Merle Rumble, a retired educator (foreground) and Angelique Robinson, FCSD Paraprofessional (background) present “African American Trailblazers: Scientists and Inventors Who Transformed the World with Innovation and Compassion” at Mount Saint Mary College on Saturday, April 13.
The 30th Annual Conference on Literacy, “Literacy as a Tool for a Caring and Sustainable World: Empowering Interdisciplinary Readers, Writers, and Storytellers,” brought together dozens of educators from Newburgh and beyond on Saturday, April 13.
The event, presented by the college’s Collaborative for Equity in Literacy Learning (CELL), featured keynote speaker Jen Cullerton Johnson, a writer, teacher, and environmentalist from Chicago.
Before the conference began, Johnson captivated area youngsters at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center where she discussed her book, Seeds of Change. The book was also the focal point of her keynote speech at the Mount.
Seeds of Change is a picture book biography of scientist Wangari Maathai, the first African woman and the first environmentalist to win a Nobel Peace Prize. She received the honor in 2004 for her work planting trees in her native Kenya. Johnson’s book won a Coretta Scott King Award in 2011.
Aside from Seeds of Change, Johnson has authored multiple award-winning books, essays, and short stories for readers of all ages. She also co-founded Green Literacy, an initiative to create ecological stewards by teaching reading, writing, and acting sustainably through educational institutions.
Conference attendees enjoyed a variety of workshops on current educational topics. This included “Storytelling to Support English Language Learners,” “Celebrate Everyday: How Daily Holidays Help Engage Students,” and “African American Trailblazers: Scientists and Inventors Who Transformed the World with Innovation and Compassion.”
Also at the conference, Mount alumna Kathleen Murray ’22 was presented with the Sr. Frances Berski Award for Excellence in Literary Education, Ages Birth to Grade 6. The award was created in honor of Sr. Berski, who taught at the Mount for many years and passed away in 2005. Sr. Berski was instrumental in the development of the college’s Master of Science in Education in Literacy program.
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