CESA 2

We want to send a BIG congratulations to Mackenzie Karbash, a senior at Delavan-Darien School District, for being one of the world's top Braille readers and advancing to the finals of the 2026 Braille Challenge! She qualified after excelling in the regional Braille Challenge competition hosted by the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (WCBVI) in February. To advance to the finals, students must rank among the top 10 competitors worldwide within their age division, making the Braille Challenge Finals one of the most prestigious competitions for students who are blind or visually impaired. Way to go, Mackenzie!!

See all the finalists and learn more about the competition at brailleinstitute.org/braille-challenge/finals!

Millions of students face disrupted learning as schools struggle to fill classrooms with qualified educators. To improve educator recruitment and retention, CESA 2 is preparing a year-long workshop in Fall 2026 to help districts build a research-based approach to strengthen educators' skills and provide strategies that leaders can use immediately. CESA 2 consultants Beth Clarke and Valerie Schmitz discuss the PERMAH model with Mohit Mukherjee, who will facilitate the workshop this fall.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/72IAmMNHnudTgggE6YNxw0?si=0nZNqjHcRouLjW6jXcJyzw

Schools are collecting a great amount of data. How can they effectively organize, analyze, and make decisions based on it? CESA 2 consultants Frank Devereaux and Valerie Schmitz chat with Justin Vondra, Sales Director from Doowii, on how AI can assist districts in noticing trends and making data-driven decisions.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/61XRSEmgLvC9Ie0qZkdX1b?si=3oKBbMdqQXSUtA3qRM8JOw

Implementing AI into the classroom requires an immense amount of care and consideration. The Summer Sync Summit is designed to connect emerging AI technologies with the power of human intuition. Our goal is to ensure that technology never outpaces intent and focus. We are bringing together the "architects of learning" to explore how AI can amplify our capacity to see, reach, and inspire every student while keeping the "Human in the Loop."

Learn more about the summit here: https://cesa2.org/summer-sync

The biggest fear of AI in the classroom is that it provides easy answers, killing the drive for inquiry. But when designed with care, a chatbot can become a powerful Socratic tutor. This workshop guides educators through the process of building a "walled garden" AI, making sure that your AI asks the right questions rather than just handing out the answers.

Learn more and register here! https://cesa2.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/cesa2/event.jsp?event=1244&

As AI becomes ubiquitous, the risk isn't just that it will replace tasks, it’s that it might replace the genuine human connections that hold communities together. But what if we flipped the script? What if we used AI to actually get closer to the people we live alongside? In this interactive workshop, we explore how to use AI as a bridge rather than a barrier. We’ll move beyond the fear and learn how to leverage emerging tools to foster deeper belonging, streamline accessibility, and scale the "human touch" without losing our soul.

Learn more and register here: https://cesa2.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/cesa2/event.jsp?event=1234&

Strengthen school culture and support instructional excellence through the PERMAH model!

In this year-long learning experience, school and district leaders will gain a coherent, strengths-oriented, research-based approach to strengthen skills, build a shared leadership language, and learn practical strategies that leaders can use immediately.

Early bird pricing ends this week! Learn more and register at https://cesa2.org/positive-leadership

This boot camp is designed to refresh and deepen understanding of not just the new versions of the NTC suite of high-leverage tools, but also consider how to use them in real coaching situations and adapt them to meet the needs of your given context and audience. Participants will practice coaching through resistance and applying Coaching Stances, such as the 6 Coaching Interventions, in real time, with opportunities for feedback.

Register here: https://cesa2.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/cesa2/event.jsp?event=1294&

Join us as we venture into Year 1 of the Research-Based and nationally known New Teacher Center Mentor Training. Participants will learn the mentoring process from building relationships to honoring critical conversations. The training is highly instructional including training to build relationships and trust, instructional tools and observation methods, and mentoring language and stances. These are all used to improve the practices of the new teacher and get better results for students! This training also meets the requirements for DPI mentor training.

Click the link for more info! https://cesa2.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/cesa2/event.jsp?event=1204&