Mcel United Inc

National convening:mcel hosts an annual national convening, dedicated to male leaders of color from various roles across the nation, including assistant principals, principals, various management roles, assistant superintendents, deputy superintendents, chiefs of staff, executive directors, superintendents, leaders in higher education, and other non-profit leaders.the agenda includes professional development workshops, fireside chats with prominent thought leaders, networking opportunities, and activities to facilitate healing and rejuvenation. This gathering is an essential platform for leaders looking to enhance their impact in the educational and non-profit sectors.mcel's 2024 national convening built upon the success of previous convenings. Nearly 250 participants attended, an increase of over 60% from the 2023 convening. Thirty eight (38) participants attended the hispanic male leaders pre-conference, an increase of 90% from the previous convening. For the first time, mcel also hosted six (6) school-system specific pre-conferences to address individual school system priorities and needs.participant feedback and survey data highlighted the national convening as a valuable, highly impactful, and meaningful professional development learning opportunity. Participants described their experience as empowering, inspiring, and transformative. They appreciated the inclusive and safe space created for growth, networking, and collaboration. Participants lauded the quality of sessions, speakers, and resources, particularly the leadership frameworks and actionable strategies.

National leadership institute:mcel's national leadership institute (nli) is an immersive leadership development program built around mcel's innovative "resilient, representative leadership framework," including the 10 essential leadership competencies for leaders of color, and the core principles of "quality, quantity, and care." participants learn from top system leaders in the country, making this a truly distinctive experience in leadership cultivation. The program is ideal for established leaders seeking to deepen their expertise and impact within the educational landscape through a focused, supportive, and transformative learning environment.in fy25, mcel completed the second cohort of the national leadership institute and graduated all 17 participants. Mcel successfully recruited, selected, and launched the third cohort of another 17 participants. Together, the first three cohorts include 48 participants representing 28 school systems across the country.the national leadership institute delivers measurable, transformational outcomes for participants, who praised it for its impact on leadership development and the formation of valuable professional relationships.evaluation reports conducted by the center for creative leadership - a globally recognized independent leadership development and research organization - highlight powerful growth in both individual leadership capacity and professional collaboration among participants. When measuring psychological capital, a research-backed framework that promotes leaders' motivation, confidence, adaptability, and forward-looking mindset, 100% of participants reported high psychological capital scores and statistically significant growth. The most substantial gains were in efficacy and resiliency, two key dimensions for leading in high-pressure educational contexts. These improvements are directly linked to better job performance, satisfaction, and organizational outcomes, highlighting a compelling return on investment.in addition, the social network analysis indicated that the program strengthens peer support structures, encourages ongoing knowledge sharing, and cultivates a collaborative leadership community that extends well beyond the program. The data affirms that nli participants emerge as more resilient, confident, and connected leaders equipped to drive equity-focused change in schools and districts. These outcomes translate into meaningful system improvements and stronger learning environments for students.

Program planning and development:mcel constantly incorporates the latest research to ensure all programs and services reflect evidence-based practice. Mcel attends and presents at national conferences to share promising practices and lessons learned. Mcel utilizes technology and software to provide services directly to participants and support the implementation of leadership development programs and services.

Leaders developing leaders:leaders developing leaders focuses on the importance of principals in driving student outcomes, effective practices for principal supervisors, and strategies to align central offices to develop and support school leaders.in spring of 2025, mcel's co-founders published an article - who has the principal's back? - to identify how central office can better support principals, the importance of a clear line of accountability for student learning, and the pivotal role played by principal supervisors to bridge central office and schools. Throughout the year, mcel facilitated professional learning communities and helped school system leaders explore these ideas, assess current practice, and determine concrete next steps to improve.mcel engaged in planning to host the second leaders developing leaders summit focused on strengthening systems for principal support, development, and supervision. Since the summit took place in july 2025, many of the revenues and expenses related to this summit will be recognized in fy26, the fiscal year during which the summit was held.

Resilient representative leadership framework:mcel disseminated and scaled the "resilient representative leadership framework," featuring the 10 essential competencies for leaders of color. This groundbreaking framework is poised to revolutionize how leaders of color navigate spaces that were historically not designed to foster their success.the toolkit is a comprehensive collection of resources to support individual leaders and educational systems in evaluating practices and creating conditions conducive to success, particularly for leaders of color. This versatile toolkit is applicable at all levels of leadership and includes:- 10 essential competencies for educational leaders of color outline the knowledge, skills, mindsets, dispositions, and behaviors most critical to the success of diverse leaders.- the guidebook consolidates advice for leaders of color who are planning their pathways into educational leadership, rerouting around a career roadblock, or navigating a difficult or unexpected development in their leadership journeys. This also is a resource for equity-minded allies when they need advice and support to be part of the big, bold systemic solutions we desperately need.- executive summary highlights the urgent need, framework, and toolkit resources.- critical background research demonstrates why we need a guidebook for educational leaders of color, the barriers preventing educators of color from accessing leadership opportunities, and strategies to attract and sustain educational leaders of color.- policy brief helps local, state, and federal policymakers consider ways to propel action to increase the racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the nation's school and system-level leaders.mcel network members and partners gain access to a more expansive suite of resources that fuel growth-focused self-reflection as well as transformational systemic support for educators of color at all stages of their careers:- self-reflection tool encourages leaders of color to charge and regularly re-energize their leadership by engaging in purposeful self-reflection, prioritizing self-care, and nurturing the relationships that sustain them.- 360 assessment tool enables leaders of color to solicit and receive feedback from their peers, mentors, staff, and other stakeholders.- transformational conversations tool assists anyone to be a great co-pilot to leaders of color they formally or informally support along their leadership journeys.- systems transformation tool helps district, charter network, and organizational leaders create more welcoming, supportive conditions for educators of color at all stages of their careers.

Chapter development and membership:mcel chapters deepen impact and build local leadership. Chapters either are anchored in a specific school district or span a broader geographical area. These chapters are uniquely positioned to align with and support the specific workforce development needs of their communities. Functioning as hubs of leadership engagement, mcel chapters foster connection, collaboration, and capacity building among local educational leaders. They support district and regional efforts to diversify leadership pipelines and strengthen educator retention.