Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) is once again addressing gaps in public education – this time by enhancing language access in schools through professional development. On July 24, the Department will host the inaugural Professional Translators and Interpreters Conference (PTIC), the first event of its kind in Texas.

Focused on elevating the role of language access in education, the conference will share best practices, ethical standards and strategies for building cultural connections in schools. Additionally, attendees will gain practical training and networking opportunities while learning to build bridges with families through equitable communication.

According to research by the Harris County Office of County Administration, approximately 57% of county residents are considered limited English proficient (LEP), described as someone with a limited ability to read, speak, write or understand English. As language access becomes a growing priority in schools, HCDE’s Marketing and Client Engagement (MCE) division, which is organizing the event, recognized a lack of professional development for translators and interpreters in the region and saw an opportunity to provide resources and support.

“We were trying to find conferences for our translations coordinator to attend related to translation services and were unable to find any within the State of Texas,” said division Director Stephanie De Los Santos. “We ended up finding one in California hosted by Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) and were able to connect with the person who organized the conference in California.”

HCDE’s translation program began just two years ago, initially supporting internal divisions with plans to expand to Greater Houston. By building a relationship with the conference organizer in California, the MCE team was inspired to bring the concept to Texas.

“Our local school districts are quickly jumping on board as they see the value of strengthening language access practices and building bridges for non-English speaking students and families within the community,” explained De Los Santos.

Attendees will hear from respected voices like Lupita Hinojosa, retired superintendent of Spring ISD, Natalia Abarca with OCDE, Giovanna Carriero-Contreras, Ryan Foley, Hillary Berman, Andrew Dafeo and more.

Breakout sessions will discuss code of ethics, cultural intelligence and community partnerships – affirming the vital role of language professionals in education.

The conference is scheduled for Thursday, July 24, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Irvington Conference Center. Attendees can gain 8.5 hours of professional development (or CEU credit) for translators, interpreters, bilingual educators and staff members called upon to translate and/or interpret.  

Find more information and register for the conference here.