RTI International will host the 2026 Early College Summit on June 9–10, 2026 at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, NC. This two-day event for early college leaders and program teams will focus on research-based early college and dual enrollment strategies to improve practice and support student success in rigorous learning environments. The Summit is designed so that veteran and new early college practitioners and college partners can collaborate to learn and share expertise to improve learning and student outcomes. Join us as we strengthen our capabilities to empower learners for future ready success!
In upstate New York, as with many parts of the country, public school enrollment has dropped 5-10% over the past decade. This session will highlight how Hudson Valley Community College defied the odds, achieving a 62% increase in annual dual enrollment over the past five years while transforming the DE experience for high school students. HVCC's College in the High School Program serves as a model for embedding holistic advising and student support directly into all aspects of the enrollment process. Attendees will get an inside look at how HVCC works with its 30+ district partners to provide 1-on-1 advisement opportunities, develop degree pathways specific to each school's student interests, and streamline every step of the enrollment process using the Canusia platform. The result? A sharp increase in program enrollment, improved credit completion, and expanded degree attainment for Dual Enrollment students.
Are you ready to help your students become the leaders they were made to be?
We believe students are ready for more! More responsibility, more opportunity for impact, and more ownership of the school environment.
The key to leveraging the power of student leadership lies in inspiring our students to believe they can lead, equipping them with research based leadership skills, and empowering them to lead within their school community.
We will reflect on case studies of how 3 schools across 3 states have done that during the 2025-2026 school year.
You'll also get to experience 2 of our signature leadership development activities which you can use to cultivate leadership among your students!
After 10 years in the classroom, Stuart founded Appointed to Lead motivated by a passion for providing high quality leadership development instruction to high school students. Appointed to Lead seeks to help every student become the leader they were made to be by inspiring, equipping... Read More →
Tuesday June 9, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT Salem 1C
Early colleges located on or near college campuses can leverage higher education assets in ways that extend beyond dual enrollment credit. This interactive session highlights a replicable partnership model between Fayetteville State University’s Intelligent Systems Lab and Cumberland County Schools designed to strengthen instructional rigor and college readiness. Participants will explore how faculty expertise, undergraduate mentorship, and research lab resources were activated through structured collaboration. Attendees will map their own partnership ecosystems and leave with practical strategies to build sustainable, campus-embedded collaborations that enhance student engagement and future-ready learning.
Ashlee Russell is the founder of AI Learning Central and a faculty member at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she teaches first-year seminar courses focused on information literacy and ethical AI use. With nearly two decades of experience in K–12 education and... Read More →
