ORLANDO, FL. - March 1, 2009 - Family literacy educators and advocates will convene in Orlando on Sunday through Tuesday for the largest and most comprehensive gathering of educators, government officials and practitioners dedicated to multigenerational learning.

The 18th National Conference on Family Literacy will feature actor Henry Winkler and best-selling authors Greg Mortenson, Peter Reynolds, Greg Forbes Siegman and Jan Goldstein. The general public can purchase tickets for the events featuring Mortenson.

It will be held at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, 1001 W. Buena Vista Drive in Orlando.

The more than 1,500 conference participants also will hear important new information concerning:

• Two national honors and monetary incentives "“ the Toyota Family Literacy Teacher of the Year award and the Verizon Tech Savvy Awards for programs that demystify technology for parents, enabling them to better guide their children in the use of new media. The Toyota award will be given at 1 p.m. Sunday, and the Verizon Tech Savvy Awards will be presented at the banquet at 6:30 p.m. Monday.


• An insider's look at Sesame Street's latest use of technology will be presented at noon Monday. Michael Levine, executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Street will share the latest information and research from the Cooney Center's groundbreaking efforts that use digital learning to improve literacy for children. He will provide information on promising opportunities and new research-based interventions. Participants will leave this session with a strong understanding of the new educational model that children and families need to succeed in the 21st century.


• Dr. Deborah Hasson, NCFL's director of the Hispanic Family Learning Institute and co-director of Toyota Programs, will hold a session on foto-novelas at 2 p.m. Monday. Foto-novelas are similar to graphic novels or comic books. They are extremely popular, especially in the Hispanic community, and leverage education through an entertaining format. Funded through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, the new Parents + Schools = Successful Children foto-novela series was developed by NCFL. It includes two bilingual foto-novelas and a Practitioner Guide with step-by-step lesson plans that address the benefits of parent involvement and literacy support at home.


• session on leveraging social media to communicate literacy information will be given at 4 p.m. Monday. Jason Falls, social media explorer for Doe-Anderson, will show how family literacy programs can use social media as a tool in their daily work, including how to set up an RSS feed and a blog as well as developing relationships with other bloggers. Falls is a national expert who is working directly with NCFL to advance the family literacy cause through social media.

In Orange County, 20 percent of the adult population lacks basic literacy skills, which impairs the ability of those adults to fill out a job application, read the newspaper and follow written instructions from the doctor, according to Sharon Darling, president & founder of NCFL.

"Literacy is the foundation for academic success, economic stability and employability," Darling said. "Today, more than ever, there is a sense of urgency that we must tackle this challenge."

Other highlights of the conference include:

Sunday, March 1
12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

• Henry Winkler, one of the most recognized actors in the world. Winkler also has co-authored a series of best-selling children's books and has created several children's television shows. (Winkler will speak at approximately 1:20 p.m.)
• NCFL President Sharon Darling and Toyota Motor North America President Shigeru Hayakawa
also will speak during the session prior to the Winkler speech. An educator from Miami will be named the national Toyota Family Literacy Teacher of the Year at 1 p.m.

• Greg Mortenson, co-author of The New York Times No. 1 best-seller, "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time." He will speak at 9 a.m. and participate in a book signing following his speech. The general public can purchase tickets for the keynote address for $30; the book signing, which includes the book, for $20; or all of the options for $50. Tickets can be purchased on-site at the Tickets and Merchandise Counter, as long as room is available.
• Verizon Tech Savvy Awards, authors Peter Reynolds and Greg Forbes Siegman, and Orlando's Englewood Elementary School choir. The banquet will include a live interactive illustration of the constellation of a 21st century student and the presentation of the Verizon Tech Savvy Awards. The national winner will receive a $25,000 prize, and four regional winners each will receive a $5,000 prize to reward best practices in technological literacy, which has become a fundamental skill that must be mastered to compete successfully in today's society. The banquet and awards begin at 6:30 p.m., and the entertainment will begin at 7:20 p.m.

• Jan Goldstein, author of two national best-selling novels "Prince of Nantucket" and "All That Matters," his debut novel, which was recently optioned for film. He will speak at 11:15 a.m. and sign books at noon. Tickets are required.

National Center for Family Literacy

National Center for Family Literacy

The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) is the worldwide leader in family literacy, an intergenerational approach to help families escape poverty through education. More than 1 million families have made positive educational and economic gains as a result of NCFL’s work, which includes training more than 150,000 teachers and thousands of volunteers. Educators, policymakers and philanthropists rely on NCFL to mobilize family literacy efforts, conduct research and develop new, effective tools to leverage the learning relationship between parents and children. Family literacy, pioneered by NCFL, is a powerful community strategy for raising educational levels, improving workforce skills and breaking the cycle of poverty.

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