Astronaut Nicole Mann to speak at the 2023 Families Learning Conference

We’re just 10 days away from the start of the 2023 Families Learning Conference, which brings together educators, literacy practitioners, parent leaders, policymakers, researchers, and funders to share innovations and best practices to support families in reaching their academic and economic goals. This year’s conference promises to be our best yet–including one speaker who’s absolutely out of this world.

On Tuesday, October 24th, our morning General Session will feature Col. Nicole Mann, the first indigenous woman from NASA to go to space. As a NASA astronaut, Col. Mann spent 157 days in orbit on the International Space Station as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission. As a pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps, she deployed twice in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. We’re so excited to be able to bring Col. Mann to Omaha, and we can’t wait to hear her share her story and the lessons she’s learned here on Earth and beyond.

Colonel Mann joins an already stellar lineup of conference speakers, including NAACP National Director of Education and Innovation Research Dr. Ivory Toldson; Silicon Valley-based technologist, speaker, and humanitarian Christopher Lafayette; and Executive Director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute Dr. Water Gilliam. Visit conference.familieslearning.orgtoday to see the schedule. Both single-day and three-day conference registrations are still available.