Don't miss out on the incredible sessions available at the 2025 CCIRA Conference! Register now to secure your spot in your favorite sessions!

2025 Keynote Speakers!

Towanda Harris - Thursday

The Power of Curriculum Connections: A Pathway to Student Agency

In her keynote, Towanda will share the value and impact of making authentic curriculum connections using culturally responsive teaching practices that center students’ voice and yield agency. Her sessions will be an extension of her keynote and will include time for Q&A. Read her book The Right Tools: A Guide to Selecting, Evaluating, and Implementing Classroom Resources and Practices.

Katie Kelly - Friday



Literacy Without Limitations: Reading to Make a Difference

Katie Kelly will ask us "What if..." during her Friday luncheon. What if we engage students in reading to make a difference… to think deeply, speak freely, and take action for a better world? Join the co-author of Critical Comprehension and Reading to Make a Difference as she helps us answer this important question.

Ralph Fletcher - Saturday



Lifting the Chill from the

Writing Classroom

In his keynote, Ralph will remind us of the importance of choice in writing for our students and share ideas to bring excitement to the classroom. During his sessions, attendees will tap into their own inner writer and learn how important it is to have quality mentor texts in the classroom. Enjoy Ralph's book Joy Write: Cultivating High-Impact Low-Stress Writing before coming to the conference!

Need to Edit Your Registration?

Did you forget to sign up for the luncheons? Did you want to attend a session with a friend? Simply go to your confirmation email, click on the link at the bottom and type in your e-mail address and registrant ID or confirmation code. From there you'll be able to adjust your registration. Direct any questions to lisakahnccira@gmail.com

We have a new venue for the 2025 Conference!

DoubleTree by Hilton

3203 Quebec St., Denver

Our new site features a perfect layout for the conference. It's newly renovated with plenty of parking and on-site dining choices. Costs for rooms and luncheons are also less than in years past!

Reserve your room today to get the group rate! 

Help us spread the word!

We would love to see you and as many of your friends and coworkers as possible at this year's conference! Click the button to access the 2025 CCIRA Conference Flyer so you can share the details.

✅ Email it to your educator friends.

✅ Hang it over the copier in your building.

✅ Display it in the staff lounge.

✅ Put copies in everyone's box at your school.

✅ Do all of the above!

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!!📢

The Top 5 Blog Posts of 2024 have been posted!

Be sure to check out other current posts such as Building Novel Connections: How to Center Book Clubs in Today’s Literacy Classrooms by Dr. Sarah Valter and Term Projects: Exploring Choice Writing in a World of Standardized Testing by Brent Gilson. You will also find Sparks in the Dark: Returning to Joy, Love, Curiosity, and Passion by Travis Crowder and Todd Nesloney and 3 Ideas for Integrating Literacy into Science Lessons by Elizabeth Everett. Please take a moment to read From Empathy to Compassion: Reading to Make a Difference by Katie Kelly and Lester Laminack and Teaching the Writing That Students Need Now by Kelly Boswell as well. Most of the authors will be, or already have been CCIRA Conference presenters!!

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

Get the CCBA nominees listed below into your students' hands so they can vote on their favorite! Click the button below to find out more! Your students will love it!

Click the button to find a PDF of the 2025 nominees

and information on how to have students vote.

BookBreak has developed a national partnership of elementary and middle schools working together to bring best-selling author events to schools of all sizes, with a high school program on the horizon. We know how important it is for all children to be able to hear from authors, not just the small minority of schools that can afford top-dollar speaking fees. BookBreak pools resources of member schools to create 2 to 3 monthly online author talks from best-selling authors including Jeff Kinney, Lois Lowry, Jason Reynolds, Kate DiCamillo, Matt de la Peña, Katherine Applegate, Peter Reynolds, Mary Pope Osborne, and Dan Santat. Since our launch in September 2023, we've had 2,000+ participating schools and more than two million student views across the country, including from Academy SD, Jefferson County SD, Steamboat Springs SD, Summit SD, and Telluride SD in Colorado.

We also have an ADDITIONAL discount of 20% if three or more schools from a district have paying membership (any combination of elementary or middle schools) - as well as our BOGO initiative where schools that are classified as high-poverty (80% or more low-income family classification) receive access to BookBreak for FREE with each paying membership school in Colorado!

Contact Becky Brent for more information at becky@libraryc.org

or go to bookbreaks.org.

Local Activity Grant-Due February 1

Does your council have a great idea for an activity involving reading/writing instruction or promoting literacy in schools? If so, you can fill out the application for the Local Activity Grant (formerly the Council Development Grant). Click the button below to go to the grants page of the CCIRA website. This grant is awarded three times a year. Due dates for applications are August 1, February 1, and April 1. Contact Jessica Endres with any questions you may have.

CCIRA's next Board of Directors Meeting will be held during the 2025 CCIRA Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton on Thursday, February 6th from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Please plan on being there if you serve on your local council. Dinner will be included! An RSVP form will be sent out as the date approaches. Reach out to Michele Warner at warnermichele4@gmail.com with any questions.

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

Raise Funds for CCIRA!

CCIRA Partners in Empowering Literacy Educators

TOP REASONS TO PARTNER WITH CCIRA

• Over 1000 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.

CCIRA.inc. | ccirainfo@gmail.com | ccira.org