Newswise — Real-life heroes of the blockbuster movie The Blind Side, a “60 MINUTES” contributor, an international leader in education and a critically acclaimed author all will participate in this year’s National Conference on Family Literacy.
And if that lineup isn’t enough, add two assistant secretaries from the U.S. Department of Education and members of The Electric Company.
The 19th National Conference on Family Literacy will feature all that and more as it convenes in San Antonio for the first time in its history April 11-13 at the Marriott Rivercenter, which is located along the city’s famous Riverwalk.
The conference will convene family literacy educators and advocates for the largest and most comprehensive gathering of educators, government officials and practitioners dedicated to multigenerational learning.
Highlights for the more than 1,500 conference participants will include:
• NFL football player Michael Oher and his adoptive father, Sean Tuohy, who are the subject of the Academy Award Best Picture nominee The Blind Side. Michael and Sean’s inspirational story focuses on defining family, the power of faith in each other and how we can make a difference to those who need us most;• Byron Pitts, a “60 MINUTES” contributor and the chief national correspondent for CBS News, who overcame functional illiteracy as a teen. His award-winning career includes covering the 9/11 attacks, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hurricane Katrina and the Florida Presidential recount. Pitts has authored a book, Stepping Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges; • Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally recognized leader in education, creativity and innovation. At the conference banquet, he will talk about cutting-edge ways to help families meet 21st century education needs and technology’s role in doing so. His latest book, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything (2009), is on The New York Times’ best-seller list;• Author Monica Holloway, who will share her personal story about parent involvement in education for a special needs child, as told through her new memoir, Cowboy and Wills. Her books have earned acclaim from Newsweek and People magazines;• Dr. Brenda Dann-Messier, assistant secretary for vocational and adult education, and Dr. Thelma Melendez, assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education, will share the information on the Obama Administration’s literacy and education priorities and initiatives. • The Electric Company executive producer and cast members, who will engage participants in a lively and interactive discussion on how the revived show directly addresses the nation’s literacy issue in direct and relevant ways.
The current registration fee is $395. After March 4, the cost is $435. To register and for more information, visit www.famlit.org/conference.
More information can be found at www.famlit.org/conference. The National Conference on Family Literacy is the largest and most comprehensive gathering of educators, government officials and practitioners dedicated to multigenerational learning. Now in its 19th year, the conference typically draws attendees from at least 45 states and several countries, such as Canada, Pakistan, Puerto Rico and South Africa.
The National Center for Family Literacy (www.famlit.org) produces this conference and has impacted more than 1 million families and trained more than 150,000 practitioners in more than 20 years. The conference is generously supported by sponsorships from Toyota, Verizon, Dollar General Literacy Foundation, MetLife and the University of Phoenix Foundation.
RSS