Registration is open!!

Go to CCIRA.org to register or simply click the registration book and registration link below to get started! We can't wait to see you at the conference!!

Cost to Attend the

2024 CCIRA Conference

Full Conference

Early Bird Registration Beginning October 1 - $345

Registration After November 1 - $395

Friday & Saturday - $315

One Day Only - $275

Student - $95

Retired - $180

Conference Scholarship Opportunity

CCIRA has a limited number of scholarships for full registration for our upcoming conference, Branching Out, Staying Rooted, February 7-10, 2024. We also have several scholarships that will fund half the cost of a full registration. To be considered for one of these scholarships, please send an email describing your specific needs to ccirainfo@gmail.com by October 19, 2023.  Please note: We receive many more requests for need-based scholarships each year than we are able to grant. Requests will be considered by the Executive Committee and those making requests will be notified by October 30, 2023.

The vision for the 2024 conference, Branching Out, Staying Rooted, is to help teachers explore, grapple with, and maybe reconcile their literacy roots with all of the changes that are happening in education today. We are offering a balance of sessions that will encourage teachers to explore their beliefs, but also challenge them to branch out - try new things, explore a new perspective, or reach their audiences just that much better. There are three main branches that we are exploring at the conference, and the speakers will each be connected to a branch. In this Communicator, we'd like to share with you the technology branch:

To learn more about the branches, go to ccira.org!

Here are two technology resources that will be at the conference:

Get ready to experience an exhilarating journey into the world of Nearpod at CCIRA 2024! Dive into the action and discover strategies that will take student engagement to soaring heights. Picture students having a blast while mastering essential concepts. Explore the globe through virtual reality, engage in friendly competitions with gamification, and witness personalized learning designed to empower every student. Don't leave your device behind because active participation is a must!

Embrace the Flocabulary Revolution! Ever wondered if your students could sing about fractions, plant cells, presidents, and hyperboles while retaining crucial terms and content? With Flocabulary, they absolutely can! Discover how Flocabulary's captivating Hip Hop videos and engaging activities transcend the boundaries of the ELA classroom, infusing literacy and vocabulary development into every subject. Join us to witness the joy and unparalleled engagement that Flocabulary brings to every student's learning journey.

Scott McLeod

CCIRA is thrilled to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Scott McLeod who will bring his expertise to our 2024 conference. Dr. McLeod stands at the forefront of our nation's leading experts in the fields of school leadership, deeper learning, technology, and innovation. His distinguished publications include Different Schools for a Different World and Harnessing Technology for Deeper Learning. Additionally, don't miss the opportunity to explore his insightful podcast, "Redesigning for Deeper Learning." He presents engaging sessions that will have you thinking deeply about student engagement, agency, authenticity, and technology in the lessons you're teaching. You will leave with ready to use ideas about how to reimagine learning. You won't want to miss it!

Alan Katz

Prepare to be delighted at the 2024 CCIRA conference because we're thrilled to announce the presence of Alan Katz, renowned as the 'Seriously Silly Guy.' With an impressive repertoire of over 50 highly praised children's books, spanning from engaging board books to captivating middle-grade novels and thought-provoking trivia sets, Alan Katz is a literary dynamo. His latest offering, Got Your Nose, is brimming with excitement. In addition, he's the creative genius behind Really Stupid Stories for Really Smart Kids, the captivating Liographies series, three enchanting Elf Academy early readers, and the thrilling five-book Society of Superheroes (S.o.S.) series. Get ready for a seriously silly and seriously engaging experience!

Natalie Wexler

Natalie Wexler, a distinguished author and important voice in education today, presents an invaluable addition to our conference lineup this year. Notably, she authored The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—And How to Fix It and co-authored The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades. You may have heard her recently on her "Knowledge Matters" Podcast. The first 50 attendees at each of her sessions will get a copy of one of her books! CCIRA is buzzing with excitement to host her as a speaker at this year's conference!

Alex Gino

CCIRA is delighted to have Alex Gino, a prominent storyteller and advocate for LGBTQIAP+ communities, joining our 2024 conference. Alex's storytelling journey began long before they could even wield a pencil, and now they passionately craft narratives centered around middle-grade LGBTQIA+ individuals. With acclaimed works such as Melissa and, more recently, Alice Austen's Lived Here, Alex Gino has left an indelible mark on literature. Excitingly, their latest masterpiece, Green, is slated for release in October, perfectly aligning with the conference schedule!

Morgan Davis

Morgan Davis has been an elementary teacher and staff developer and is currently a consultant and instructional coach. She is a teacher’s teacher and a coach’s coach, designing learning experiences for teachers, coaches, and leaders that parallel classroom practices. While Morgan is already making a significant impact as an instructional coach, her additional commitment to sharing her love for literacy and professional practice with a wider audience is evident in her forthcoming book that integrates content and strategy instruction. She has been presenting ideas like these at CCIRA since 2016, making her presence at the conference an eagerly anticipated event.

Would you like to exhibit, sponsor, or advertise

during the 2024 CCIRA Conference?

The layout at the Westin Hotel ensures vendors' exposure to hundreds of conference attendees throughout the three days. Booths will line the spacious hallways where attendees will have easy access. Based on feedback, the sessions will be staggered to give attendees more access to your booth. As in the past, we will make announcements throughout the day, encouraging attendees to visit our vendors. 

Additional details for our 2024 Exhibits:

• Costs for renting a space will be based on exhibit location. Tier One is $800 in the main hallway. Tier Two is $600 in the hallway leading to the Westminster Ballroom’s main entrance. 

• Everyone will have a tablecloth, Wifi, and electricity included in the cost of the registration, along with free parking.

• The Exhibit Hall will only be open on Thursday and Friday from 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. In the past some vendors have also chosen to stay open during Saturday sessions.

• We will have drawings for prizes based on attendee visitation to vendor booths throughout the conference. We would appreciate any donations you may be willing to give for those prizes. There will be two levels of prizes for attendees visiting vendor booths: hourly drawings throughout the day and a grand prize given by the conference chair. 

• There will be a vendor happy hour on Thursday night allowing exhibitors the opportunity to converse with attendees in a more relaxed atmosphere. Vendors can purchase drink tickets to promote their exhibit and encourage attendees to visit.

• Please consider sponsoring an event during the conference - something as small as cookies for the attendees to as big as a hosted Happy Hour. Contact Lisa Kahn, Executive Director, to discuss opportunities and sponsorship details.

• Advertisements in the conference program can be purchased at the time of registration.

• We remain committed to making the Exhibits a part of the conference experience that is relevant and valuable for both attendees and exhibitors.

We have limited exhibit space this year so please book early! Registration is open now!! Just click the button below!

Model Literacy Award - Due October 10th

CCIRA sponsors a Model Literacy Award to recognize outstanding language arts programs in schools. The awards will showcase effective literacy instruction in schools. The exemplary reading programs will also serve as models for other schools. State recognition will be given to schools that meet the established criteria. The award of a plaque and $1,000 will be presented at the CCIRA Conference. The schools receiving this award could expect on-site visitations from interested people.

Fannie Stabenow Award - Due November 1st

Do you know someone who has significantly contributed to CCIRA and the mission of the organization? If so, nominate them for the Fannie Stabenow Award! The award is presented to the winner at the 2024 CCIRA Conference.

CCIRA Futures Award - Due November 1st

To honor past presidents, who are now deceased, CCIRA annually recognizes a teacher in their first five years of teaching reading. One successful applicant each year will receive a certificate and a $300 cash reward. There are no restrictions on how the recipient may use the cash award.

CCIRA Literacy Conversations

Learn from some of our 2023 conference speakers and more in our library of podcasts! There are episodes from Cornelius Minor, Charles R. Smith, 

Whitney La Rocca, Krista Griffin, Melanie Conklin, Pernille Ripp,

Gordan Korman, and more! Click the button below and listen in!

CCIRA Professional Development Blog

All Things Literacy

The CCIRA blog features a wide variety of nationally renowned literacy experts, as well as talented practitioners from across Colorado. Check out the posts on https://ccira.blog/  

📢New Blog Alert!!📢

Check out the newest addition to the blog: Making the Case for Slow Reading by Maria Nichols. You can also find Reflection is Where the Learning Sticks: A Conversation and Resources for Sustainable Movement-Making in Schools by Kass Minor? Carl Anderson's Teach Writing With Mentor Texts! and Look After Your Twisted Ankles: Professional Development in Troubled Times by Kate and Maggie Roberts are also there for your reading enjoyment. There are several other great posts as well, including Re-Imagining RtI / MTSS: Putting Students Back at the Center of Instructional Designs by Julie Wright and Mark Bazata and Nawal Qarooni's Breathing Life Into the Syllabus: How Teaching Preservice Educators Hones My Practice.

📃If you are interested in submitting a guest post to the CCIRA blog, please contact Hollyanna Bates.📃 hollyannabates@gmail.com

Take a look at these new books from some of our

2023 and 2024 blog contributors and conference speakers!

Pictures from PPIRAs Coaching Consortium!

PPIRA's event was a great success! The keynote speaker was Rebecca Frazier, author of The Joy of Coaching. Attendees learned about the 10 characteristics of effective instructional coaches. Thank you to all those who presented and were able to attend!!

Claudia Miller introducing Catherine Briggs-Hale

Melanie Baker, Renee Hyde, and Yuki Martinez discuss ELA Differentiation Supports

Please read CCIRA's very important statement regarding membership linked below. It outlines an important change that our community needs to be aware of.

CCIRA is a non-profit organization that works to empower literacy educators. As a non-profit organization, we appreciate support in a variety of ways:

• Donate
• Support a Conference Scholarship Opportunity
• Leverage fundraising programs to earn CCIRA money
• Volunteer with CCIRA

This Month's Featured Fundraiser

CCIRA Partners in Empowering Literacy Educators

TOP REASONS TO PARTNER WITH CCIRA

• Over 2000 conference attendees will learn about your partnership with CCIRA.
• Our educator community will see your support on our webpage.
• Visitors to the CCIRA website will learn about your organization and its events.
• Our combined support of literacy will impact students across our state and neighboring states.

CCIRA collaboratively encourages, supports, and advances literacy through research-based instructional practices to increase literacy access to all.

All people will be empowered to critically engage in our changing world by developing and utilizing literacy skills throughout life.

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