2026 Conference Archive

Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

NAEHCY, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, and Forsyth County Schools

First Presenter’s Email Address

kpluhar@naehcy.org

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Kim Pluhar Kim Pluhar serves as Forsyth County Schools’ McKinney Vento Liaison and NAEHCY’s K-12 Professional Development and Programs Consultant. As a district liaison, she supports thousands of students and families annually. She also serves as a K-12 Professional Development Consultant for NAEHCY. She is a founding member of the Forsyth County Homeless Youth Council, facilitates the Metro-Atlanta PLC, is a member of The Drop YHDP Advisory Council, and serves on the Georgia Department of Education’s Homeless Education Advisory Council. As a trained youth resilience coach, former K-12 educator, multilingual speaker, and former ESOL teacher, Ms. Pluhar focuses on closing academic gaps and removing barriers to support homeless children and youth. She works to strengthen cross-functional teams and community based partnerships that strengthen the network of support in the K-12 homeless education space by building bridges between the pre-school through post-secondary continuum. Ms. Pluhar holds a Master’s of Organizational Leadership, a bachelors in K-12 education and certifications to close academic gaps and support the whole child’s development and growth.

Second Presenter's Institution

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, NAEHCY

Second Presenter’s Email Address

dnicholson@naehcy.org

Second Presenter's Brief Biography

Deirdre Lynch Nicholson- Abbreviated Bio Deirdre (Pronounced Dear-Drah) Lynch Nicholson serves as the Executive Director of the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY), bringing over 20 years of leadership experience in education, child advocacy, and nonprofit management. Previously, she served as Organizational Ombuds for Atlanta Public Schools, advocating for over 50,000 students. Her roles have included State Director for Georgia's Century Community Learning Centers Program and consultant for the Georgia Department of Education's Federal Programs Division, focusing on students experiencing homelessness. Deirdre holds a Juris Doctor from Indiana University Bloomington Maurer School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal as one of the presenter(s)

Location

Verelst

Strand #1

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Strand #2

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

Head (Academic Achievement & Leadership)

  • Connection to Stability: The McKinney-Vento Act, Foster Care, and Title I Part D exist to ensure students close academic gaps and maintain school stability during times of transition.
  • Closing Gaps: This aligns with closing achievement gaps
  • Leadership in Practice: Equip school leaders, teachers, community partners, MV Liaisons, Foster Care POCs, Title I Part D Directors, and school social workers with clear roles to strengthen leadership capacity across the school district.
  • Alignment with the head fosters stability and academic achievement.

Heart (Social & Emotional Skills)

  • Trust and Relationships: Focusing on building trust with students and families and across internal and external stakeholders.
  • Reducing Trauma: Through coordination of roles to promote student stability and support youth for a stable and supportive learning environment.
  • Connection to the heart fosters resilience and emotional growth.

Brief Program Description

Students served by McKinney-Vento, ESSA Foster Care provisions, Title I Part D for neglected and delinquent youth often face gaps in some services and duplication in other services. This session equips schools, districts, and community partners with tools to align duties, clarify roles, and strengthen partnerships. Participants will explore early warning indicators, complete a crosswalk exercise, and apply an engagement rubric to identify gaps and plan for transformational collaboration.

Summary

This session equips school staff and community partners with tools to strengthen cross-sector partnerships for students served by the McKinney-Vento Program, Foster Care, Title I Part D, and School Social Workers. It moves beyond siloed, transactional supports toward transformational partnerships to maximize impact while drawing from local expertise and community resources. This presentation provides district leaders, liaisons, local councils, and community partners with practical tools to align services, supports, clarify roles, and build higher, wider, and stronger partnerships. By integrating federal requirements (McKinney-Vento, ESSA Foster Care provisions, Title I Part D for neglected and delinquent youth) with local practice (school social work, community agencies), participants will learn how to move beyond transactional supports to transformational, countywide collaboration that improves student outcomes.

Learning Objective 1

Foundations: Understanding legal requirements and duties across roles and acts.

Learning Objective 2

The ABCs and Push-Pull Factors

Learning Objective 3

Cross-System Comparison & Alignment

Keyword Descriptors

McKinney-Vento, Foster Care (ESSA), Title I, Part D, and School Social Work, funding sources, cross-systems alignment, crosswalk tool, engagement rubric

Presentation Year

2026

Start Date

3-3-2026 10:15 AM

End Date

3-3-2026 11:30 AM

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Mar 3rd, 10:15 AM Mar 3rd, 11:30 AM

Moving from Transactional to Transformational- Building Cross-Systems Partnerships for Vulnerable Youth

Verelst

Students served by McKinney-Vento, ESSA Foster Care provisions, Title I Part D for neglected and delinquent youth often face gaps in some services and duplication in other services. This session equips schools, districts, and community partners with tools to align duties, clarify roles, and strengthen partnerships. Participants will explore early warning indicators, complete a crosswalk exercise, and apply an engagement rubric to identify gaps and plan for transformational collaboration.