This year, the LISC Charter School Financing team is looking forward to the opportunity to network with our colleagues and schools at the National Charter School Conference. We are honored to be presenting at the long-running conference again this year, after being rated a top 10 session last year. NCSC will bring together 4,000+ attendees at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The conference promises to be a great leadership and professional development experience. Below we have highlighted a few things our team is looking forward to:
Our Session
NCSC is well known for its thought-provoking and informational breakout sessions. This year we are excited to present our highly rated, School Daze: Navigating the Facility Financing Maze session. Our Senior Director of Charter School Financing, Yvonne Nolan, will be on the panel. She will be presenting in partnership with Dru Damico from Building Hope, Anand Kesavan from the Equitable Facilities Fund, and Molly Melloh from Reinvestment Fund. The session will take place on July 3rd from 10:15am – 12:15pm.
During our session, panelists will cover all the elements of planning a successful facility project. We will start with a look at facilities development throughout a school’s life cycle, move into real estate planning, provide an overview of financial capacity and affordability, and end the first half of our session with an exploration of financing options. During the second half of our session, panelists will work in small groups with attendees to help estimate the cost of their facility project and understand the amount of their facility-financing gap. Panelists will also be available to answer attendee questions.
NCSC Pre-Conference
The National Alliance’s Charter School Facility Center, launched last year, will be hosting the first ever pre-conference for facility professionals. The pre-conference promises to be a one-of-a-kind opportunity for networking, professional development, and best practice sharing. For those planning to arrive in Vegas early on Sunday, this can’t be missed. The invitation-only event is open to all school personnel and CMO leaders.
The first half of the day will be about the basics of charter school facilities and equip charter school facility professionals to make better-informed decisions. The day will end with a happy hour that is open to all. Please find more information and registration for the pre-conference here.
Keynotes
Throughout the conference and its sessions, NCSC has scheduled a series of keynotes. We find these keynotes to be the perfect opportunity for reflection and inspiration. While this year’s keynotes are all exciting, we are looking forward to speeches from Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, and Clifton Taulbert, whose first book, Once Upon a Time We Were Colored, was a requested gift for Nelson Mandela when he was being released from prison.
Wellness Area
After a day of conferencing, you will likely be tired! Before you head off to a networking happy hour, take some time for self-care. We love that NCSC has built in time and space for attendees to relax and re-energize. Yoga and mindfulness workshops will take place every hour on Monday and Tuesday. A wellness workshop, socio-emotional learning workshop, and therapy puppies will also be available during the first two days of the conference, allowing attendees yet another way to re-energize.
We hope to see you next week! Let us know which parts of the conference you are most excited about!