID-19 lockdowns, to build an alumni network that connects and strengthens the community. The speakers will share creative strategies that have proven to be effective and invite you to share strategies that work for your school.

Experience Level: Level 1 – Early Career, Level 2 – Emerging Early Career, Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career

Speakers: Phil Clark, Director of Communications, Beijing City International School and Gaia Zhao, Alumni Relations Officer, Beijing City International School

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

Engage Your Community with Pioneering Philanthropy Projects

Find out how one international school transformed their community engagement through philanthropy projects honouring their host country culture. A surprise gift of 204 Vietnamese cultural and historic artefacts from 13 of the country’s 54 ethnic groups to the United Nations International School of Hanoi launched an award-winning project which resulted in a first-of-its-kind on-campus museum—the Cultural Collection, which provides a rich learning resource to explore the Vietnamese heritage.

Inspired by its success, the school developed a UNIS Botanical Garden of indigenous plants, partnering with a national institute and supported through community philanthropy.

These projects, together with the school's curriculum, provide a wonderful community outreach resource for local schools including professional development.

Experience Level: Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Speakers: Ha Dinh, Philanthropy Manager, United Nations International School of Hanoi Emma Silva, Director Advancement, United Nations International School of Hanoi

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

 

Marketing and Communications Track

Noisy Neighbours

According to an ISC Research report, there are over 9,605 English-medium international schools globally, and the number is forecasted to exceed 16,000 by 2028. With this exponential growth taking place in the Asia-Pacific region, how are you going to stand out?

Experience Level: Level 1 – Early Career, Level 2 - Emerging Early Career

Speaker: Nishel Turpin, Director of Marketing and Communications, United Nations International School of Hanoi

Room: Mayfair 3, Level 8

 

Leadership & Other

Foundations: To Have or Not to Have, That is the Question

Many independent Schools and educational institutions have long established foundations that offer both advantages and obstacles with regards to governance and facilitating philanthropic support. While foundations add a layer of complexity to day-to-day operations, do the advantages of working through/with a foundation structure outweigh the downsides, or do they pose greater challenges than necessary? Join a lively debate to hear differing perspectives on whether to have, or not to have, is the answer.

Experience Level: Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Panel Speakers: Judy Reid, Director of Engagement, Loreto Mandeville Hall Andrew Cole, Director of Advancement, Caulfield Grammar School Penny Richards Fowler, Director of Advancement, Lauriston Girls School Tim Shearer, Director of Development, Scotch College Melbourne

Moderator: Ann Badger, Senior Consultant & Principal, Marts & Lundy, Inc.

Room: Bristol 2, Level 8

12:10 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 2

 

Alumni & Community Engagement Track

Engaging Young Alumni: From Ambivalence to Ambassadors

Learn how to bridge the gap between Year 12 and beyond so that young alumni feel supported, confident and work-ready as they transition. Create a young alumni pipeline into your reunion and careers programme that lasts a lifetime and encourages them to give back. Facilitate career and mentoring opportunities for young alumni so they can expand their networks, connect with older alumni, and build a sense of community and pride.

Experience Level: Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career     

Speakers: Linda Sprott, Executive Director, Caulfield Grammarians' Association - Caulfield Grammar School and Rachel L. Muir, Associate Director, Caulfield Grammarians' Association - Caulfield Grammar School

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

Igniting New Parent Engagement and Participation: SAS Red Out

Working as an integrated advancement team, Singapore American School has revolutionised their approach to new parent orientation, boosting engagement, and hitting record participation among new parents in the process.

Experience Level: Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Speakers: Sarizan Ahmad, Annual Giving Manager, Singapore American School Mariana Alvarado, Assistant Manager of Development, Singapore American School Julia Harrison, Associate Director of Parent Engagement, Singapore American School

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

 

Marketing and Communications Track

Countdown to Giving

Are your alumni inspired to give to you? Do they understand why you ask them to?

Create a marketing and communication plan to educate and inspire alumni to participate in giving campaigns. Build excitement and anticipation as you educate them on the joy of philanthropy. The speakers will also share on their case study of ‘four-week countdown to giving’ at the Chinese International School's first ever Alumni Annual Appeal.

Experience Level: Level 2 - Emerging Early Career, Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career

Speakers: Fiorella Fong, Director of Alumni Relations, The Chinese International School Hok Yin Yiu, Alumni Relations Officer, The Chinese International School

Room: Mayfair 3, Level 8

1:10 p.m.

Lunch

Room: Mayfair Pre-function Area, Level 8

2:00 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 3

 

Alumni & Community Engagement Track

Engaging International Alumni and Building a Culture of Philanthropy

Building your connection with international alumni can be exceptionally helpful in meeting campaign goals, building donor pipeline, and increasing annual donor numbers. It is important that we recognise that we live in a global society with fewer barriers between different cultures and countries, even if the different taxation rules make this a headache.

While all this sounds good on paper, the reality of making this happen has several steps. How do we engage with our alumni internationally with rising costs of travel? How do we make an ask when philanthropy has a different meaning to different cultures? Adam Ruble has had success with this while working in Australia and in the U.S. and he hopes that you will join him to discuss these programmes and the key steps to success. Adam’s goal is to help you get the conversation started at your organisation with a few easy-to-implement takeaways.

Experience Level: Level 2 – Emerging Early Career, Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career

Topics: Alumni & Community Engagement Track

Speaker: Adam Ruble, Director of Regional Advancement, Knox College

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

"The Hidden Army"—Leveraging Your Secret Weapon!

How can you run an annual fund, hold a gala, organise an international fair, and more—all with a small team of fundraisers who are expected to make manna rain from heaven?

Discover your secret weapon and how to manage a large team of volunteers, keeping them engaged and coming back for more!

Learn about specific strategies and proven ideas which will enable you to quickly and effectively set up and train your own army!

Experience Level: Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Speaker: Jane F. Narich, Executive Director of Advancement, The Chinese International School

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

 

Marketing and Communications Track

Building Marcoms into the Advancement Strategy

A session exploring how integrating the Admissions and Advancement teams multiplies enrolment opportunities, brand recognition, and fundraising opportunities. What are the synergies, benefits, and challenges?

Experience Level: Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Speaker: Maggie Chan-Lee, Director of Admissions and Advancement, Christian Alliance International School

Room: Mayfair 3, Level 8

3:00 p.m.

Coffee and Conversation

Mayfair Pre-function Area, Level 8

3:30 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 4

 

Alumni & Community Engagement Track

Honouring traditions & creating your own

Traditions play a vital role on how students, alumni and the wider community form a connection with their school. Hear from practitioners from a variety of school backgrounds as they share the components that make a tradition, how to establish traditions (or sunset traditions) and workshop their own ideas with peers. This session is an opportunity to speak about the history and success of some key traditions, share any roadblocks you have encountered when trying to sunset traditions that didn’t fit with your strategic plan, and finally to showcase any innovative traditions you have since established.

Experience Level: Level 2 – Emerging Early Career, Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career

Speakers: Erina Hitchings, Alumni & Community Manager, St Joseph’s Nudgee College Brisbane, Julia McKenna, Director of Development & Community, St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

Dream Big—Strategies to Help Small Advancement Offices Deliver Impact

Building a successful, sustainable, and enduring advancement programme in a short window of time requires you to dream big, cultivate a network of trusted advisors, and embrace discomfort.

Join John Groom as he shares the behind-the-scenes of an aspirational capital campaign, and how small advancement offices can punch above their weight.

This session will highlight how to leverage technology to be data driven and results focused; explore the value of 24-hour Giving Days and Giving Circles and discuss how to establish a culture of giving from the ground up.

Experience Level: Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Speakers: John Groom, Director of Advancement & Alumni Engagement, The Hutchins School

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

 

Marketing and Communications Track

Crisis Communications

Do you sometimes feel like putting out fires at your institution feels like blowing out magic relighting candles? Hear from our panel of communication experts share their experiences and top tips.

Experience Level: Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Speakers: Sinéad Collins, Director of Engagement and External Relations, UWC South East Asia Crickett Kasper, Chief Advancement Officer, Singapore American School 

Moderator: Emma Silva, Director Advancement, United Nations International School of Hanoi

 

Room: Mayfair 3, Level 8

 

Leadership & Other

Building Philanthropic Cultures at Independent and International Schools

Cultures of philanthropy are always difficult to build, but international and independent schools have their own unique needs. This session will provide you with the tools to measure what a culture of philanthropy looks like, share proven engagement tools at both independent and international schools, and recommend ways to set expectations around how long it takes to change culture. Unique challenges such as staff turnover, the role of annual giving, and the value of having participation goals, will be addressed. There will also be a specific focus on 'insider giving': how to engage your leadership and governance structures in institutional fundraising. This session will also discuss short case studies from several independent Australian and Southeast Asian schools.

Experience Level: Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speaker:  Abhra Bhattacharjee, Development Director and Head of Foundation, The Tanglin Trust

Room: Bristol 2, Level 8

5:00 p.m.

School Tour and Networking Event at Scotch College

CASE will provide transportation to and from Grand Hyatt Melbourne to Scotch College

The pickup point will be at the Grand Hyatt entrance on Russell Street.

 

8:00 p.m.
End of Day

 

Tuesday, 16 May - Grand Hyatt Melbourne

Time

Programme

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

CASE Registration and Hospitality Desk

Savoy Pre-function Area, Level 8

8:00 a.m.

Roundtables

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

9:00 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions 5

 

Alumni & Community Engagement Track

Pleasure and Pain of Engagement

A discussion on the current challenges to avoiding a rote, paint-by numbers approach to alumni & community engagement, and why this is a common pain point for practitioners. Also hear from those that have leveraged engagement to contribute to the overall success of an advancement programme.

Experience Level: Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional

Speakers: Julia Harrison, Director of Community Engagement, Singapore American School Linda Sprott, Executive Director, Caulfield Grammarians' Association - Caulfield Grammar School  

Moderated by: Crickett Kasper, Chief Advancement Officer, Singapore American School

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

The School of Mine Philanthropic Campaign - St Aloysius' College Milsons Point

Session Description: This session will involve a deep dive into the 5-year, school-wide, philanthropic campaign at St Aloysius’ College Milsons Point, Australia. School of Mine marks the College’s first comprehensive campaign in its’ 143 year history and aims to raise $20M in support of buildings, bursaries and the future of St Aloysius’, between November 2018 to November 2023. This session will deliver an overview of the campaign, including highlights, challenges, achievements, and key reflections. It will feature the ways in which the College sought to engage international constituents in this campaign, and how it was able to navigate the challenges of the global pandemic and other obstacles.

Experience Level: Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speakers: Dan Martin, Director of Foundation, St Aloysius' College, Mark Tannock, Principal, St Aloysius' College

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

 

Marketing and Communications Track

The strategic orchestrator: The future role of marketing

The sands of time are shifting fast in education. Students are increasingly viewed as lifelong learners, and demographic changes and economic headwinds are influencing strategic choices within advancement and alumni functions. The result is that marketing is becoming a strategic orchestrator. In this role, marketing leads the coordination of cross-functional collaboration, utilises data analytics and insights to inform decision making, and employs robotic process automation to make better use of limited time and resources. In this session we will explore what this emergent role of marking means in practice for advancement and alumni functions, and look at data and case studies from around the world to help illustrate this tectonic shift. Global head of Nous Group’s higher education practice, Zac Ashkanasy will navigate participants through this enlightening and engaging session.

Experience Level: All Levels

Speaker: Zac Ashkanasy, Principal, Nous Group

Room: Mayfair 3, Level 8

10:00 a.m.
Coffee and Conversations

Room: Mayfair Pre-function Area, Level 8

10:30 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions 6

 

Alumni & Community Engagement Track

Establishing an effective alumni mentoring program

Tips for creating an effective and structured mentoring program, that will attract, engage, and add value to your alumni community.   

Experience Level: All Levels

Speakers: Antonia Swindells, Alumnae Relations Manager, Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Kirsty Hooper, Head of Alumni and Community Relations, Melbourne Grammar School

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

Fundraising for Educational Opportunities for First Nations Peoples

For the past 20 years the Scotch College, Melbourne ensures all Scotch boys have the opportunity to experience and understand Australia's Indigenous culture, as part of a contemporary Australian education.

Find out how why it's important to build collaborative relationships with First Nations Peoples, understand the ingredients required to deliver an Indigenous Scholarship Program to support the education of First Nations Peoples and understand the fundraising strategy required to deliver the program.

Experience Level: All Levels

Speaker: Tim Shearer, Director of Advancement, Scotch College

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

 

Marketing and Communications Track

The Art of Authenticity: Crafting Insight Videos for Genuine Connections

Community-generated video content has become a vital tool for building authentic connections with audiences. In today's noisy online space, however, authenticity is overused and harder to craft. Yet, it's crucial for trust and credibility for organisations. To address the challenges of producing highly engaging and authentic content, this session introduces a framework that provides a practical guide for creating bite-size "insight videos" that capture the authentic voice of the community. We will also explore the nuances of authenticity and what factors can either enhance or undermine it. This session will cover use cases from universities, associations, and NGOs. More importantly, we will discuss how it can be implemented in schools.

Experience Level: All Levels

Speaker: Jane Qiu, Co-Founder, Kintell

Room: Mayfair 3, Level 8

11:40 a.m.

Closing Plenary

 

AI as your "Co-Pilot" for Work....what might it mean for you?

he past 6 months have revealed the potential impact that artificial intelligence will have on our lives moving forward. Whether you know a little or a lot about AI, this session will demystify what it is, how it works (don't worry...it won't be technical), and importantly how might it help us be more productive moving forward. We will have a look at some examples of the ways AI is being embedded into technology platforms that you will use into the future, and have a non-technical discussion about all things AI.

Experience Level: All Levels

Speaker: Travis Smith, Educational Lead, Microsoft Australia

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

12:40 p.m.

Lunch

Mayfair Pre-function Area, Level 8

1:30 p.m.
School Conference Concludes