2026 Early College Summit

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!

10:45am EDT

From Potential to Pathways: Redefining student success at WAAT Salem 3BMakenzie Webb From the Ground Up: Reinventing Early College for Sustainable Success Winston 3CDr. Kim McMinn It’s Not Just One More Thing – It’s EVERYTHING: Aligning Connections, MTSS, and Personal Adult Advocacy to Support Every Early College Student Salem 1BJessica Guyer • Catie Kale • Grace Ann Sevier • Dr. Rene Spry Strengthening Comprehensive School Counseling Through Collaborative Planning in Early/Middle College Programs Winston 3AStephanie Preston • LaShana Richards • Nicole Webster

1:00pm EDT

From Early College to Long-Term Success: What Students Wish Educators Knew About the Transition to College Salem 1BBritney Funez-Hernandez

8:30am EDT

Building the Bridge: Strategies for Early College Student Success from Application to Enrollment at a 4-Year University Salem 1AJessica Young • Kaitlyn Kubacki From First Hello to Final Goodbye: Building Student Belonging That Sticks Winston 3CVance Fishback Supporting College Readiness from the Inside-Out with Schoolwide Mindfulness-based Programming Winston 3ADesiree W. Murray • Beverly Rudolph The Role of Financial Education in Student Success Salem 3BCharmiya Elliott

9:45am EDT

Building a Functional Cross Institution Student Support Team Salem 3AApril Burko • Fae Grace Goodman From Access to Belonging: Equity-Centered Student Supports in Early College Winston 3BCarolina Rojas • Steve Prudent

12:40pm EDT

Beyond Dual Credit: Engaging Students Through Culture, Support and Rigor Salem 1CSteve Combs • Krista Hensley More Than Good Intentions: Building an ASCA-Aligned Early College Counseling Program Winston 3AStacey Diaz Starting Early, Succeeding in College: Student Voices from a Middle School Early College Pathway Winston 3BJay Pedrero • Teddy Walker

2026 Early College Summit

From $675.00