8:30 AM
Registration, Breakfast & Networking
9:30 AM
Investing in Youth, Strengthening Communities
VICTORIA WOODARDS – MAYOR, CITY OF TACOMA
9:40 AM
Every Child, One Community
Dr. Tafona Ervin – CEO, Foundation for Tacoma Students
10:05 AM
Panel | Local Power in a Shifting Policy Landscape
11:00 AM
Concurrent Sessions 1
TRACK: Policy & Practice
FOCUS AREA: K-12
PRESENTERS:
DESCRIPTION:
Examine the growing role of schools in student mental health, despite funding and staffing limitations, and learn about the impact of mental health on learning. Gain a deeper understanding of how schools are evolving to meet students’ needs and the need for policy and funding reforms to prioritize student mental health.
TRACK: Collective Impact
FOCUS AREA: K-12, Postsecondary, Workforce
PRESENTERS:
DESCRIPTION:
Discover how targeted strategies and collective action can reconnect disengaged youth in Pierce and South King Counties to education and employment.
TRACK: Policy & Practice
FOCUS AREA: K-12, Postsecondary
PRESENTER:
DESCRIPTION:
Explore Washington’s financial aid landscape and ongoing efforts to improve access and equity in postsecondary education. Learn about current aid programs, eligibility requirements, and effective strategies for supporting students through the application process. Gain insight into recent legislative developments and walk away with outreach tools to strengthen your college access work.
TRACK: Collective Impact
FOCUS AREA: Postsecondary
PRESENTERS:
DESCRIPTION:
Learn how PLU’s Retention and Progression Advisory Group (RPAG) uses real-time, disaggregated data to identify equity gaps and implement just-in-time interventions that drive systemic change. Engage in hands-on activities, explore proven retention models, and walk away with a clear next step to support student progression at your institution.
TRACK: Investing in Communities
FOCUS AREA: Early Learning
PRESENTERS:
DESCRIPTION:
Explore how public-private partnerships can expand childcare capacity by supporting homegrown providers. Learn about successful collaborations that have helped families establish childcare businesses, increased access to quality care, and fostered economic stability. Walk away with actionable strategies to invest in community-driven childcare solutions.
12:15 PM
Lunch & Networking
1:00 PM
Performance | The Power of Us
Angelo Cruz Santiago
1:05 PM
Keynote Fireside | Resisting & Rebuilding Through Collective Power
Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade – Professor, San Francisco State University
Facilitated by Dr. Ivan Harrell – President, Tacoma Community College
2:00 PM
Book Signing | Equality or Equity: Toward a Model of Community-Responsive Education
2:10 PM
Concurrent Sessions 2
TRACK: Policy & Practice
FOCUS AREA: Postsecondary, Workforce
PRESENTERS:
DESCRIPTION:
Explore how an evidence-based approach is being used to enhance equitable career pathways, fostering social capital while honoring aspirational, social, and navigational assets. Learn how to adapt these strategies within your institution to support student success.
TRACK: Collective Impact
FOCUS AREA: Postsecondary
PRESENTERS:
DESCRIPTION:
Student leaders and advocates share their experiences organizing for systemic change, advancing racial equity, and pushing for policy reform to make the first two years of college free in Washington. Gain insights, strategies, and tools to support policies that remove financial barriers and expand access to higher education for all students.
TRACK: Data, Research & Evaluation
FOCUS AREA: Postsecondary, Workforce
PRESENTER:
DESCRIPTION:
Discover how research rooted in lived experience empowers marginalized voices, fosters equity, and drives systemic change. Learn how CCER’s Data & Research Fellowship equips BIPOC leaders with the tools to analyze education data and translate insights into action. Explore how this equity-driven approach surfaces innovative solutions, informs decision-making, and advances postsecondary success.
TRACK: Collective Impact
FOCUS AREA: K-12
PRESENTER:
DESCRIPTION:
Develop a customized action plan to turn school-family-community engagement into measurable student success. This session equips you with strategies to build trust with families, create partnerships for mentorship and career pathways, and sustain family engagement.
3:35 PM
Concurrent Sessions 3
TRACK: Investing in Communities
FOCUS AREA: K-12, Postsecondary
PRESENTERS:
DESCRIPTION:
Discover how financial aid professionals and community partners collaborate to develop tailored materials and outreach strategies that ensure students and families receive accurate, relevant, and accessible postsecondary planning resources. Gain insights into strengthening equity-focused networks that connect trusted messengers with the information students need to make informed decisions about their future.
TRACK: Policy & Practice
FOCUS AREA: K-12
PRESENTERS:
DESCRIPTION:
Shape the FutureReady Initiative with your insights. Share what ‘ready for success’ means to your community and directly inform the development of Washington’s new graduation framework.
TRACK: Data, Research & Evaluation
FOCUS AREA: K-12, Postsecondary, Workforce
PRESENTER:
DESCRIPTION:
Discover new research and state-level data revealing Washington’s projected job growth through 2032, where the opportunities will be and what credentials they’ll require. Hear insights into the credential attainment gap and gain a clear understanding of how your role can help align educational pathways to prepare students for tomorrow’s economy.
TRACK: Collective Impact
FOCUS AREA: K-12
PRESENTERS:
DESCRIPTION:
Understand how local levies perpetuate inequities in Washington’s schools and explore efforts to create equitable resource distribution and a student-centered funding formula. Learn how collective advocacy can drive systemic change, ensuring every student has the resources they need to thrive.
5:00 –
6:30 PM
CommUNITY Reception
8:30 AM
Breakfast & Networking
9:30 AM
Community Impact Award Ceremony
Holly Bamford Hunt – Director, Bamford Foundation
9:50 AM
Innovating Inside the System
Dr. Lance Goodpaster – Superintendent, Franklin Pierce School District
10:00 AM
Panel | Whole Child, Whole Community
10:50 AM
Concurrent Sessions 4
TRACK: Collective Impact
FOCUS AREA: K-12
PRESENTERS:
DESCRIPTION:
Discover how microschools are reshaping education through personalized learning, mastery-based assessment, and real-world problem-solving. Learn how these small, student-centered environments foster deeper inquiry, critical thinking, and engagement beyond traditional methods.
TRACK: Collective Impact
FOCUS AREA: Postsecondary, Workforce
PRESENTER:
DESCRIPTION:
Discover diverse pathways to success with Palmer Scholars alumni. Hear firsthand how holistic support, including mentorship and community resources, shaped their journeys in construction, green infrastructure, and higher education. Explore the impact of alternative programs and learn how to empower youth beyond traditional schooling.
TRACK: Collective Impact
FOCUS AREA: K-12, Postsecondary, Workforce
PRESENTERS:
DESCRIPTION:
Learn practical strategies to connect students with the legislative process, equipping them to advocate for their needs. Discover resources and best practices for mobilizing students, fostering their self-advocacy, and driving meaningful change. Connect with peers to share challenges and opportunities, building a powerful network for student empowerment.
TRACK: Policy & Practice
FOCUS AREA: Early Learning, K-12
PRESENTERS:
DESCRIPTION:
Transform how you engage families in special education by understanding their experience during the IEP journey. Learn culturally responsive strategies to build meaningful partnerships and leave with actionable tools to turn potentially stressful IEP meetings into opportunities for authentic connection that better serves students.
12:15 PM
Lunch & Networking
1:00 PM
Keynote | Resilience & Responsibility in Action
Erin Jones – Author, bridges to heal us
1:20 –
2:00 PM
Charting Our Future Forward
