The Rice University community gathered May 16 to honor a year of accomplishments in the School Literacy and Culture (SLC) program, part of the Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies. Among the evening’s highlights were recognitions of standout educators whose achievements exemplify the program’s lasting impact.
For more than three decades, SLC has advanced early childhood education by supporting teachers through comprehensive training focused on early literacy, child development, storytelling and cultural understanding.
“It’s a true honor to welcome you to stand before the people who are on the front lines of one of the most important battles we face — ensuring every child learns to read and write,” said Rob Bruce, dean of the Glasscock School. “You don’t just teach letters and sounds. You build futures. You create the conditions for confidence, for curiosity and for courage. Every time you help a child decode a word, you help them unlock a world.”
Notable participants who came through the SLC program include standout educators like Maria Bracho and Kristen Nehring — both pre-K teachers who won Teacher of the Year awards at their respective campuses in Katy ISD and Spring Branch ISD. They received their SLC Early Literacy Leadership Academy (ELLA) certificates at the celebration. Brittnie Partin, an OWL Lab replication teacher who works at the Deer Park ISD Early Childhood Center, was named her school district’s MVP.
These educators were among 92 participants from 36 Houston-area schools who were honored at the annual end-of-year celebration. The event marked the completion of SLC’s intensive professional development programs, including the Classroom Storytelling program, ELLA, OWL Labs, Advanced Leadership Seminars and campus-based collaborations.
Jordan Khadam-Hir, director of SLC, emphasized the program’s mission to translate research into practice.
“Our charge is to take the incredible research and innovation happening here on campus and beyond and bring it to the community where that research can be put into practice, because research is only valuable when it’s used,” Khadam-Hir said. “We faithfully study early childhood research. We process it, and we present it as meaningful professional development sessions for teachers of young children, who then take that learning and implement it in their classrooms with their young students.”
To learn more about Rice’s SLC program, visit continue.rice.edu/slc.