Thrive 2026: Connecting with School Leaders at the NAIS Annual Conference

From February 25–27, Search Associates’ Director of Leadership Recruitment and Global Partnerships, Tim Stuart, joined more than one thousand educators and school leaders at the annual conference of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).

Held at the Seattle Convention Center’s Summit Building, this year’s conference—aptly titled Thrive—invited participants to “join a community of forward-thinking leaders who are eager to exchange ideas, collaborate across roles, and expand the collective vision for independent schools.” The event brought together educators from across the independent school world for three energizing days of learning, collaboration, and professional connection.

The conference offered a rich program of keynote presentations, featured sessions, a Master Class, three-hour Deep-Dive workshops, and a wide range of general workshops. New this year was The Quad, a central gathering space designed to mirror a campus quad, an inviting hub where participants could meet, recharge, and engage in programming designed to spark ideas and drive educational excellence.

School leaders also explored a variety of specialized learning opportunities, including Signature Experiences, Learning Labs, Teach with Tech, Skills Studio, Coaches’ Corner, Right Brain Recess, and Idea Exchange—each designed to inspire creativity, strengthen leadership skills, and foster collaboration across the independent school community.

One of the conference highlights was keynote speaker Bryan Stevenson, author, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a human rights organization based in Montgomery, Alabama. Under his leadership, EJI has led major legal challenges addressing excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerated innocent individuals on death row, confronted abuse of incarcerated and mentally ill individuals, and advocated for children prosecuted as adults. Stevenson’s work has been widely recognized, earning honors such as the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant and the National Humanities Medal awarded by President Biden.

At the Search Associates table, Tim enjoyed connecting with educators who are curious about, or actively considering, opportunities in international schools. The conversations reflected a shared enthusiasm for global education and the many professional and personal rewards that come with teaching and leading in international school communities around the world.