With over twenty years of experience in education, Dr. Katie Egan Cunningham is a former elementary classroom teacher and instructional coach who now supports teachers as a college professor and literacy consultant. Katie has a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood and Childhood Education from New York University. She holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the author or co-author of several professional texts, including Start with Joy: Designing Literacy Learning for Student Happiness, Story: Still the Heart of Literacy Learning, Literacy Leadership in Changing Schools, and she most recently co-authored Shifting the Balance: Bringing the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom, Grades 3-5.

Dr. Pi has been as psychotherapist for 17 years working at different medical centers and private practice in Barcelona. She has clients in Catalan, Spanish and English, working with ex-pats from around the world. She has collaborated in research projects at the Center for Brain and Cognition, the European Commission and London School of Economics. Dr. Pi has been conducting NLP, Brief Therapy and Mindfulness trainings in companies and other large organizations since 2012. She also focussed on these trainings for musicians and artists in general, which is one of her passions.

EKC Founder Erin Kent taught literacy for many years in urban, independent, and international schools before becoming a literacy coach and then P–12 Director of Curriculum and Instruction. She knows how important it is for professional development to be tailored to a school's specific needs and context, and that is why EKC specializes in creating bespoke professional learning plans for schools around the world. This work allows EKC, and its team of more than 50 literacy strategists, to identify current global trends and needs and to continually develop resources and materials to meet the moment. Or as Erin likes to say, "We use the world to lift the world." In recent years, EKC has grown to offer more opportunities for this global collaboration through the addition of global chats, regional literacy retreats, and the expansion of bespoke projects to include the curation of custom text sets.

Jenny Killion is an experienced teacher, K–12 instructional coach, and literacy consultant. She has worked at the American School of Barcelona for over a decade as an elementary, middle school, and most recently as an IB DP teacher and HS Instructional Coach. She has extensive experience working with teachers from a variety of international schools on implementing inquiry-rich literacy frameworks, developing integrated curriculum, connecting instruction across languages, and literacy coaching.

Miles Madison brings a personal, transformative and collaborative approach to coaching and professional development using evidence-based strategies to support the range of languages, cultures, and regional needs within international schools. Miles’s training in Applied Positive Psychology and transformational coaching–as well as 25 years of international teaching experience–enable him to support teachers in integrating proven literacy approaches to a broad spectrum of local contexts and challenges. He supports teams to achieve this by focusing on maximizing student choice and agency in literacy learning, specializing in reading development and word study instruction. Miles is an experienced early childhood and primary classroom teacher, instructional coach, and curriculum designer and mentor.

Justine Otte has spent over 16 years working in schools as a teacher, literacy specialist, school leader, accreditation panelist, and educational consultant. She has worked extensively to intersect the PYP and the MYP with a literacy approach that honors inquiry, agency, building conceptual understandings, and the unique needs of multilingual learners. She believes that cultivating a learning environment that empowers both students and teachers on their reading and writing inquiry journey is essential for growth and motivation.

As a life coach, Guadalupe guides individuals on their journey of self-discovery, helping them develop new ways of thinking and acting. She focuses on harnessing potential and overcoming obstacles, emphasizing emotional intelligence and well-being to enhance life satisfaction and resilience. Her goal is to create a balanced, solution-oriented space emphasizing connection and assertive communication.

In recent years, she served as a substitute lecturer at Barcelona SAE Academic Study Center and at IES Barcelona (International Education of Students). Her work is dedicated to facilitating growth, feeling satisfied with life, experiencing positive emotions, having fulfilling relationships, fostering connection and belonging, and cultivating a sense of purpose, all of which contribute to overall well-being in all aspects of life.

Jennifer Olejarz is a mental health therapist and nutritionist specializing in stress, anxiety, emotional eating, body image, and weight management. With a warm, empathetic, and holistic approach, she guides clients through problem-solving techniques, transforming challenges into manageable steps for lasting change.

In addition to the featured speakers, we're bringing in some other fantastic EKC strategists to host additional sessions. You'll have the opportunity to learn from:

Nuria Araguás
Johanna Cena
Kalley Hoke
Courtney Hughes
Tanya Knight
Jennifer Overstreet