The Mainstage lineup for the 2023 Families Learning Conference is set! Not only will this year’s conference feature 70+ breakout sessions and seven networking events, but attendees will also have the opportunity to hear from some of the top voices in early childhood education, education technology, and education innovation.

The conference begins on Monday, October 23rd with our Opening General Session featuring NAACP National Director of Education and Innovation Research and Howard University professor Dr. Ivory Toldson. He is the bestselling author of “No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear about Black People,” and his research has been featured in The Washington Post, CNN.com, The New York Times, The Root, and The National Journal, among others. We can’t think of anyone better than Dr. Toldson to kick off an exciting three days of cutting-edge research and innovative strategies in family learning.

Noted Silicon Valley-based technologist, speaker, and humanitarian Christopher Lafayette will headline our Tuesday evening mainstage session and dinner, After Hours at #NCFL23. Lafayette is the founder of Gatherverse and HoloPractice, and leads the Black Technology Mentorship Program, promoting inclusive technology and healthcare innovation. His advisory roles span global organizations like Google and Meta, with a focus on keeping humanity central to technology. His thoughts on artificial intelligence in education are sure to be a highlight of the evening.

Dr. Walter Gilliam, executive director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute will provide our final keynote as part of Wednesday morning’s Closing General Session. Dr. Gilliam serves as the Board of Directors’ vice president of ZERO TO THREE and is a senior fellow working with the Bipartisan Policy Center's Early Childhood Initiative. He has led national analyses of state-funded pre-kindergarten policies and mandates, how pre-kindergarten programs are being implemented across the range of policy contexts, and the effectiveness of these programs at improving school readiness. Pre-conference attendees will also have the chance to hear from Dr. Gilliam as he provides the keynote at Sunday’s workshop. You won’t want to miss hearing these stellar speakers on the mainstage this October. 

Visit conference.familieslearning.org today to see the full conference schedule and start the registration process. And be sure to book your hotel reservation by October 2nd to take advantage of our room block discount!