Cara Glass serves as the Director of Instruction and Curriculum Design at the Literacy Center of West Michigan, where she leads professional learning initiatives that elevate instructional quality and equity across the organization.  She is an educator with over a decade of experience in curriculum design, instructional coaching, and community-based education. Cara’s experience spans early childhood to adult education. She began teaching in Chicago Public Schools, and after moving to Michigan, taught at Grand Rapids Public and Godfrey Lee Early Childhood Center, where she began working with pre-service teachers.  This love of equipping teachers with best practices led her to the College of Education and Community Innovation at Grand Valley State University where she honed her understanding of adult learner theory and family community partnerships. Her work with Hands Connected Home Provider Network and Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative continued to deepen her culturally responsive teaching and trauma-informed practice as she worked closely with educators to be reflective practitioners.