2026 UC|CSU Collaborative Summit — The Power of Connection in Adolescence

UC|CSU Collaborative 2026 Summit

The Power of Connection in Adolescence: Reimagining Schools and Communities for Connected Learning

Join educators, faculty, administrators, and researchers in child development for a conversation about how schools and communities can strengthen the social and relational skills that support learning, well-being, and future success for adolescents with individual learning differences.

Track A: From School to Community Redesigning Inclusive 6–16 Learning Environments

Track B: From Access to Agency Building Digital Equity and Well-Being for Diverse Learners

Each session features a moderated discussion with developmental scientists and practitioners in education or behavioral and mental health, connecting research evidence with real-world practice.

Summit Details

Join us online

A free, virtual summit focused on connection, inclusion, digital equity, and adolescent learning.

Date Saturday, November 7, 2026

Time 9:00 AM–12:00 PM PT

Platform Virtual — Zoom

Cost Free

Featured Sessions

Opening Remarks & Keynote

The summit opens with a policy perspective on supporting adolescent learners and a keynote exploring the developmental science behind connection during adolescence.

Opening Remarks Headshot of Linda Darling-Hammond

Understanding the California
State Policy Context

Linda Darling-Hammond, Ed.D. California State Board of Education

Learn about California’s latest investments and policy directions supporting adolescent learners, including secondary school redesign, college and career pathways, and youth technology and behavioral health. Participants explore how these emerging priorities are creating new opportunities to better support adolescent learning, engagement, and success across California.

Featured Keynote Headshot of Andrew Fuligni

Supporting the Connecting Brain
During Adolescence

Andrew Fuligni, Ph.D. UCLA, Center for the Developing Adolescent (CDA)

Decades of research shows that adolescence–approximately ages 10 to 25–is a period of remarkable opportunity. Dr. Fuligni will share how insights from developmental science can help generate new ways of thinking about the challenges and opportunities our youth face and ultimately advance science-inspired solutions, systems, and support.

Conference Schedule

Saturday, November 7, 2026

All times are Pacific Time. The opening sessions and keynote are shared; Track A and Track B sessions run concurrently.

Schedule at a glance: The summit begins with welcome remarks and a keynote, followed by two concurrent tracks and closing remarks.

2026 UC|CSU Collaborative Summit schedule. All times are Pacific Time.
Time (PT)	Track A From School to Community: Redesigning Inclusive 6–16 Learning Environments	Track B From Access to Agency: Building Digital Equity and Well-Being for Diverse Learners
9:00–9:05 AM	Welcome & Introductions Speakers: Jennie Grammer, Ph.D., UC\|CSU Collaborative and Alison Yoshimoto-Towery, Ed.D., UC\|CSU Collaborative, CA Institute
9:05–9:15 AM	Opening Remarks: Understanding the California State Policy Context Speaker: Linda Darling-Hammond, Ed.D., California State Board of Education
9:15–9:55 AM	Keynote: Supporting the Connecting Brain During Adolescence Speaker: Andrew Fuligni, Ph.D., UCLA, CDA
9:55–10:00 AM	Summit Overview Speaker: Kathy Do, Ph.D., UC\|CSU Collaborative, CA Institute
10:00–10:05 AM	Transition
10:05–10:50 AM	Designing Inclusive Behavior Supports for Every Classroom Speakers: Elizabeth Redcay, Ph.D., University of Maryland and Michelle Dean, Ph.D., CSU Channel Islands Moderator: Sara Werner Juárez, Ph.D., Cal Poly Pomona	Rethinking Learning, Access, and Belonging in the Age of AI Speakers: Mimi Ito, Ph.D., UC Irvine and Elena Dukhovny, Ph.D., CSU East Bay Moderator: Kai Greene, Ph.D., CSU Dominguez Hills
10:50–10:55 AM	Transition
10:55–11:40 AM	Expanding Post-Secondary Pathways for Diverse Learners Speakers: Kristin Powers, Ph.D., NCSP, CSU Long Beach and Stephanie Coleman, SCOE Moderator: Kristopher Yeager, Ph.D., CSU Channel Islands	Preparing Diverse Learners for Digital Wellness, Safety, and Informed Use Speakers: Sunny Xun Liu, Ph.D., Stanford University, Stephen Adams, Ph.D., CSU Long Beach, and Stanley O. Harris, Ed.D., American Association for the Advancement of Science Moderator: Kimberly Coy, Ph.D., CSU Fresno
11:40–11:45 AM	Transition
11:45 AM–12:00 PM	Closing Remarks Speakers: Kathy Do, Ph.D., UC\|CSU Collaborative, CA Institute and Cristina Whyte, Ph.D., UC\|CSU Collaborative

Meet the Speakers

Speaker Lineup

Connect with leading researchers, educators, and practitioners advancing connected learning and adolescent development.

Linda Darling-Hammond, Ed.D.

President, California State Board of Education
Chief Knowledge Officer, Learning Policy Institute (LPI)
Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus, Stanford University

Andrew Fuligni, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA
Co-Executive Director, UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent

Kathy Do, Ph.D.

Associate Project Scientist,
UC|CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Diversity, and Learning
UCLA California Institute on Law, Neuroscience, and Education

Jennie Grammer, Ph.D.

Faculty Director, UC|CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Diversity, and Learning
Associate Professor, UCLA School of Education and Information Studies

Alison Yoshimoto-Towery, Ed.D.

Executive Director,
UC|CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Diversity, and Learning
UCLA California Institute on Law, Neuroscience, and Education

Cristina Whyte, Ph.D.

Project Scientist,
UC|CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Diversity, and Learning

Elizabeth Redcay, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology,
University of Maryland

Michelle Dean, Ph.D.

Professor, Special Education,
CSU Channel Islands

Sara Werner Juarez, Ph.D., BCBA

Associate Professor, Special Education,
Cal Poly Pomona

Mimi Ito

Director, Connected Learning Lab
Professor in Residence, Department of Informatics, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, UC Irvine

Elena Dukhovny, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Professor, Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences,
California State University East Bay

Kai Greene, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Special Education,
California State University, Dominguez Hills

Kristin Powers, Ph.D., NCSP

Professor, CSU Long Beach
Co-Director, Think Beach

Stephanie Coleman, M. SpEd

Coordinator of Inclusive Practices and Integrated Systems,
Sacramento COE

Kristopher Yeager, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Special Education,
CSU Channel Islands

Sunny Xun Liu, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scholar, Stanford Tech Impact & Policy Center
Director of Research, Stanford Social Media Lab

Stephen Adams, Ph.D.

Professor and Program Coordinator,
Educational Technology and Media Leadership,
California State University, Long Beach

Stanley O. Harris, Ed.D.

Science & Technology Policy Fellow,
American Association for the Advancement of Science

Kimberly Coy, Ph.D.

Professor,
California State University, Fresno

Meet Our Partners

Partners

Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the UC|CSU Collaborative 2026 Summit.

What is the UC|CSU Collaborative 2026 Summit?

The 2026 Summit is the UC|CSU Collaborative’s annual summit, bringing together educators, administrators, and researchers. This year’s theme is The Power of Connection in Adolescence: Reimagining Schools and Communities for Connected Learning.

Where is the 2026 Summit happening?

The Summit is completely virtual and will be hosted on Arraya Learning.

How do I register?

Create a free Arraya Learning account, then visit the registration page and select Register.

What is Arraya Learning?

Arraya Learning is a centralized, research-based resource hub developed and vetted by leading experts across the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems. Developed by the UC|CSU Collaborative, Arraya Learning is completely free to users.