At the Heart of Family Learning: Hope in action at NCFL’s 2024 Families Learning Conference
The 2024 Families Learning Conference wrapped up last month. This year’s convening provided a chance for us to celebrate 35 years of NCFL’s family learning work alongside the best practices and cutting edge research shared by session presenters.
I’ve had a few weeks now to reflect on the learning shared through this year’s conference, and I couldn’t be more inspired by the ways all of our conference presenters and speakers exemplified the idea of hope in action. I wrote about this idea in the president’s brief that accompanied this year’s conference program: “I can’t help but be grateful for the many families, communities, and state and local partners who have joined together with us to help channel their hope for a better tomorrow into transformative experiences advancing family well-being and success.” But it was something different to be together in person with so many of you, watching you share the hope you have for your children and families in your communities.
The first of our keynote speakers, Dr. Dana Suskind, co-director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health at the University of Chicago, shared the importance of rich, nurturing conversation for children’s early development and the promises and pitfalls of new generative AI technology to meet this crucial need. Dr. Suskind was clear-eyed about the challenges, but just as clear-eyed about the opportunities inherent in ensuring that every child has access to the resources necessary for healthy development, whether through AI or other means. I look forward to new opportunities in 2025 to consider ways that NCFL’s work might incorporate various technologies, including AI, to the benefit of the children and families we serve.
On Tuesday, children’s book author and entrepreneur, Daniel Vandever, spoke with incredible depth and emotion about his family’s story and the way that story informs his work as an author. In his keynote, he highlighted the dissonance his family experienced around their native language. His grandfather, Joe Vandever Sr., USMC, was a Navajo Code Talker who was celebrated for the way he used his language in service to his country during World War II; just a generation later, Daniel’s father was punished for speaking Navajo in an Indian boarding school. Despite these challenges, and many more, Daniel’s description of the resilience and endurance of the Diné people was itself a story of hope in action. It was inspiring to hear the way that Daniel now uses language as a bridge to others in his writing, and to learn about how the Family and Child Education (FACE) program in Arizona is helping the latest generation of his family celebrate and sustain Navajo language and culture.
Mildred Otero, President of Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE), provided the keynote for our closing session on Wednesday. Mildred is both a powerful advocate for diversity in civic leadership and a dear friend, so it was wonderful to see her on the Families Learning Conference mainstage. Her message helped us see the importance of women in leadership, and how commitment to open dialogue can strengthen communities and create a sense of ownership around education and workforce development solutions.
This year we were also honored to host both Kentucky First Lady Britainy Beshear and Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman during Families Learning Conference general sessions. First Lady Beshear highlighted Kentucky’s long history as pioneers of family literacy and celebrated the work of important community partners like Thorn Hill Education Center, who provide family literacy and adult education services across the state capital region. Lieutenant Governor Coleman reflected on her work as a teacher and administrator and provided a poignant reminder that effectively serving children and families means looking beyond the barriers they face and embracing the skills, knowledge, and experiences they bring to all situations.
The last day of the Families Learning Conference also gave us the opportunity to formally recognize the 2024 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year awardees. This year’s runner-up, Denielia Turner of Huntsville, Alabama worked in the same school for 27 years and developed deep relationships with families through both her work in the classroom and the seminars, workshops, and home visits she carried out. The 2024 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year winner, Megan Singh of Indianapolis, Indiana, was honored for her commitment to and advocacy for family literacy throughout her school. Working six days a week as a multilingual teacher and adult education leader, Ms. Singh served both her students in the school setting and their parents and grandparents through Saturday morning English classes. I had the chance to surprise both Ms. Tuner and Ms. Singh at their schools earlier this year, and to see firsthand the powerful impact that they’re having on the communities they serve. It was an honor to bring both of these educators on to the conference mainstage and celebrate them in front of the Families Learning Conference audience.
Finally, I want to take a moment to highlight the stories of family learning success shared by this year’s participant speakers. Alicia Isaiah, Larissa Red Eagle, and Rosaura Espinoza each spoke eloquently about the ways in which family learning programming has enriched their lives and that of their families. Their conference speeches underlined why each of us do this important work and offered a shining example of the power of hope in action. I hope you’ll take a moment to click the links above and watch their stories.
I hope you’ll make plans to join us November 2-5, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina for the 2025 Families Learning Conference. Mark your calendars, now! In the meantime, I wish all of you a joyful end to the year and a 2025 filled with opportunities for growth, leadership, and community-building.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A lifelong educator and national thought leader for teaching and learning, Dr. Felicia C. Smith brings decades of valuable experience to advance NCFL’s mission of working to eradicate poverty through education solutions for families. Having served in a variety of leadership roles in P-12, higher education, nonprofit, and philanthropy, her career has allowed her to experience leading systems and develop a unique vantage point of a learner’s educational trajectory from preschool to adulthood. Smith holds an Ed.D. in education leadership and administration from the University of Kentucky, and an M.A. in elementary education with an emphasis on K-12 literacy development and B.S. in elementary education from the University of Louisville.