MSAN Institute Returns April 16-17, 2026
Conference Registration Open Through March 13
February 19, 2026 | By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research & Scholarship
MSAN Executive Director Latoya Holiday
The Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) and the Multicultural Student Achievement Network (MSAN) today announced registration is open for the 2026 MSAN Institute. The two-day professional learning conference will take place in Madison on April 16 and 17, with a focus this year on research and programs that center youth voices.
The conference is open to K–12 teachers, principals, and other school staff, as well as school district leaders and staff, who want to learn about current research and best practices to create schools where all students can be successful.
The theme of this year’s MSAN Institute is “Partnership, Persistence, and Purpose: Centering Youth Voices and Moving from Vision to Impact.” Speakers and breakout sessions will address the conference theme in relation to:
- School and district leadership
- Student engagement and belonging
- Curriculum and instruction
“This theme affirms our focus and the importance of partnering with youth to create a different school experience that serves all kids well,” said MSAN Executive Director Latoya Holiday.
Now in its 27th year, MSAN is a multi-state coalition of school districts that learn, grow and work together toward a vision of all students experiencing inclusive and excellent education. Based at WCER in UW–Madison’s School of Education, MSAN aims to elevate youth voices through its youth-focused research-practice partnership and other network activities. Last year’s MSAN Institute drew over 100 educators, from within and outside the network, to Madison for learning and connecting around new approaches to transforming schools into spaces of belonging.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Jamila J. Lyiscott, an associate professor of social justice education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Lyiscott is Founding Co-Director of the Center for Racial Justice and Youth-Engaged Research.
“We wanted someone whose work was centered on the principles of equity and justice, as well as someone whose work elevates the perspectives and leadership of youth,” Holiday said. “Dr. Lyiscott’s scholarship and work include both.”
Holiday emphasized the practical and positive nature of conference offerings.
“It’s a great opportunity to learn about some promising practices, and about activities, programs, and school processes and policies that are showing an impact in districts across the country,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to learn from colleagues and experts to help inform attendees’ own practice and give them ideas and solutions for some of the similar challenges they’re experiencing in their context.”
This year’s institute offers breakout sessions, opportunities for networking and remarks from UW–Madison School of Education Dean Marcelle Haddix, a leading scholar in literacy and teacher education, with a focus on experiences of students and teachers of color. Attendees will also hear greetings from Kane Funmaker, a Ho-Chunk Nation tribal member who works on UW–Madison’s First Nations Cultural Landscape Tour.
A perennial highlight of the conference is reflections and perspectives from a panel of Dane County high school MSAN students who are leaders in their schools.
The MSAN Institute is open to all educators from both member and non-member school districts. Each MSAN member district can send up to six people to the conference for $100 per person, with a cost of $400 per person for additional staff. The cost for non-members is $500 per person.
Please register online to attend by March 13. For more information or conference questions, please email MSAN’s project manager, Connie Showalter, at connie.showalter@wisc.edu.
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About The Multicultural Student Achievement Network
MSAN builds the capacity of school leaders and students through its research-practice partnerships and communities of practice. MSAN elevates youth voices and engages in development, leadership, and research activities aimed at eliminating disparities, creating schools where every student belongs, and ensuring all students have what they need to thrive. Visit msan.wcer.wisc.edu.
About The Wisconsin Center for Education Research
WCER at UW–Madison’s #1-ranked School of Education is one of the first and most productive education research centers in the world. It has assisted scholars and practitioners in developing, submitting, conducting and sharing grant-funded education research for over 60 years. Find context and background at wcer.wisc.edu.
