St. Mark’s Hosts International Conference

More than 500 educators and school leaders from around the world convened at St. Mark’s School of Texas June 26-29 for the annual conference of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC). This conference, themed “The Path to Manhood,” brought together teachers, administrators and curriculum experts for four days of collaboration, all focused on a single mission: to enhance the education of young men at schools around the world.  

“On behalf of all my colleagues and of course all our boys it's a pleasure to welcome you to Texas, to Dallas and to St. Mark's,” said Headmaster David Dini at the opening plenary session. “We've all been working towards a common purpose, which is to ensure that we all come away from these four days together renewed, refreshed and inspired to serve the more than 225,000 boys that attend our schools around the world.” 

Delegates representing 12 countries and 120 schools attended more than 80 workshop sessions, led by peers including several St. Mark’s teachers. In addition, the conference featured several internationally renowned keynote speakers, including:

 

“Friends, we come together as a coalition for the first time since Montreal in 2019,” said Chris Post, secretary of the IBSC Board of Trustees and headmaster of The Boys' Latin School of Maryland. “We come together at a time when the development of boys and the formation of young men has never been more important. And we do so with a spirit of hopefulness and optimism about the future of and for our boys and the future of our schools.” 

 

In addition to education professionals, the conference also featured a wide array of St. Mark’s students, showcasing their various talents. Marksmen from across all three divisions entertained attendees with a series of musical performances, including an excerpt from Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway classic Into the Woods, performed by the combined choir and orchestra. Eleven Marksmen also chaired one of the plenary sessions, hosted by recent graduate Henry Schechter ’22. 

 

“This panel is called Making Your Mark and during my time at the school, I've certainly seen my peers and classmates make their marks on the communities that they're a part of,” Schechter told the audience. “Turning young boys into young men of character is no easy task, but our school does it in so many ways. We operate with an aura of hard work and passion that follows us long after we've walked our path to manhood.” 

 

In addition to learning and collaborating, conference guests also enjoyed some of the most impressive sights Dallas has to offer. The week began with a reception at Old Parkland, the historic former hospital facility recently transformed into a stunning, modern office park, filled with historic artwork and memorabilia. Then, on Tuesday evening, the delegates visited the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, enjoying dinner and drinks alongside dinosaurs, rare gems and minerals, and world-class exhibits.  

 

The IBSC is an international coalition of nearly 300 member schools established in 1995 to support, advance and advocate for boys’ schools as learning environments. This is the second time in 18 years that St. Mark’s has been selected to host the international gathering.