The Micro-Institute brought together nearly 200 faculty, practitioners, policymakers and researchers who together discussed innovative strategies and practical solutions to create systems that support aspiring educators in fostering strong family, school, and community partnerships.  [Link to agenda is here].

Specifically, the Micro-Institute provided opportunities for participants to:

• Reflect on their roles and responsibilities in preparing aspiring educators to establish and maintain strong partnerships

• Explore best practices and research in educator preparation for family, school and community engagement

• Collaborate and exchange ideas with educator preparation faculty, practitioners in the field, families, and community partners from around the country

Dr. Margaret Caspe and Reyna Hernandez from NAFSCE presented an overview of some milestones in NAFSCE’s Educator Preparation Initiative, including the reports Family Engagement Core Competencies and Educator Preparation Framework for Family and Community Partnerships and the findings from the surveys of higher education and family-facing professionals, and a running blog series, all of which are available to download for free here.  The book Family and Community Partnerships: Promising Practices for Teachers and Teacher Educators, unpacking the Core Competencies, was featured and available for purchase at the conference and online here. A keynote was presented by Wilisha Scaife, Professional Learning Specialist for Culturally Responsive Family Engagement, Ball State University, followed by a panel addressing coursework, field experience and policy shifts required to advance the field of educator preparation.

Researchers and community partners who were part of the Family Engagement Educator Preparation Innovation Project also shared posters of their research and studies chronicling the impact of their work on pre-service teachers, faculty, families and communities, and institutions. Download the digital versions of their posters here. Speakers also highlighted two articles they authored in the September 2024 special issue of AACTE’s Journal of Teacher Education, From Classroom to Community: A Commentary on Preparing Educators for Family and Community Engagement and For Such a Time as This: Community Members as Architects of Imagination in Teacher Education Reform. 

Please visit this page in future weeks as we update it with research and other lessons learned from the event.