2026: Partnership, Persistence, and Purpose: Centering Youth Voices and Moving from Vision to Impact
April 16-17, 2026
The Madison Concourse Hotel
Join committed colleagues from across the United States as we:
- Share current research and best practices
- Engage in inquiry and dialogue with exceptional educators, researchers, and experts
- Hear from students about what they need
- Connect through focused district planning and job-alike conversations.
The MSAN Institute is open to members and non-member districts. For more information or if you have questions, please email MSAN’s project manager, Connie Showalter at connie.showalter@wisc.edu.
The MSAN Institute is a two-day, professional learning opportunity dedicated to sharing current research and district practices, programs, and policies that create schools where all students thrive.
Important information
- A $100 no-show fee applies to anyone who registers using a complementary code but does not attend, including MSAN member district personnel.
- Registration is non-refundable but transferable.
- If a substitution is needed, please contact Connie Showalter at connie.showalter@wisc.edu by Friday, April 10, 2026.
Conference Location and Accommodations
The Madison Concourse Hotel
1 West Dayton St.
Madison, WI 53703
To make reservations, please call: 1-800-356-8293 and mention the MSAN Institute 2026 group.
Rooms at the Madison Concourse Hotel are $174/night + tax. Reservations must be made by Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Overnight parking for MSAN Institute attendees is $18/night. There is a complimentary shuttle to and from the airport. Please call the hotel (608-257-6000) to arrange.
Transportation Information
Note: The Institute ends at 2:00 p.m. on April 17. Please make flight arrangements accordingly.
The Dane County Regional Airport code is MSN and is a short 20-minute drive to campus. Another option is Mitchell International Airport (MKE) in Milwaukee. It is 85 miles from Madison (about a 1.5-hour drive).
Other transportation options include:
Union Cab
608-242-2000
One-way transportation: approximately $37 (metered rate). There is no additional charge for more people. Each cab can hold one-four people.
Madison Taxi
608-255-8294
One-way transportation: approximately $27 (metered rate). There is no additional charge for more people. Each cab can hold one-four people.
If you have questions, please email MSAN’s project manager, Connie Showalter at connie.showalter@wisc.edu.
Conference Testimonials
2026 Session Recordings
Day 1
Welcome
Welcome, Land Acknowledgement, and Overview of Day
- Latoya Holiday, MSAN Executive Director
- Kane Funmaker, Ho-Chunk, M.S. Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Dr. Marcelle Haddix, Dean of the School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Keynote: Who All Over There?! Becoming Worthy of the Agentic Voices of Black and Brown Youth
Dr. Jamila Lyiscott, Associate Professor of Social Justice Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Breakout Session C: Sit Down, Be Humble: How Adults Undermine Youth Brilliance
Presenter: Taylor Seale, Positive Youth Development Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension
Breakout Session E: Centering Student Voice to Advance Equity, Engagement & Belonging
Presenters: Lorie Clark, Coordinator of Student Leadership & Engagement; Trilce Márquez, Coordinator for Instructional Equity and Leadership; Arisbeth Hernandez Sanchez, Junior, Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate, MSAN Scholar, Student Leadership Council, Youth Leadership Institute; Kennedy Lytle, Junior, Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate, MSAN Scholar, Student Leadership Council, Youth Leadership Institute, Black & Brown Student Coalition, NAACP Youth Council
Breakout Session I: When Adults Shift, Students Thrive: Language Moves That Protect Belonging
Presenter: Trilce Márquez, Coordinator for Instructional Equity and Leadership, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
Day 2
Welcome
Welcome, Overview of the Day, and Special Remarks
- Latoya Holiday, MSAN Executive Director
- Dr. David Glasner, Superintendent, Shaker Heights City School District , Shaker Heights, OH and MSAN Governing Board President
- Dr. Mariana Castro, Interim Director, Wisconsin Center for Education Research; Qualitative Research Director, Multilingual Learning Research Center
Student Panel
Facilitator: Antonio Hoye, Dean of Students, Middleton High School, Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, WI
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District (WI) Students: Ailin Cobo Sanchez, Christopher Hogan, Janet Tai
Waunakee Community School District (WI) Students: Sara Chengoul, Carly Flores, Sebastian Sanchez Hoyos
Breakout Session M: From Voice to Belonging: How Student-Led Engagement Transforms School Culture
Presenters: Andrea Jones, Multicultural Services Coordinator at Vel Phillips Memorial High School and high school students: Maimun Ahmed; Awah Ambahe; Lluvia Chavez Portillo; William Harden; Ladan Ibrahim; Armando
Juarez Mendoza; Brianna Juarez Mendoza; Kevin Juarez Mendoza; London Tafor; Kelvin Washington; Jaiyedyn Williams
Madison Metropolitan School District