Youth

IEL Remembers Joan L. Wills, Trailblazing Leader and Champion for Youth and Workforce Development

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Leading Across Boundaries /

Washington, D.C. – The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) mourns the passing of Joan L. Wills, a visionary leader, longtime colleague, and dedicated advocate whose contributions helped shape IEL’s work at the intersection of education, workforce development, and opportunity for young people, including youth with disabilities. Throughout her distinguished career, Joan championed the belief that

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September Policy Update

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Events, Federal Government, IEL Initiatives & Partnerships, Policy/Legislation, Preparing Leaders, Resources /

What’s Happening in Washington  *Please note: This update may not include all the changes currently happening in the federal government. Here’s what’s happened in federal education policy in the month of September, and what lies ahead. The U.S. Congress Congress Pushes FY27 Funding Deadline to December: Prior to breaking for August Recess, the Senate passed

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IEL Mourns Passing of Former Colleague, Disability Advocate Dana Fink

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Federal Government, Leading Across Boundaries, Policy/Legislation /

July 23, 2026 (Washington D.C.) – The team at the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is saddened by the passing of a former colleague, Dana M. Fink. As noted in her obituary, “Dana devoted her career to advancing the rights and well-being of people with disabilities and older adults.” During her time with IEL, Dana served IEL’s

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Guiding Lights, Brighter Futures: A CSxFE26 Reflection

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Events, IEL Initiatives & Partnerships, IEL Leaders, Leading Across Boundaries, Preparing Leaders, Resources /

By Nikkie Baum, CSxFE Volunteer/Attendee; Community School Impact Coordinator, Marie Hughes Community Schools (Albuquerque, NM) The forecast started off cloudy but the smiles inside the Long Beach Convention Center were shining brightly as attendees joined the start of the 2026 National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference during the last week of May. Powered by

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Gathering for Change: How IEL and California Partners Are Shaping the Future of Young People and Community Schools

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Preparing Leaders /

In California, the movement for Community Schools has been taking shape for decades across universities, school districts, nonprofits, workforce organizations, and city agencies through partnerships grounded in relationships, sustainability, and a shared belief that young people deserve more than fragmented systems. In recent years, momentum for Community Schools has only increased, as the strategy provides

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Institute for Educational Leadership and Backrs Announce New Technology Partnership Focused on Coaching and Student Supports 

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Leading Across Boundaries, Preparing Leaders, Resources /

May 11, 2026: The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) and Backrs are thrilled to jointly introduce to their networks a new partnership that will combine IEL’s national network and leadership footprint with the scalable postsecondary and career support models provided by Backrs to strengthen the impact of Community Schools, Districts, and Nonprofit partners.  School leaders are being asked to deliver stronger postsecondary and career outcomes under increasing constraints including unsustainable advising ratios, counselor

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April Policy by the People Federal Update

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Events, Federal Government, Policy/Legislation, Resources /

What’s Happening in Washington  *Please note: This update may not include all the changes currently happening in the federal government. Here’s what’s happened in federal education policy in the month of April, and what lies ahead. The White House  The Office of Management and Budget Releases 2027 Budget Proposal:  On April 3, the White House released its fiscal

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IEL Announces New Partnership with the Alliance for Youth Thriving, Becomes Publisher of Youth Today

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, IEL Initiatives & Partnerships, Preparing Leaders, Resources /

The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is thrilled to announce that it is the new publisher of Youth Today and is now the fiscal sponsor of the Alliance for Youth Thriving as part of deeper partnership with Karen Pittman and Merita Irby, thought leaders in youth development and education who are joining IEL as senior

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Institute for Educational Leadership Announces Fellows for Spring 2026 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) 

IEL Initiatives & Partnerships, IEL Leaders, Leading Across Boundaries, Local/State Government, Policy/Legislation, Preparing Leaders /

February 12, 2026 (Washington, DC) – The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is proud to announce the Fellows of its spring 2026 Education Policy Fellowship ProgramTM (EPFP) , designed to build the capacity of education and community leaders to drive change in their local context through policy and advocacy.  EPFP is IEL’s longest-running program, founded

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IEL Celebrates Passing of FY26 Federal Spending Package That Includes Funding for Key Education Programs

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Federal Government, Leading Across Boundaries, Policy/Legislation /

On February 3, 2026, Congress passed its spending package that will fund the vast majority of the federal government through September 30th of this year, ending a partial government shutdown. IEL celebrates several funding victories for federal programs in this Omnibus appropriations bill that align with our Policy by the People Congressional agenda to advance

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