2026 MERC Summit

The 2026 Summit of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium will build connections across education research, policy, and practice.

The landscape of public education is constantly shifting, navigating enduring and emerging issues while integrating new technologies, innovations, and evidence-based practices. To help PK-12 schools adapt to these changes and support positive outcomes in the communities that they serve, it is critical to connect across educational research, policy, and practice. The Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) is a longstanding partnership between the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University and PK-12 school divisions in the metropolitan Richmond region. The MERC Summit is its annual gathering of key stakeholders who come together to collaborate around some of the most complex issues and exciting ideas in public education.

1. To offer interactive sessions where educational practitioners, researchers, and policymakers can learn together and collaborate on strategies to address prominent issues in public schools.

2. To explore innovative approaches to supporting PK-12 students, educators, and families.

3. To learn from locally-developed research exploring trends, outcomes, and recommendations specific to metropolitan Richmond schools.

4. To leverage the benefits of research-practice partnerships between universities and PK-12 public school systems by forging meaningful connections between stakeholders.

The summit format will focus on collaborative sessions where attendees are invited to actively contribute their ideas and expertise.

The program will be released in May 2026 and will feature interactive sessions with presenters from educational research, policy, and practice. Participants will receive a certificate for 7 contact hours to be used towards continuing education credit. Lunch is also included in the price of admission.

Virginia Commonwealth University is a nationally renowned public research institution dedicated to the success and well-being of all members of its community. VCU student, faculty and staff groups and associations are open without regard to any characteristic or identity protected by law.

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