When they couldn’t find the right professional development, they made their own.
That’s where Stephanie De Los Santos, Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) Marketing and Client Engagement director and Translations Coordinator Wendy Utterback found themselves less than a year ago.
On July 24, the dream became a reality. The inaugural Professional Translators and Interpreters Conference (PTIC) gave language service professionals in education a day to learn, network and celebrate the vital roles they play in serving families who speak languages other than English.
The event is the first of its kind in Texas and was a rousing success for all who attended. More than 180 participants from across the nation added to their toolkits throughout the day, as PTIC took place in the Irvington Conference Center but also the recently-remodeled first floor conference rooms. A full slate of experts spoke on numerous industry topics, while 18 event sponsors and vendors were on hand to offer a variety of services and products.
“It was unfortunate that we had to look to another state to find high quality training and resources to advance our translations program here at HCDE,” De Los Santos said. “The wonderful part of all this was that HCDE was well received and embraced by the language access professionals and advocates in California and especially willing to provide support for the launch of our own event. Our local school districts quickly jumped on board as they saw the value of strengthening language access practices and building bridges for non-English speaking students and families within the community.”
PTIC was exactly what Lindsey Beck, a middle school counselor at New Caney Independent School District, was looking for in growing her career. She is bilingual and routinely works with Spanish-speaking students and families.
“I knew today would be a day for me to expand on my skills and the way I use them as a counselor,” she said. “We’re some of the first people these families meet in education and that’s the way we connect with them – language.”
The day began with a welcome from HCDE Superintendent James Colbert Jr., who emphasized the role language service professionals play in giving a voice to families and students who perhaps thought they didn’t have one.
Dr. Lupita Hinojosa, the first Hispanic woman to be superintendent in Spring Independent School District, served as the keynote speaker. She spoke on her 30-plus year journey in education, starting in 1988 as an elementary bilingual teacher in Houston ISD. She moved into administration and joined Spring ISD in 2014.
Hinojosa was named to Spring ISD’s top position in January 2022. She spearheaded a new Momentum High School, which offers a path to graduation for students wanting an alternative to the traditional secondary school experience.
“Going to other conferences, there are opportunities for translators and interpreters to come together, but this conference is just for you,” said Hinojosa, who retired in June. “You are here for a specific purpose. Today is all about you and an opportunity for you to grow and network.”
The idea for PTIC came when De Los Santos and Utterback couldn’t find any professional development specifically designed for translators and interpreters in education. Conferences are beneficial to growing as a professional, allowing attendees to hear from industry experts, learn latest insights and strategies, and network with others in the same profession.
HCDE employees are encouraged to seek professional development and routinely travel to attend and speak at conferences. Divisions will also attend as a vendor to showcase HCDE services.
For Utterback, named HCDE’s second-ever translations coordinator a little over a year ago, those same opportunities are minimal. She found one in California put on by the Orange County Department of Education. The idea for PTIC was born, and Utterback and De Los Santos attended two more similar events in California – Riverside County of Education’s Language Access Conference in October and the American Association of Interpreters and Translators in Education Conference (AAITE) in May – to continue planning and building their network.
Natalia Abarca, language services coordinator at Orange County Department of Education, served as PTIC’s featured speaker, while Nestor Wagner, founder and director for the Southern California School of Interpretation, spoke during the general session.
Three breakout periods were divided among eight presenters who each led two sessions. Among the topics were the AAITE’s National Code of Ethics and how it shapes the profession in the field, navigating the legal complexities of individualized education program meetings, supporting teachers in bridging cultural gaps and showing plans in action at one of the nation’s largest school districts.
Representatives from Alboum Translation Services, the event’s underwriter, TNOLA Languages and T360nBeyond were among those partners who led sessions and exhibited a vendor table. Other vendors included Cross-Cultural Communications, Fox Translation Services, RWS/Trados Studio, MGM Linguistic Solutions, Masterword Services, Universe Technical Translation and HCDE’s Choice Partners national purchasing cooperative.
“I’m super excited with the way our conference turned out. We had a lot of attendees who showed up from a lot of different fields, so we’re excited that we were able to touch base with them,” Utterback said. “I am amazed at how it all came together.”