Rooted in Resilience: Appalachian Literacy Summit
September 12, 2026 • Reich College of Education (RCOE)

Hosted by the Department of Child Development, Literacy Education, and Special Education (CLSE) in the Reich College of Education (RCOE)

About the Summit
The first annual Appalachian Literacy Summit: Rooted in Resilience will celebrate the strength, creativity, and commitment of literacy educators across Western North Carolina and beyond. The summit will bring together preservice and in-service teachers, school leaders, librarians, community organizations, and literacy educators to explore practices that help students and educators flourish.

Purpose
This summit is designed to honor and strengthen the resilience that defines literacy education in Western North Carolina. Participants will engage with evidence‑based instructional practices, research‑informed strategies, and classroom innovations that support readers and writers across diverse contexts. Through keynote insights, concurrent session explorations, and conversations with children’s literature authors, the summit will highlight how resilience grows through strong pedagogy, collaborative professional communities, and a shared commitment to equitable, high‑quality literacy instruction.

Who Should Attend

• Preservice teachers
• Inservice teachers
• Literacy educators
• Literacy specialists and coaches
• School administrators
• Literacy researchers

Call for Proposals
Please complete this form to submit a concurrent session proposal. Proposals will be accepted through  May 29 at 11:59 pm. We will notify all applicants of their submission status by June 10, 2026. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at literacysummit@appstate.edu

Registration

• Participation is free, and lunch will be provided.
• Registration will open in June 2026 and is required by August 15.
• Capacity is limited to 150 participants.

Schedule Overview

• 9:00-9:30 a.m.- Check In 
• 9:30-10:15 a.m.- Welcome & Keynote Address
• 10:15-10:30 a.m.- Break
• 10:30-11:00 a.m.- Concurrent Session 1
• 11:10-11:40 a.m.- Concurrent Session 2
• 11:50 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Author Luncheon
• 12:30-12:45 p.m.- Break
• 12:45-1:15 p.m.- Concurrent Session 3
• 1:25-1:55 p.m.- Concurrent Session 4
• 2:05-2:35 p.m.- Children’s Literature Author Panel
• 2:45-3:30 p.m.- Book Fair and Author Meet & Greet

Parking: Participants can park in any surface lot on campus on Saturday, September 12.  The closest parking options for easy access to the RCOE are the College Street Parking Deck, the East Howard Street Lot (behind the Plemmons Student Union), and the Turchin Center Lot (behind the Turchin Center and First Baptist Church on West King Street).