2026 Early College Summit

Early College programs are often born out of bold vision—but sustaining that vision, revamping a struggling program, or restarting one that has lost momentum requires intentional leadership, strategic culture-building, and collective ownership from both administrators and teachers.From the Ground Up explores what it truly takes to build, rebuild, or reinvent an Early College program. Drawing on real-world experiences from program launch, redesign, and renewal, this session will walk participants through the foundational work that must happen when a program is starting fresh—or starting over. Attendees will examine how clarity of purpose, aligned systems, and strong relationships can transform an Early College from a collection of good intentions into a thriving, student-centered model.Participants will leave with practical strategies principals and teachers can use immediately to stabilize, strengthen, and sustain Early College programs—whether they are opening their doors for the first time or reimagining what success should look like moving forward.

In this session, Kassie Mount, founding principal of Dare Early College, will highlight the intentional steps that her team has taken to create a cohesive, mission-driven culture. Participants will learn how the school established a clear mission and vision, used the Next Generation Early Colleges framework to develop School Improvement Team (SIT) goals and professional development priorities, and aligned staff-learning with these objectives. Kassie will also showcase how student opportunities were intentionally designed to reflect the mission and vision, creating a unified experience that shapes both academic outcomes and school culture. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to connect goals, professional learning, and student experiences in a meaningful, cohesive way.

Belonging changes everything. When students feel known, valued, and connected, they show up differently, and so does their learning. This session invites educators to reimagine how schools intentionally create a sense of belonging that begins before students ever arrive and grows stronger with each passing year. Participants will explore meaningful ways to welcome students, build shared traditions, and design experiences that connect students across grade levels and milestones. With a focus on purpose and continuity, this session offers inspiration and practical strategies to build systems where every student feels they truly belong from their first day to graduation and beyond.

This session examines how near-peer Teaching Fellows advance innovative instructional practice, individualized student support, and authentic IHE partnerships. National Education Opportunity Network Teaching Fellows—undergraduate and graduate students from partner institutions—support college-level coursework through synchronous recitations, small-group instruction, and academic coaching that build student self-efficacy, college-going identity, and persistence. Participants will explore how this role differs from traditional faculty, teaching assistants, or tutors, and how near-peer models operationalize framework priorities around personalization, collaboration, and postsecondary readiness, particularly for first-generation and underrepresented students.