The first Black woman to receive a prestigious Caldecott Medal and the founding director of the Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center will serve as keynote speakers at Harris County Department of Education’s 39th Annual R.T. Garcia Early Childhood Winter Conference, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. 

The all-day conference, which has drawn more than 1,000 attendees in recent years, will kick off at 8 a.m. at the Kingdom Builder’s Center (6011 W. Orem Drive) in Houston. The theme – A.I. and the ABCs: A New Era of Early Literacy Education – will examine how artificial intelligence can assist early childhood educators in teaching foundational literacy skills creatively and effectively to young learners. 

Highlighting the day will be two prominent keynote speakers and giants in their respective industries. 

Vashti Harrison is a celebrated writer, illustrator and filmmaker. She won the 2024 Caldecott Medal for her picture book Big, making history as the first Black woman to receive this award. A New York Times bestseller, Big is a tale of self-love that also received honors from the Coretta Scott King Book Awards. 

Harrison is best known for her top-selling series, including Little Leaders and Little Dreamers. She has also won two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Literary Work for children. 

Dr. Vicki Gibson has more than 40 years of experience in educational instruction, programming and curriculum development. She is the founding director for the Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center, located at Texas A&M University in College Station. Opened in 2020, the center is a state-licensed preschool/child lab that serves children ages 2-6 years old and offers a safe and supportive social and emotional environment. 

Gibson’s work has been focused on enhancing instructional effectiveness in all classrooms and improving student outcomes by developing strong foundational skills that enable self-regulation as a learner and successful academic achievement. 

Hosted by HCDE’s Center for Educator Succes (CES), the Early Childhood Winter Conference offers a learning experience that is both educational and enjoyable for attendees.

The event will include numerous breakout sessions that will focus on child growth and development, dual-language learners, strategies to enhance early literacy skills, family and adult engagement, mental health and many others. 

Registration is open now and CES is available to offer assistance for those registering as a group. 

For more information about the conference, visit www.hcde-texas.org/ECWC.