"Leaning into Liminality: A Return to Language, Wonder, and Inspiration"
The Center for the Advancement of Reading and Writing (CAR/W) team at the California State University Office of the Chancellor invites you to join us for the 2025 ERWC Literacy Conference. The ERWC Literacy Conference is open to all educators interested in language, literacy, and learning. ERWC teachers, ELD teachers, ELA teachers, literacy coaches, K–12 administrators, county offices of education (COEs), region leads, CSU faculty, and CSU EAP Coordinators are especially encouraged to attend. Register here to attend the 2025 ERWC Literacy Conference. Conference registration is FREE!
DATES & LOCATIONS:
Monday, June 23, 2025, Long Beach, CA - Long Beach Marriott
EVENT START AND END TIME: 8:00am - 4:00pm
THEME: "Leaning into Liminality: A Return to Language, Wonder, and Inspiration"
By leaning into liminality, we embrace the confusion and uncertainty of new experiences. Liminality marks the edge of our learning. For the 2025 ERWC Literacy Conference, we invite educators to explore the magic and wonder of in-between spaces–the space between belief and doubt, between reading and writing, between physical and digital worlds, and between childhood and adulthood. Like other threshold crossings, educational experiences that challenge our understanding of the familiar foster growth, criticality, and transformation.
Students encounter multiple forms of betweenness in their educational journeys: transitions between grades, schools, and disciplines–and often between languages and cultures, too. They may also feel in between identities. Threshold crossings (limen is the Latin word for “threshold”) are a defining feature of K12 education. Rather than barriers, thresholds can be doorways to inspiration.
With the publication of new modules featuring integrated and designated ELD for grades 6-8, ERWC embraces the wonder and transformation of another liminal space: middle school. ERWC’s return to middle school expands the curriculum to grade 6 for the first time. ERWC is also on the verge of an additional transition: the creation of full courses for grades 9 and 10. Just as the grade 12 ERWC course serves as a bridge to college, the future grade 9 ERWC course (in combination with the new grade 8 modules) will serve as a bridge to high school.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Tae Keller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When You Trap a Tiger, Jennifer Chan is Not Alone and The Science of Breakable Things.
MEALS: Breakfast and lunch are provided at the 2025 ERWC Literacy Conference.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Friday, May 16, 2025 or until capacity is reached.
CALL FOR PRESENTERS: We invite you to consider submitting a proposal to facilitate a concurrent session. We welcome proposals on a variety of topics related to this year's theme. Please see the Call for Presenters for more information. The deadline to submit a proposal is March 28, 2025.
We look forward to seeing you in Long Beach, CA on June 23, 2025. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact a CAR/W team member at erwc@calstate.edu.
