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Community Ecosystems & Partnerships
A MiCSS26 Breakout Theme
December 9–10, 2026 · Detroit Marriott Troy
Sessions in This Theme
Can You Survive Poverty? The Game™: Experience the Barriers. Transform Your Leadership.
Verna Felder · Charlene Cutler, Service Learning School District / The Urban School Transformation LLC
What happens when educational leaders must make the same impossible choices many students and families face every day? Can You Survive Poverty? The Game™ moves beyond conversation and places participants inside an immersive simulation where every decision has consequences — and one unexpected setback can change everything. As you navigate housing instability, transportation challenges, food insecurity, attendance expectations, communication barriers, and limited resources, you'll experience how quickly circumstances beyond a family's control can affect a student's behavior, engagement, attendance, and academic success. Through powerful reflection and strategic debriefing, participants will examine how school policies, leadership decisions, and community partnerships can either create additional barriers or become lifelines for families. This is not a session you simply attend — it is an experience you will remember.
Session outcomes: identify how poverty-related barriers impact student success, examine the role of school-family-community partnerships in supporting students, and apply practical strategies to build more responsive, equity-centered systems within your school and organization.
Effective Listening for Understanding, Trust, and Collaboration
Beth Kohler, Special Education Mediation Services
Our school communities are dealing with a lot of heavy topics these days. We're so rooted in trying to problem-solve that when we speak with one another, we aren't truly listening — we're trying to solve the problem we believe the other person is presenting. When people feel unheard, it leads to avoidable conflict and discord among schools, parents, and school communities. What if, instead of rushing through every conversation like it's a problem to solve, we learn to truly listen to one another? Listening for deep understanding — the "why" behind what is being said — is a powerful tool for building mutual understanding, strengthening relationships, and fostering collaboration. This session covers why listening matters, what effective listening is, common barriers, and practical strategies, with time to practice and apply.
Session outcomes: understand why listening is essential to effective communication, identify common barriers that interfere with listening, and apply practical strategies that strengthen relationships, improve conflict resolution, and foster a deeper sense of empathy and inclusion.
More sessions announcing soon.
