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.

Natashya Hays has spent much of her 22 years in education as a classroom teacher, putting children at the center of teaching, learning, and decision making. Natashya has worked as a literacy intervention teacher, ELL support teacher, PYP/curriculum coordinator, and literacy coach. She has led out on international conferences about word study, training teachers in how to make phonics, grammar, and spelling efficient and joyful. Natashya excels at helping teachers establish inquiry-rich, research-informed, responsive literacy practice in schools around the world.

Dr. Mary Ehrenworth co-led a think tank on global literacy at Teachers College, Columbia University, for twenty years. She now runs Ehrenworth Literacy Innovations, working nationally and globally to empower teachers and students through critical literacies and collaborative inquiry. Mary’s degrees include a B.A. in History and Literature from Harvard, an M.A. in Art History from NYU, and an M.A. and Ed.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from Columbia University. She is the author and co-author of dozens of books and articles, including most recently: Vocabulary Connections: A Structured Approach to Deepening Students' Academic and Expressive Language; AI-Enhanced Literacy; and The Civically Engaged Classroom. From that day long ago when a beloved teacher gave her The Secret Garden, to the days she now spends supporting children and teachers in becoming powerful and passionate readers, writers, and thinkers, Mary has been lucky enough to spend her time among things she loves best: books, kids, and teachers.  

In addition to the featured speakers, we're bringing in some other fantastic EKC strategists to host additional sessions.