06/04/2026
What:
The Annual MiFamily Engagement Centers Event: 2026 Michigan Community Schools & Family Engagement Conference
When:
September 29-30, 2026
Where:
Comfort Inn & Suites and Conference Center
2424 S Mission St, Mt Pleasant, MI 48858
Cost:
$159. Click here to register.
Hotel Rooms $98/night (state rate). Click here to reserve your room.
Register here: https://events.gomaisa.org/catalog/eventdetails/32
Agenda at a Glance (approximate times)
Day 1 (Sep 29) 8:00am - 4:30pm
8:00am - Breakfast
9:00am - Introduction & Kickoff
Rawlan Lillard, MiLEAP
Dr. Keenan King, MCSC
10:00am – Keynote Ari Gerzon-Kessler
3:30pm - Regional Roundtables
11:45am - Lunch
1:00pm - Reflection Roundtables
2:15pm - Breakout Sessions (choice of 6)
Day 2 (Sep 30) 8:00am - 4:30pm
8:00am - Breakfast
9:00am - Wellbeing Welcome
9:30am – Keynote Dr. Noel Kelty
11:00am - Breakout Sessions (choice of 6)
12:00pm - Lunch
1:00pm - Breakout Sessions (choice of 6)
2:15pm - Breakout Sessions (choice of 6)
3:30pm - Closing: Call To Action
About the Event
Family engagement is a partnership among families, students, educators and community partners built on trust, respect and common goals, so that every learner thrives.
In the first of its kind in Michigan, The Michigan Community Schools Coalition (MCSC) and the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) are co-hosting a statewide event to spotlight both the work of the 10 Regional MiFamily Engagement Centers and 155 community schools dedicated to building, growing, and sustaining key family engagement and partnership practices across the state.
This two-day conference will take place at The Comfort Inn & Suites in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and offers a unique opportunity for people across Michigan to come together for shared learning and direction setting. MCSC and MiLEAP are anticipating 225 attendees, across the full family, school, and community partnership ecosystem—families, educators, district and ISD leaders, community schools and student success coordinators, local organization leaders, early literacy and out-of-school time partners, and state leaders from MiLEAP and the Departments of Education (MDE) and Health and Human Services (MDHHS)—all working together to support positive outcomes for children.
This event will also feature the release of the long-awaited revised version of the MiFamily: Michigan’s Family Engagement Framework and introduce the Michigan Community Schools Coalition as a multi-stakeholder, multi-organization coalition committed to strengthening and growing the practices that help children thrive in schools, families, and communities.
About the Keynote Speakers
Ari Gerzon-Kessler is a sought-after speaker, trainer, and coach working with schools and districts committed to forging stronger school-family partnerships. He is the author of
On The Same Team: Bringing Educators & Underrepresented Families Together, which won the Gold Medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards for outstanding education book of 2024. Ari is the founder and CEO of Same Team Consulting and also leads the Family Partnerships department for the Boulder Valley School District (CO). Ari has been an educator since 2000, having served as a principal and bilingual teacher.
Dr. Noel Kelty is an Assistant Professor at Oakland University whose work focuses on family engagement, program evaluation, family literacy, and early literacy. She is the co-author of
Empowered Together: Evidence-Based Strategies for Partnering with Families in PreK–12 Education, a practice-centered resource that supports educators in building meaningful, research-informed partnerships with families. Dr. Kelty brings a wealth of leadership experience from her time at the Michigan Department of Education’s Office of Great Start, where she served as Director of Early Childhood and Family Education, 619 Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator, and Early On Coordinator. Her professional background also includes roles as an ISD Director and program consultant, as well as direct service as a PreK–3rd–grade teacher, home visitor, family literacy district coordinator, and early interventionist.
