The 2023 CCIRA Conference Program Has Arrived!! 

Click below to start reading about the amazing sessions available!

This year's luncheons are with

Nikki Grimes and Lester Laminak - 

two speakers that will not disappoint.

Take advantage of early bird registration and sign up!!

CCIRA 2023 Featured Speakers

Nikki Grimes

CCIRA is very excited to welcome best-selling author Nikki Grimes to the 2023 conference! Nikki will be facilitating Friday's luncheon and providing a 90-minute workshop later that afternoon. Check out some of her most recent books Garvey in the Dark, Ordinary Hazards, Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance, Between the Lines, Oh, Brother!, Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice, and Halfway to Perfect: A Dyamonde Daniel Book.

John Schu

If you were unable to attend the conference last year, you missed out on seeing the dynamic Mr. Schu! Lucky for you, he is coming back this year for another Saturday morning session. Check out his most recent titles This is a School and The Gift of Story: Exploring the Affective Side of the Reading Life.

Debbie Miller

Debbie Miller was an educator in Denver Public Schools for 30 years and now works with children and teachers across the country and internationally. She's authored several books, including Reading With Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades. Most recently she co-authored a book with Emily Callahan titled "I'm the Kind of Kid Who"...Invitations that Support Learner Identity and Agency. She will be discussing this book in her Friday session and we are very excited to hear what she has to say!

Matthew Kay

Join Matthew Kay at this year's conference for sessions geared toward middle and high school educators that address discussions about race in the classroom. Matthew will share structures and strategies to help facilitate meaningful conversations. Check out his book Not Light, but Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom.

Aida Salazar

Aida Salazar has two upcoming books, A Seed in the Sun and Jovita Wore Pants. She will discuss poetry and verse in texts during her sessions and how we can get students to fall in love with these forms of writing. CCIRA is thrilled to have Aida at this year's conference!

Here are just a few of the other CCIRA 2023 conference speakers and their books:

Kristine O'Connell George - Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems, The Great Frog Race, Toasting Marshmallows

Matthew Cordell - Cornbread and Poppy, Cornbread and Poppy at the Carnival, Wolf in the Snow, Hello, Neighbor!, and Bear Island

Shannon Hale - This Book is Not for You! Princess in Black series, Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn series, Real Friends, Best Friends, Princess Academy series

Lesléa Newman - Alicia and the Hurricane, How to Sleep Tight through the Night, October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard, Heather Has Two Mommies (Candlewick), Sparkle Boy, Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story, Ketzel: The Cat Who Composed, Remembering Ethan

Linda Sue Park - The One Thing You'd Save, Prairie Lotus, A Long Walk to Water, A Single Shard, Gurple and Preen, Bee-bim Bop!

Charles R. Smith Jr. - Hoop Kings 2: New Royalty, Bessie the Motorcycle Queen, Song for Jimi, 28 Days, Brown Sugar Babies, I Am America

Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow - Abdul's Story, Your Name is a Song, Hold Them Close: A Love Letter to Black Children

Click the book titles to read more about them.

CCIRA Literacy Conversations

Podcast alert!! In the newest episode, listen to 2023 CCIRA Conference chairs, Lori Conrad and Patrick Allen, interview Brooklyn-based equitable literacy leader, Cornelius Minor.  Several other editions are available too including Charles R. Smith, Whitney La Rocca, Krista Griffin, Melanie Conklin, Pernille Ripp, Gordan Korman, and more! Click the button below and listen in!

Remember to check out the CCIRA Blog!

Reading the blog every week—perhaps over lunch or a cup of coffee—builds a quick dose of professional learning into your routine. Who knows what ideas or inspiration this might spark!

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/  

We have a new blog post by 2023 conference speaker JamilahThompkins-Bigelow! Please take time to read Growth and Loss: Black Children's Literature Post-George Floyd. CCIRA Past President Vicki Collet has a recent post too titled Mentoring and Coaching to Support Colleagues. Gravity Goldberg has one as well titled Combatting Aliteracy: Mentoring Today’s Students to Become Tomorrow’s Avid Readers.

If you might be interested in submitting a guest post to CCIRA.blog, please contact Hollyanna Bates (hollyannabates@gmail.com).

Meet Our New Partners!

CCIRA is pleased to announce a partnership with the California Reading Association! CCIRA members can register for the October 21st & 22nd 

CRA virtual conference at CRA member rates. It's a great opportunity for some fall professional development! Click on the flyers and links below to learn more!

California Reading Association Virtual Conference Registration Form

Californial Reading Association Virtual Conference Raffle Flyer

Local Council News!

Jeffco Literacy Association had their Fall Festival with 

Lori Conrad and Patrick Allen, the 2023 CCIRA Conference Chairs. Lori did a beautiful job reading Your Name Is A Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, and attendees got to play a fun name game with Patrick and then celebrate their own names.

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

Click on the video to see how to join RaiseRight: 

CCIRA Partners in Empowering Literacy Educators

TOP REASONS TO PARTNER WITH CCIRA

• Over 2000 conference attendees will learn about your partnership with CCIRA.
• Our 1300+ members 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.

Check out one of our newest partners,

Knowledge Bound!!

Meet Members of the

CCIRA Executive Committee!

Lori Conrad - 2023 Conference Chair

Lori has enjoyed so many amazing experiences in her nearly 40 years in education. She’s taught classrooms full of learners including curious kindergartners, wondering 5th graders, and inquisitive graduate students. She’s supported elementary and middle school colleagues as an instructional coach. She’s helped craft meaningful curricular changes in several districts. And now she travels across Colorado and the country to work alongside teachers and school leaders exploring/implementing effective literacy instructional practices. Lori’s support takes many forms including in-class coaching, demonstration teaching, collaborative planning, group facilitation and leadership team building. She’s published many articles and blogs, contributed to a number professional texts on effective literacy instruction, and co-authored Put Thinking to the Test (Stenhouse, 2008). Along with numerous certifications, her educational background includes a Master in Arts degree from the University of Colorado Denver and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado. Lori is also a very proud wife, mother, and now grandma!

Patrick Allen - 2023 Conference Chair

Patrick was a classroom teacher for 35 years, spending his time in 2nd-5th grade classrooms.  He has a degree in Communication Disorders and graduate level teaching certification from the University of Northern Colorado.  He has a master’s degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy: Mathematics and Science Emphasis from the University of Colorado at Denver.  He is the author of Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop and co-author of Put Thinking to the Test and also has two videos available: What are You Thinking? and Fact Finders (Stenhouse Publishers).  Patrick has written articles and blogs for several publications and has participated in the Phenomenal Teaching Podcast for the Denver-based Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC) and works as a staff developer.  He has provided professional development locally, nationally, and internationally, helping educators implement effective instructional practices.  Patrick has spoken at several local and national educational conferences.  Patrick and his wife, Susan, have four adult children and two grandchildren. In his spare time, Patrick tinkers at the piano, manages aquatics facilities in the summer, and spends time with his golden retriever, Archie, and Charlie, the Wonder Cat.