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Making Summer Count: Schoolwide Strategies That Support Families and Ensure Student Success
Wednesday, February 4, 2026 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST
Presented by Elizabeth McChesney, Early Literacy and Community Partnerships Consultant, LaundryCares Foundation; and Joan Brooks, Vice President of Sales, Blue Star Education
Sponsored by Blue Star Education
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This edWebinar explores how schools and districts can extend learning through the three Rs: Relationships, Routines, and Realistic Support. Viewers leave with concrete strategies they can use to support families, ensuring students remain engaged with meaningful learning at home. When schools provide structure, access, and support, learning doesn’t stop over the summer, it simply changes location.
This recorded edWebinar is of interest to PreK-12 school leaders, district leaders, and before- and after-school program leaders.
About the Presenters
Liz McChesney is a longtime children’s advocate and librarian with more than 35 years of experience advancing literacy, learning, and equity for children and families. Her current work with the LaundryCares Foundation and Clinton Foundation transforms everyday spaces into early learning and literacy hubs, efforts recognized with the nation’s highest honor for literacy: the David M. Rubenstein Award from the Library of Congress. Liz is also a Senior Advisor in Educational Equity at the nationally recognized Urban Libraries Council and a Senior Fellow at the National Summer Learning Association. Previously, as Director of Citywide Children’s Services and Family Engagement at the Chicago Public Library, she reimagined the library’s role in early literacy, summer learning, play, and homework support, influencing public library practice nationwide. Liz is the author of four books, with two more forthcoming, including the picture book Once Upon a Book by Sourcebooks.
Joan Brooks is the Vice President of Sales at Blue Star Education, where she partners with school districts nationwide to strengthen the school-to-home connection through innovative family engagement resources. With deep experience across the K–12 education landscape, Joan is passionate about supporting the vital work happening inside schools and ensuring families are active partners in student learning.
Joan holds an Executive MBA from the University of Nebraska Omaha and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood Development. This unique combination of classroom experience and business strategy has fueled her career in education leadership and sales, where she develops processes and coaches teams that help districts extend learning beyond the classroom and create meaningful engagement for families.
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At Blue Star Education, we create supplemental curriculum materials designed to motivate students to actively build the skills they need to succeed in every subject area. We understand the unique challenges educators face and the critical role families play in supporting student learning, which is why we prioritize creating resources that strengthen the connection between school and home.
Whether it’s through engaging activities, hands-on learning tools, or family-friendly resources, our goal is to foster a love of learning and to encourage meaningful family involvement. We are proud to be a company that champions parental and family engagement, equipping families to take an active role in the educational journey of their children. Together, we can shape confident, curious, and capable learners, ensuring that every child has the support and resources to excel both academically and personally.
