More than 130 principals spent a week elevating their leadership skills at ACSA’s 2024 Summer Leadership Institute.

During this year’s institute, principals, co-principals and aspiring principals explored the theme, “Embrace, Engage and Elevate Your Leadership Story.”

For five days, participants lived and learned on the UC San Diego campus. They were split into teams and formed tight bonds with other site leaders. They heard from nationally recognized speakers on crucial leadership topics and delved deeper into these topics during discussions facilitated by their Team Leaders.

“This experience helped me develop my mission and vision as an educational leader,” wrote one participant. “It built my community by helping me make connections to leaders that are exceptional role models.”

Speakers Artnelson Concordia, ethnic studies coordinator at Santa Barbara USD, and Tracie Noriega, ACSA senior director of DEI and Professional Learning, led sessions on helping leaders understand how identity affects their leadership.

Participants were also able to view Footsteps to You, a national, award-winning travelling exhibit of artifacts related to slavery that allows participants to experience historical empathy through understanding the lived experiences of people from the past. The exhibit is one of the projects of Footsteps to Freedom.

Footsteps to Freedom’s Managing Principal/Chief Relationship Officer Hardy Brown II presented with Chief of Equity & Access with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Cherina Betters on the topic of “How Do I Want Others to Experience My Leadership.”

Attendees experienced many other inspiring speakers. Retired principal Erin Kominsky presented on “The HeART of Leadership: Do What You Love and Love What You Do.” A superintendents panel moderated by Stephanie Groat featured Julie Vitale and Jeffery Tooker speaking about what superintendents are looking for when hiring site leaders.

On Thursday, attendees enjoyed socializing and dinner while aboard a harbor cruise of San Diego Bay that was sponsored by Capturing Kids’ Hearts.

Participants at the institute said they felt more confident, better prepared and excited for the new school year after attending this unique professional development event.

“I appreciated the conversations, content, and opportunity to connect with like-minded people,” said one participant in a feedback form. “I left a different administrator than I entered and for that I will be forever grateful.”

For the first time in its history, the Summer Leadership Institute was held at UC San Diego. Although the conference has been held at UCLA since 1992, that venue was not available this year due to the university’s preparations to host the Olympic Village during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.