2026 Spring Convening

Designing for Day One Success

This full-day session is designed for Community-Based Organization grantees who are new to the Summer Discovery program in Summer 2026 and are responsible for launching high-impact summer programming. Participants will learn best practices from former grantees and develop a clear launch roadmap with key milestones and actionable plans for materials procurement, staffing, scheduling, and other core operational elements—ensuring readiness for a strong Day 1 launch and sustained implementation throughout the summer.

Partnering With Families to Strengthen Summer Programs

This session is designed for leaders committed to strengthening family engagement as a core driver of successful summer programming. Participants will explore tools and best practices used by Summer Discovery grantees and leave with concrete strategies to build communication, trust, and authentic partnerships that support student attendance and learning throughout the summer.

From Sign-Up to Show-Up: Driving Enrollment and Daily Attendance

This session is designed for leaders focused on strengthening enrollment and ensuring consistent attendance in summer programming. Participants will learn from proven practices across Summer Discovery grantees and develop a clear, actionable plan to drive enrollment, monitor attendance trends, and respond quickly to attendance dips throughout the summer.

Applying Research to Accelerated Literacy Growth

This session is designed for leaders focused on strengthening summer literacy outcomes through research-aligned instruction. Leaders will identify key instructional look-fors, clarify what strong alignment looks like in practice, and use an HQIM lens to evaluate curriculum and materials. Participants will leave with concrete tools and clear priorities to ensure summer literacy instruction is coherent, aligned, and positioned to accelerate student growth.

Building Strong Mathematical Thinking Through Evidence-Based Practice

This session is designed for leaders seeking to strengthen foundational math learning in summer programming through evidence-based instruction. Participants will learn to build conceptual understanding alongside procedural fluency, foster positive math identity, and design coherent learning experiences that build over time. Leaders will apply these practices to a summer context and identify practical strategies to support high-quality math instruction throughout the program.

Designing for All Learners Using Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

This session is for leaders seeking to design summer programming that effectively serves diverse learners. Participants will explore how Universal Design for Learning principles and strategic differentiation can be applied to proactively meet a wide range of learner needs. Leaders will consider what inclusive instructional planning looks like in a summer context and identify practical strategies to ensure all students can access, engage with, and succeed in summer learning experiences.

From Assessment to Action

This session is for leaders seeking to use data as a tool to improve instruction and demonstrate impact in summer programming. Participants will learn how to use summer pre-assessment data to set meaningful goals, inform instructional decisions, and monitor student progress throughout the summer. The session will also focus on how to clearly communicate student growth and program outcomes to stakeholders, including students, families, and funders.

Culture Is Designed, Not Accidental

Participants will identify their program anchors—the core values, priorities, and non-negotiables that define their summer program—and learn how to align their teams and enrichment partners around them. Leaders will explore strategies for building a cohesive culture across instructional and enrichment settings, including setting clear expectations, modeling desired behaviors, and collaborating with partners to create a seamless, engaging experience for students. Participants will also examine leadership practices that build commitment, trust, and shared ownership across all staff.

Developing Instructional Leaders for Results

This session is for leaders who are new to instructional management and are responsible for supporting instructional quality in summer programming. Participants will be introduced to the core components of an effective instructional coaching cycle, including focused observations, actionable feedback, and follow-up support. Leaders will explore practical leadership moves that build educator capacity, strengthen instruction, and drive improvements in teaching and learning within a short summer timeline.

Aligning Summer Design to Michigan Early Childhood Expectations

This session is for grantees launching Rising Kindergarten programs who are responsible for designing summer experiences aligned to Michigan’s early childhood expectations and kindergarten readiness standards. Participants will explore developmentally appropriate program design, key instructional priorities, and research-based strategies that support early literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional development. Leaders will consider how to intentionally structure schedules, learning experiences, and learning environments to ensure students are prepared for a successful and confident transition into kindergarten.