Everyday Learning, Exponential Impact: Family Engagement as an Equity Strategy

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this Early Childhood Education Summit session presented by Valhalla Foundation featured Elena Silva, CEO at Learning Policy Institute; Heejae Lim, Founder & CEO at TalkingPoints; Alejandro Gibes de Gac, CEO & Founder at Paloma & Springboard Collaborative; Dr. Onia Mayberry, Parent Leadership at NAFSCE; and Michael Levine, Senior Advisor at Kapor Center.The speakers explored how family engagement has served as a powerful equity strategy in early childhood education, highlighting how everyday learning opportunities can create exponential impact for children and communities. They discussed how stronger partnerships between families, educators, and communities have helped close opportunity gaps, empowered parents as leaders, and supported more inclusive systems that advance educational equity from the earliest years.