
Our events bring together educators, scholars, students, and members of the Columbia community and beyond to discuss and learn about topics in education and continuous learning and improvement.
Upcoming Events
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- Columbia Business School (CBS)
- Tuesday, February 28 at 12 pm ET
- Zoom Link
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- NYU Stern School of Business
- Wednesday, March 1 at 12 pm ET
- Zoom Link
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- NYU Steinhardt, NYU Wagner
- Wednesday, March 1 at 1 pm ET
- Zoom Link
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- Columbia Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (QMSS),
Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)
- Wednesday, March 1 at 1 pm ET
- Zoom Link
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- USC Gould School of Law
- Wednesday, March 1 at 4 pm ET/ 1 pm PT
- Zoom Link
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- Vanderbilt Peabody College of Education
- Thursday, March 2 at 11:30 am CT/12:30 pm ET
- Zoom Link
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- Teachers College, Columbia University
- Thursday, March 2 at 3 pm ET
- Zoom Link
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- NYU Clinic Fair
- Friday, March 3 at 3 pm ET
- In-Person
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- Duke University School of Law
- Tuesday, March 7 at 12:30 pm ET
- Zoom Link
Past Events
Beginning July 26, 2021
- Attend our free, remote Evolutionary Learning Institute for system leaders planning to use funding from the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Act to create learning recovery strategies. Those strategies should feature high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials and aligned professional learning (HQIM/PL) as a core component of learning recovery.
- The Institute includes coaching, reflection activities, and two full-day interactive training sessions on July 27 and July 29
- Participation is free! Registration is open through Tuesday, July 20, with applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Beginning July 26, 2021
- Attend our free, remote Evolutionary Learning Institute for system leaders planning to use funding from the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Act to create learning recovery strategies. Those strategies should feature high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials and aligned professional learning (HQIM/PL) as a core component of learning recovery.
- The Institute includes coaching, reflection activities, and two full-day interactive training sessions on July 27 and July 29
- Participation is free! Registration is open through Tuesday, July 20, with applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Beginning May 12, 2021
Educating for Change: Student-Led Civic Engagement
Join CPRL for a 3-part webinar series, “Educating for Change: Student-Led Civic Engagement,” which explores the questions:- What does student-led civic engagement mean and look like at the district and school levels?
- How does student-led civic engagement transform teacher practice and students’ experiences?
- What can school systems do to integrate student-led civic engagement in schools?
- Hear district and programs leaders from Baltimore City Public Schools’ Bmore Me and Chicago Public Schools’ Educating for Democracy discuss their student-led civic engagement programs.
- Webinar 2: Learn from New York City teachers and their partners as they describe how student-led civic engagement transformed teaching and learning in their classrooms.
- Webinar 3: Gather resources and tips from leaders at Democratic Knowledge Project at Harvard University and the New York State Education Department's Seal of Civic Readiness Initiative who partner with districts and schools to support student-led civic engagement.
Beginning May 12, 2021
Educating for Change: Student-Led Civic Engagement
Join CPRL for a 3-part webinar series, “Educating for Change: Student-Led Civic Engagement,” which explores the questions:- What does student-led civic engagement mean and look like at the district and school levels?
- How does student-led civic engagement transform teacher practice and students’ experiences?
- What can school systems do to integrate student-led civic engagement in schools?
- Hear district and programs leaders from Baltimore City Public Schools’ Bmore Me and Chicago Public Schools’ Educating for Democracy discuss their student-led civic engagement programs.
- Webinar 2: Learn from New York City teachers and their partners as they describe how student-led civic engagement transformed teaching and learning in their classrooms.
- Webinar 3: Gather resources and tips from leaders at Democratic Knowledge Project at Harvard University and the New York State Education Department's Seal of Civic Readiness Initiative who partner with districts and schools to support student-led civic engagement.
April 21, 2021
RISE to Thrive: A Vision for a Transformed and Equitable Education System
Join us on April 21 from 3pm-4pm ET for a conversation about the principles and guiding practices in our recent publication, RISE to Thrive: A Vision for a Transformed and Equitable Education System. Unlike other calls for transformation that offer minor updates to the ways schools currently operate, RISE to Thrive invites leaders to begin with the question: “How might we design an education system that prepares every child to thrive?" Participants include:- Elizabeth Chu, CPRL Executive Director
- Anneli Rautiainen, Head of the Finnish National Agency for Education Innovation Center
- Charlene Reid, CEO and Founder of Excellence Community Schools
- Keri Rodrigues, National Parents Union President
- Jenna Yuan, Director of Communications at Student Voice
April 21, 2021
RISE to Thrive: A Vision for a Transformed and Equitable Education System
Join us on April 21 from 3pm-4pm ET for a conversation about the principles and guiding practices in our recent publication, RISE to Thrive: A Vision for a Transformed and Equitable Education System. Unlike other calls for transformation that offer minor updates to the ways schools currently operate, RISE to Thrive invites leaders to begin with the question: “How might we design an education system that prepares every child to thrive?" Participants include:- Elizabeth Chu, CPRL Executive Director
- Anneli Rautiainen, Head of the Finnish National Agency for Education Innovation Center
- Charlene Reid, CEO and Founder of Excellence Community Schools
- Keri Rodrigues, National Parents Union President
- Jenna Yuan, Director of Communications at Student Voice
Beginning April 20, 2021
CPRL's 3-Part Workshop Series with Parent University
We will host a workshop series with Parent University, an online platform launched by the New York City Department of Education that provides free classes and resources that educate and empower families. Our 3-part workshop series is designed to help families and students end the year strong—whether learning is remote, hybrid, or transitioning between the two formats. The workshops address:- April 20: Setup and routines
- April 27: Learning and growth
- May 4: Community and connection
Beginning April 20, 2021
CPRL's 3-Part Workshop Series with Parent University
We will host a workshop series with Parent University, an online platform launched by the New York City Department of Education that provides free classes and resources that educate and empower families. Our 3-part workshop series is designed to help families and students end the year strong—whether learning is remote, hybrid, or transitioning between the two formats. The workshops address:- April 20: Setup and routines
- April 27: Learning and growth
- May 4: Community and connection
November 19, 2020
Networks for School Improvement Year 2 Update:
Emerging lessons from NSI partners and how we can continue to improve
We will join the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on November 19 at 2:00PM (ET) to discuss early lessons learned and best practices related to managing networks for school improvement (NSI). This discussion draws from CPRL's' 2-year study and includes insights from:- Networks and intermediary organizations supporting schools; and
- Schools and educators about how the work began and has shifted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Moderator: Josh Edelman, Deputy Director, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Panelists:
- Elizabeth Chu, Executive Director, CPRL
- Tiffany Deines, Program Manager, College Ready On-Track, Denver Public Schools
- Jacquelyn Lemon, Co-Executive Director, University of Chicago’s Network for College Success
- Edgar Montes, Project Co-Director, CARPE, High Tech High
November 19, 2020
Networks for School Improvement Year 2 Update:
Emerging lessons from NSI partners and how we can continue to improve
We will join the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on November 19 at 2:00PM (ET) to discuss early lessons learned and best practices related to managing networks for school improvement (NSI). This discussion draws from CPRL's' 2-year study and includes insights from:- Networks and intermediary organizations supporting schools; and
- Schools and educators about how the work began and has shifted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Moderator: Josh Edelman, Deputy Director, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Panelists:
- Elizabeth Chu, Executive Director, CPRL
- Tiffany Deines, Program Manager, College Ready On-Track, Denver Public Schools
- Jacquelyn Lemon, Co-Executive Director, University of Chicago’s Network for College Success
- Edgar Montes, Project Co-Director, CARPE, High Tech High
Learning Institutes

Between 2017 and 2019, CPRL’s Evolutionary Learning Institutes supported 24 school systems, schools, and professional learning providers in the strategic design of initiatives ranging from high-quality instructional materials to data-informed practices to districtwide improvement, among others.
In November and December of 2019, CPRL hosted the “Scaling Impact Institute,” with support from the Walton Family Foundation. The institute gathered teams of 3-5 people from education organizations in the Bronx. During the Institute, CPRL trained teams on Evolutionary Learning and supported those teams as they used the approach to scale their impact in the Bronx.