School-Community Engagement Conference in New England
If you’re based in the New England region, we encourage you to check out the annual School Redesign in Action conference this March 27-28 in Hartford. The interface between schools and the communities they serve is a space full of under-explored possibilities for our field to grow – not to mention a great way to expose more young people to D&D methods – so we’re excited that the conference planners have included a whole track this year focused on increasing community engagement for schools. Regular registration is $325, but the deadline to register is Mon., March 13, so act fast! You can learn more about the conference in their announcement below or by visiting the conference website here.
School Redesign in Action is the New England Secondary School Consortium’s eighth annual conference for educators and stakeholders from across the country to share success stories, exchange best practices, and continue to build momentum for innovations that will prepare all students for success in the colleges, careers, and communities of the 21st century.
WHEN: Monday, March 27th, 1:00-5:00pm + Tuesday, March 28th, 8:00am-2:30pm
WHERE: Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd · Hartford, CT 06103
WHO: Educators, students, community stakeholders, policy makers, and teams from secondary schools along with career and technical education centers and higher education from across the country engaged in school improvement
NEW THIS YEAR! A strand dedicated to school-community engagement
Across New England, educators are increasingly aware that meaningful family and community engagement is vital to student achievement and that educators must effectively engage stakeholders to develop more equitable schools. But what does authentic engagement entail? How can educators make the shift from event-based, often-siloed strategies to deeper, more powerful approaches to engagement? And how can communities and educators come together to challenge inequities and effect lasting change for youth?
To explore these questions and more, this year’s School Redesign in Action conference incorporates a strand of presentations and workshops that will increase participants’ capacity to foster authentic school-community engagement, establish meaningful relationships with marginalized groups in schools and/or communities, and strengthen partnerships and systems to improve outcomes for all students.
Below is a preview of the sessions in the student, family, and community engagement strand. To see the full program, visit this page.
- What’s Equity Got to Do With It?: Creating a Pathway for All Students to Succeed
Everyday Democracy | Hartford, Connecticut - Empowering Parents and Families: Building Leadership Skills and Capacity Inside and Outside the School System
Annenberg Institute for School Reform | Providence, Rhode Island - Recalibrating School-Wide Discipline and Student Support: Building a Restorative and Accountable Approach
Engaging Schools | Cambridge, Massachusetts - Reaching Across Language and Culture: Engaging Multilingual Families from Diverse Backgrounds
Portland Public Schools Multilingual and Multicultural Center | Portland, Maine - Where Equity and Engagement Meet: From Funding to Implementation of Community-School Partnerships that Close Opportunity Gaps
Puget Sound Educational Service District | Puget Sound, Washington - Being an Adult Ally: Practical Strategies for Emplowering Youth Voice, Agency, and Leadership
Providence Student Union + Young Voices | Providence, Rhode Island - Building a Positive School Culture and Community Using Restorative Practices
Prospect Hill Academy Charter School | Cambridge, Massachusetts - Students as Change Agents for Personalization: Infusing Purpose, Meaning, and Hope In School Redesign
Up for Learning | East Hardwick, Vermont - Opening Doors: How Home Visits Can Strengthen School-Family Relationships in the Upper Grades
1647 | Boston, Massachusetts - Teachers as Designers: A Human-Centered Approach to Solving Problems – and Creating New Opportunities – in Schools
Business Innovation Factory | Providence, Rhode Island - Authentic School-Family Partnerships: What Works and Why It Matters
Lawrence CommunityWorks | Lawrence, Massachusetts
Financial Assistance
As part of the New England Secondary School Consortium’s commitment to improving equity, access, and diversity, we are offering a limited number of reduced-price registrations to community-based nonprofit organizations and parent or community leaders who either support youth or work in partnership with their local schools*. Applicants will be asked to demonstrate financial need and articulate how they anticipate the conference will benefit their work, organization, schools, and/or community.
Applications for financial assistance are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 13, 2017.
You can learn more and register for the School Redesign in Action conference at www.newenglandssc.org/conference/conference-details.