Phase I, which begins in the summer of 2007, focuses on the school leader as the "chief-executive-learner," entitled to a rich Jewish education of her/his own. Participants emerge from Phase I as articulate spokespeople for Judaic learning in their community and school, empowered to engage in sacred text study, and newly confident in their leadership skills as heads of Jewish day schools.

Summer Institutes

Project SuLaM begins with a 12-day summer seminar starting at the end of June 2007. The Summer Institutes are designed to be rigorous, educational and inspirational. Summer Institutes include a learners' minyan, daily seminars, discussion groups, and one-on-one learning as well as a group Shabbat experience. Participants meet regularly with their mentors to identify and plan meaningful ways to implement the knowledge and skills gained at the Summer Institutes. Phase I concludes with a second summer institute in June 2008.

Mentoring

A team of Judaically strong heads of school serve as mentors for program participants. These mentor heads guide participants in the development of Judaic action plans, support learning activities, serve as ongoing resources, and help participants think through challenges of day school leadership with a greater sensitivity to Judaic issues. Mentors benefit from the opportunity to grow professionally, not only through their own leadership practice but also from the experience of working with peers.

IAP: Individual Action Plans

Participants work closely with mentors and core faculty to develop Judaic action plans and to implement a series of individual projects in their schools that develop as a result of the Judaic learning of the program.

Distance Learning Courses

Throughout the school year, participant heads of school engage in weekly Jewish study through distance learning. In the first semester of distance learning participants join in a course on Jewish denominationalism and pluralism. Second semester offerings include a number of course options from which participants select topics of greatest relevance and interest. Participants may also study with a mentor or program instructor via twice-weekly conference calls.

Winter Institute

Winter Institute provides a venue for mid-year evaluation, rejuvenation, and reflection. Participants gather at a retreat center with their mentors and select members of the Summer Institute teaching faculty for three days of inspirational learning, mutual support, and exploration related to the initial impact of their increased capacity to lead Judaically. The Winter Institute also allows for the participants to further develop their individual action plans for infusing their work with Jewish content.

Whereas Phase I is focused on strengthening the Judaic knowledge, comfort and disposition of the school leader, Phase II focuses on strengthening the Judaic studies curriculum, overt Jewish culture and religious purposefulness of the school.

Phase II blends intensive Judaic learning, ongoing mentoring, and site-based actualization of program goals and objectives. Based in Project SuLaM's core goals and shaped by what we know about school change, Phase II is oriented around:

Helping the participants utilize their new knowledge, comfort and positive disposition about Jewish learning in strengthening the Judaic studies programs and culture of their schools; Creating manageable institutional changes that enhance religious purposefulness in the unique and complex pluralistic setting of the Jewish community day school; Sustaining long-term change that can be observed and measured over time.

Shabbatonim

Participants and mentors gather for two Shabbatonim in the course of the Phase II year, one in the early autumn and one in the early spring. The autumn Shabbaton focuses on the concept of Jewish Peoplehood and the spring Shabbaton focuses on the topic of Israel and Zionism.

Critical Colleagues

Participants identify one lay and one professional colleague from their school community who will co-participate with them in all aspects of Phase II, from Judaic learning and Shabbatonim to site-based program implementation.

Enhanced Mentoring

Program mentors who continue with Phase II receive additional training and support in the mentoring process and relationships. Mentors, each assigned two schools, maintain contact twice a month with their participants and visit the schools they support.

Site Visits

Site visits offer mentors the opportunity to observe the participants, view the school, and offer suggestions as to school improvement plans. Participants, in turn, visit their mentors, allowing for the opportunity to shadow their Judaically-expert peers and to gain deeper insights as to how Jewishly vibrant schools function.

IAP: Institutional Action Plan

Each participant, with support from a program mentor and the program director, crafts a plan for school change which seeks to enrich Judaic curriculum, Jewish studies standards, and aspects of the school's overall Jewish culture and character. The site visits allow Project SuLaM to clarify school-specific needs, benchmarks and measures of success.

Ongoing Judaic Learning

Participants, together with their in-school critical colleagues, engage in locally facilitated Judaic learning with support and guidance from their mentors. This may include weekly Torah study, Hebrew lessons, or other skill- and experience-enhancing opportunities. Participants who wish to continue their twice-monthly learning with the program director are encouraged to do so.

Phase II Matching Grants

Project SuLaM will provide each Phase II school with a grant of $1,500 to support the implementation of some aspect of their Institutional Action Plan. These grants may be used to leverage local funding to enrich the Judaic curriculum and culture of the school.