Case Study
League of Innovative Schools: Building Equity-Centered Convenings Through Strategic Planning
Executive Summary
Since December 2021, Digital Promise has partnered with Collaborative Communications to deliver the League of Innovative Schools’ spring convening. In March 2025, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with over 400 district leaders in attendance and 13 districts co-hosting, the convening provided a national platform for peer learning, equity-centered innovation, and systems-level reflection.
Collaborative led full-cycle planning and execution, from managing multi-site logistics and vendor contracting to designing participant experiences and communication strategies. The result was a deeply human, place-based experience that strengthened the League’s national network and advanced shared priorities in public education.
This case study highlights how Collaborative built the infrastructure, managed complexity, and delivered an event experience that embodied the League’s values of innovation, inclusion, and community.
Introduction
The League of Innovative Schools is a network of forward-thinking districts committed to advancing equity and innovation in public education. Founded under the Obama administration and facilitated by Digital Promise, the League connects district leaders with researchers, partners, and each other to share promising practices and co-create solutions to urgent challenges.
For its Spring 2025 convening, the League turned to Collaborative Communications to lead planning and production. With 13 host districts, multiple venues, and hundreds of attendees, the event demanded a balance of strategic vision, operational clarity, and local authenticity.
Problem
The convening’s ambition—multiple days of programming, community site visits, and network-building—created logistical and design challenges. These included:
- Coordinating across 13 district hosts with unique needs and expectations
- Ensuring event logistics (transportation, registration, accessibility) worked seamlessly across multiple venues
- Designing content that reflected the League’s mission while building in flexibility for emerging issues and attendee needs
The goal was to ensure a smooth, inclusive, and high-impact event while preserving the relational intimacy and spirit of innovation that define the League.
Methodology
Collaborative employed a multi-layered planning model that blended structure with adaptability:
- Project Infrastructure: Developed detailed timelines, project plans, and a shared Asana board to align stakeholders across time zones and institutions.
- Ongoing Coordination: Facilitated weekly planning calls and built shared run-of-show documents to ensure alignment between Digital Promise, Collaborative, and host districts.
- Content Design: Supported Digital Promise in shaping program goals, session formats, and workshop flows based on past feedback and strategic priorities.
- Operations and Logistics: Managed registration, transportation, accessibility planning, and vendor contracting with care and precision.
- Onsite Delivery: Created staffing plans, managed onsite materials, and supported transitions across school visits, hotel venues, and evening receptions.
Analysis
Strong Systems Enable Trust and Focus
Early planning, shared tools, and clearly defined roles reduced confusion and built alignment among 13 host districts and Digital Promise staff.
Program Design Anchored in Mission
Content reinforced key League values—equity, innovation, and collaboration—through sessions for those in similar job positions, peer-led workshops, and school visits that centered place and practice.
Multi-Venue Logistics Executed Seamlessly
Transportation and site coordination enabled over 400 participants to engage meaningfully across districts and cultural institutions without confusion or friction.
Community Building Through Informal Touchpoints
Evening receptions at the Heinz History Center and the Carnegie Science Center created space for reflection, connection, and celebration, enhancing the value of more formal programming.
Findings & Insights
Through the planning of this event, Collaborative found:
- Infrastructure Drives Execution: Systems like Asana and shared run-of-show documents created a single source of truth, enabling all parties to stay on track.
- Local Context Deepens Learning: Integrating local culture—like Pittsburgh’s arts, history, and education practices—into school visits elevated the experience.
- Flexibility is a Strategic Asset: Built-in buffer time and adaptable materials helped the team respond quickly to evolving needs during the convening.
- Personalization Increases Belonging: Dietary accommodations, role-based agendas, and intentional touchpoints helped participants feel seen and supported.
- Relationships Are Reinforced by Design: Informal networking opportunities on buses, during dinners, and between sessions played a central role in strengthening the League’s peer learning network.
Recommendations
Based on our experience, Collaborative recommends:
- Establish Shared Planning Systems Early: Use collaborative platforms and check-in rhythms to foster alignment across hosts, vendors, and internal teams.
- Center Local Context in National Events: Embed regional history, innovation, and cultural reference points into session design and school visits.
- Design for Both Structure and Spontaneity: Maintain a strong event backbone, but allow for emergent conversations and moments of reflection.
- Elevate Participant Experience Through Personalization: Small touches like accommodations, signage, and meal choices contribute to larger feelings of inclusion and care.
- Treat Informal Moments as Strategic Opportunities: Build in time and space for unstructured connection; these moments often yield the strongest insights and relationships.
Conclusion
The League of Innovative Schools’ 2025 spring convening exemplified how thoughtful planning, operational precision, and mission-driven design can come together to create a meaningful national event. Through its partnership with Collaborative Communications, Digital Promise delivered an experience that strengthened relationships, elevated local innovation, and deepened the network’s collective capacity to lead.
More than a gathering, the convening reflected what is possible when systems support people and when purpose and logistics work together to drive equity-centered innovation.