Engaging with people passionate about public schools.
Our events bring Madison together around its public schools, whether that’s a morning inside a school, a deep dive into the issues shaping MMSD, or a celebration of the partners and donors who make this work possible.
Upcoming Events
Together, we create a stronger community.
New events are on the way. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when registration opens.
Past Events
A Principal Experience 2026
October 29, 2026
77 Principal Partners shadowed MMSD principals at 50 schools, then gathered at TruStage to talk about pride and possibility in Madison’s public schools.
2026 Schools Make Madison Summit
April 30, 2026
Educators, business leaders and community advocates gathered at Thermo Fisher Scientific for our 4th Annual Summit, featuring a keynote from Cindy Green and an Adopt-a-School partner panel.
Moving Forward Together Breakfast
February 17, 2026
Hosted by M3 Insurance and sponsored by Baird, this breakfast celebrated the business partners helping make Madison’s recent school referenda transformational.
A Principal Experience 2025
October 30, 2025
A Principal Experience returned, pairing community and business leaders with MMSD principals for a morning in schools and a luncheon at the Alliant Energy Center.
Schools Make Madison Partners for Progress Breakfast
September 25, 2025
Our 4th Annual Partners for Progress Breakfast brought community leaders, sponsors and educators to the newly renovated Vel Phillips Memorial High School to celebrate the power of partnership.
2025 Schools Make Madison Summit
April 30, 2025
More than 150 educators, civic leaders and community partners gathered at Thermo Fisher Scientific for our 3rd Annual Summit, focused on student attendance and literacy.
2024 Partners for Progress Breakfast
Fall 2024
Community leaders explored Madison’s future as a growing destination city, and why thriving public schools need to stay at the heart of it.
2024 Schools Make Madison Summit
April 25, 2024
Our 2nd Annual Summit gave 150+ attendees at Thermo Fisher Scientific an inside look at school funding, the role of school social workers and the school nutrition program.
2023-24 Briefing – School Budgets Up in the Air
June 22, 2023
Jason Stein and Sara Shaw of Wisconsin Policy Forum shared findings from their report on how decisions in Madison shape school budgets amid declining enrollment and rising costs.
2023 Schools Make Madison Summit
April 27, 2023
Our first Summit brought nearly 150 community advocates to Thermo Fisher Scientific to hear from educators, business leaders and Adopt-a-School partners about why public schools matter to Madison.
Event
Schools Make Madison Champions Reception
October 6, 2022
We celebrated the Champion donors whose unrestricted annual gifts power the Foundation’s work, with a live performance by students from Cherokee Heights Middle and Thoreau Elementary.
Event
Schools Make Madison Legacy Circle Celebration
September 27, 2022
Retired principal Kathy Costello shared how a $300,000+ bequest to Thoreau Elementary became the Forever Literacy Thoreau Elementary fund, and Thoreau students read their own writing.
“Becoming a community school has had a very powerful and positive impact on Mendota. When you describe community schools it’s often the hub of community in which resources are provided for families and scholars. And it’s been that and more for us as a school.”
Carlettra Stanford, Associate Superintendent – Elementary Schools and former Principal of Mendota Elementary School