IEL Statements Regarding Coronavirus
Thursday, March 12, 2020
EPFP’s Washington Policy Seminar: WPS is Going Virtual (March 23-24, 2020)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Every year, the Washington Policy Seminar (WPS) – the capstone event of the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) – brings together Fellows from across the country in an immersive deep dive into the issues shaping education policy.
Like others, we have been closely monitoring evolving Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) developments, including guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and other health authorities.
The COVID-19 situation has rapidly evolved in the last few days. The WHO declared COVID-19, a pandemic, Washington, DC, issued both a state of emergency and a public health emergency – including recommendations to cancel or postpone non-essential mass gatherings – and many companies and EPFP states have also issued travel bans and warnings.
The health and wellbeing of IEL staff and WPS participants remain our top priority. Given ongoing concerns around the spread of COVID-19 – and events beyond our control – we have decided to move the in-person event in Washington, DC at the Washington Marriot Wardman Park hotel to a virtual event taking place on Monday and Tuesday, March 23-24, 2020.
WPS will be an immersive two-day event that delivers inspiring content—keynotes, breakout sessions, access to education policy experts, and more. We are working through many of the details for the virtual event. We will share additional information, including an updated agenda, through email and on the EPFP website within the next week.
We appreciate your understanding during this unprecedented global situation. We are thankful for the solidarity, support, and collaboration with all our site coordinators.
As a participant, the additional information below aims to answer common questions.
We look forward to the virtual WPS and continued collaboration with you.
For additional information about COVID-19, visit the CDC.
FAQ
What will happen to my WPS registration?
- You do not need to cancel your WPS registration. Your registration will be automatically moved toward a virtual convening, and you will continue to receive updates pertaining to the event.
What happens if I never registered for WPS as I was unable to attend in person?
- The virtual convening will make it possible for the entire cohort to participate. We will send out information to all the participants pertaining to the upcoming virtual event.
What should I do about my transportation arrangements?
- Attendees will need to contact the airline, train or other service provider they used to book their arrangements. Many airlines are changing their policies, and many are waiving cancellation or rescheduling fees. IEL will not reimburse any travel expenses.
What will happen to my hotel reservation?
- Attendees will need to call the Washington Marriott Wardman Park to cancel their hotel room at (202) 328-2000 immediately. You will not incur charges if you cancel within 72 hours prior to your reservation date. No show hotel charges will be incurred for those who cancel late or do not cancel.
- If you booked a hotel outside of our hotel room block or at another property, please follow their cancellation policies.
- IEL will not reimburse any hotel cancellations and associated charges or fees.
Who do I contact for more information?
- Please contact epfp@iel.org with any other questions.
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Thursday, March 12, 2020
Rise Up For Equity National Summit on Community Schools and Family Engagement
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Considering ongoing concerns due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) wants you to know the health and well-being of our participants, staff, partners, and other guests remain our top priority.
The Rise Up for Equity National Summit on Community Schools and Family Engagement, taking place in Los Angeles, CA, from May 27-29, 2020, will continue as planned. IEL is actively and continuously monitoring public health guidance concerning travel and in-person events.
While we are aware that some calls have been made to limit travel and cancel or postpone large gatherings, we are hopeful that these restrictions will be lifted within the next month and a half. In fact, the Governor of California has asked that all non-essential gatherings of 250 or more be canceled or postponed through the end of March. We are working with the Los Angeles Convention Center and our conference hotels to ensure that appropriate health and safety measures are in place for all participants. We also trust that participants will undertake the necessary precautions—by traveling with hand sanitizers and handwashing frequently. We do request that anyone suffering from a respiratory illness, shortness of breath, cough or fever, and that participants and/or presenters who have traveled recently (within the last month) to areas with widespread transmission of COVID-19, including China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea (and any future places identified by CDC), stay home.
As a reminder, our refund policy states that participants who need to cancel their registration may do so at any time. Cancellations processed by April 27, 2020 will receive a full refund, less a $10 processing fee. By this time, April 27th, IEL will notify all participants if the event is cancelled or not. If the event is canceled, all participants will be eligible for a refund of registration cost.
We are monitoring developments daily and will keep you informed as the situation evolves. For continued updates and more information on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please visit the CDC at cdc.gov.
We are keeping those directly affected by COVID-19 in our thoughts.
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Friday, March 6, 2020
IEL Statement Regarding Coronavirus
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Considering ongoing concerns due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) wants you to know the health and well-being of our participants, staff, partners, and other guests remain our top priority.
IEL events will continue as planned. Our team is actively and continuously monitoring public health guidance concerning travel and in-person events. At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not issued warnings to avoid travel within the U.S.
We are working with the hotels and conference venues to ensure that appropriate health and safety measures are in place for all participants. We also trust that participants will undertake the necessary precautions—by traveling with hand sanitizers and handwashing frequently—while at the event and during travel. We do request that anyone suffering from a respiratory illness, shortness of breath, cough or fever, and that participants and/or presenters who have traveled recently (within the last month) to areas with widespread transmission of COVID-19 as identified by the CDC, including China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea (and any future places identified by CDC), to stay home.
We will continue to monitor and make any necessary changes as the situation evolves. For continued updates and more information on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please visit the CDC website here.
We are keeping those directly affected by COVID-19 in our thoughts.
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About the Institute for Educational Leadership: Founded in 1964, the Institute for Educational Leadership’s mission is to partner with under-resourced communities to equip leaders to better prepare children, youth, adults, and families for postsecondary education and training, rewarding careers, and civic and community engagement. For more information about the Institute for Educational Leadership, visit: http://iel.org/