To enhance translations outreach and better serve Harris County families, #TeamHCDE recently attended one of the premier professional development events in California.

On Feb. 21, Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) Translations Coordinator Wendy Utterback attended Riverside County Office of Education’s Language Access Conference. She won a free registration after attending the Orange County Department of Education Interpreters and Translators Conference in October. Utterback joined other interpreters, translators and bilingual staff for a day of networking opportunities and breakout sessions, which focused on elevating student success through diverse language access specialties. 

Utterback connected with founding members of the American Association of Interpreters and Translators in Education (AAITE), who are responsible for putting forth the first Code of Ethics for translating and interpreting in the field of education. Additionally, she attended presentations with subjects that included leveraging AI and resources in educational interpreting, structure and workflows, and IEP interpreting. 

These opportunities and connections are helping Utterback and HCDE’s Marketing & Client Engagement team spearhead their inaugural Professional Translators and Interpreters Conference, scheduled for July 24 at the Irvington Conference Center.