Partnerships in Action: Rising Together in Minnesota
Why IEL is hosting the National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference in Minneapolis
The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is proud to bring the 2025 National Community Schools & Family Engagement Conference (CSxFE) to Minneapolis in Minnesota—a state that exemplifies the power of authentic collaboration, legislative momentum, and local commitment to community-centered education.
CSxFE is the largest national conference focused on both Community Schools and Family Engagement, and each year, brings together thousands of people from across the country who believe all children deserve a safe place to live and opportunities to learn and thrive. This year’s event will have over 3,300 attendees, with approximately 200 being from the host state.
We’re excited to host CSxFE in “the land of 10,000 lakes” this year for many reasons, and are honored to lift up Minneapolis/St. Paul, which boasts the most racially diverse population in the state, and is becoming more diverse over time.
Minneapolis in the Spotlight
Minneapolis has also been named one of the two U.S. cities on the Institute for Quality of Life’s Happy City Index, with the institute noting Minneapolis’ “world-renowned educational institutions” as one of the key reasons for the rating.
Having been a national partner within the Minnesota State Coalition for several years now, IEL has provided technical assistance and professional development to nearly 20 school districts across the state, giving us a unique opportunity to both support the work being done in communities, and learn from grassroots efforts shaped by the hyper-local needs and contexts in the state.
A Moment of Urgency and Opportunity
Across the country, education systems are grappling with increased pressure—be it from budget constraints, lingering effects of the pandemic, or growing social needs. In Minnesota, these challenges are no different. Some of IEL’s key partners across the Twin Cities metro area observe that, in response to these pressures, there can be a tendency for communities, schools, and other entities to begin retreating into silos in an attempt to protect what’s at stake.
However, the communities we work with know that by forging deeper partnerships and collective solutions, we can create greater momentum to overcome challenges, both old and new – which is exactly the message being lifted up at CSxFE this year. As Patrice Howard, CSxFE25 Conference Planning Committee lead and Director of Community Education at St. Louis Park Public Schools outside of Minneapolis emphasized, “We need to strengthen the ties we have amongst one another and humanize one another so that we can do the work on behalf of young people.”
This conference is an opportunity to bring that ethos to a national stage.
On Thursday, May 29th, the CSxFE “Minnesota Story” plenary session will highlight these efforts across the region and the state to strengthen family engagement, Community Schools, engage students, and expand effective place-based strategies. The keynote features Sondra Samuels, President & CEO of Northside Achievement Zone, who will be followed by a panel moderated by IEL’s Midwestern Regional Director Dr. Ryan Hurley, with St. Louis Park Public Schools’ Patrice Howard, Brooklyn Center Community Schools Parent Danielle Hatcher, Minneapolis Public Schools Executive Director of Communications and Engagement Donnie Belcher, and a local high school youth!
Minnesota’s Leadership in Community Schools and Family Engagement
Minnesota has emerged as a leader in the Community Schools movement, particularly over the last decade, with the Minnesota State Legislature establishing their Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grant program in 2015. The state has garnered bipartisan legislative support, with the 2023 Minnesota State Legislature allocating $15 million to the FSCS program for grants and efforts to sustain and expand the strategy across the state. After being announced in January 2024, 25 schools received funding to support their efforts in September 2024.
Governor Tim Walz has consistently championed these strategies both before and during his time in office, recognizing the transformative power of community partnerships in education. Increasing the Community School statewide model and launching a statewide family engagement model to support schools are both included in the Governor’s “Due North” state education plan.
IEL has been immersed in systems-building work at the state-level with partners in Minnesota for much of this time, supporting the advocacy behind these statewide policies that have allocated millions of dollars to support students and families across the state.
“This is a prime time to bring the conference here,” said Howard. “We’ve done so many great things, especially in the past ten years, and we’re finally seeing some momentum with legislative support and funding. It’s essential that we elevate that progress on a national platform”.
2015
Minnesota State Legislature established thier Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grant program
$15 million
The 2023 Minnesota State Legislature allocating this funding to the FSCS program for grants and efforts to sustain and expand the strategy across the state
25
Number of schools that received funding to support their efforts in September 2024
A First-Hand Look at Effective Practice
Hosting the conference in the Twin Cities metro area also provides attendees with access to real-time learning and site visits that highlight effective, place-based solutions. Whether it’s the Saint Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP) addressing food insecurity or local after-school programs adjusting to meet the needs of culturally diverse newcomers, Minnesota offers clear, tangible examples of how community-rooted strategies are being applied.
Many districts in the region are navigating complex issues—from food and housing insecurity to equitable access to culturally responsive programming. Yet these challenges have catalyzed innovation and resilience.
At CSxFE, attendees from across the country will get to witness how local schools and community groups are implementing effective practices, especially through the conference’s unique Site Visits. These study tours showcase exemplary local practices in Community Schools, student and parent leadership, and family-school-community partnerships. Included in this year’s Site Visit opportunities are a George Floyd Square walking tour, a virtual visit to a northern rural Community School with an almost 50% Native American student body, and much more.
Local Site Visit Spotlights at CSxFE25
A Gathering to Rise Together
This year’s conference theme, “Powering the Movement: Rising Together,” aligns seamlessly with Minnesota’s current education landscape. It speaks to the essential need for unity, partnership, and collective impact at a time when fear and fragmentation threaten progress. The conference will convene scholars, practitioners, families, and policymakers to reaffirm that strong schools and strong communities are inseparable—and that progress happens when we rise together.
“In my role as a district leader and the Planning Committee Chair for this conference,” said Howard, “I can see that Minnesota is at a pivotal moment—we have the policy momentum, the community will, and the practical examples of what works. This conference is about coming together to share those stories, strengthen partnerships, and commit to collective action.”
Want to be a part of the action?
