Thank you for your interest in attending the 2019 Families Learning Conference. The following are frequently asked questions. If you do not see the answer to your question below, please email us at conference@familieslearning.org.
Jump down to: General Information // Registration Information // Hotel and Travel Information // Speakers and Sessions Information
Monday, Nov. 4 through Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019. There is one pre-conference session scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 3. See schedule for details.
Opening Session starts at 8:15 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Monday, Nov. 4. We have secured a post-conference session that ends at 4:00 p.m. See schedule for details.
Louisville Marriott Downtown
280 West Jefferson St., Louisville, Kentucky 40202 USA
1-502-627-5045
Group rate*: $176/night plus tax (16.07% as of June 29, 2018)
Reservation website: book.passkey.com/e/49851176
The Families Learning Conference is the premier event for family literacy and learning professionals to discover innovative strategies, best practices, and resources to help families succeed in accomplishing their educational and economic goals.
The Families Learning Conference attracts educators spanning preschool to adult, literacy practitioners, administrators, policy makers, coalition staff, researchers, staff of community-based organizations, librarians, and parent leaders each year. Educational professionals who work in program administration, adult education, early childhood education, preschool education, K-12 education, libraries, museums, social services, Head Start, migrant education, community literacy, and work-focused literacy all attend the conference each year.
You may qualify for an absentee ballot in your state. Find out at https://www.usvotefoundation.org/vote/voter-registration-absentee-voting.htm. Choose “Absentee Ballot Request” under “U.S. Based Voters.” Follow the prompts to create your customized form to submit. Print, sign, and mail the form as addressed.
NCFL will investigate available services for translation, if needed. If you would be interested in translation services, please contact us at conference@familieslearning.org.
NCFL is committed to serving all attendees who have disabilities and adheres to the guidelines set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Attendees requiring special accommodations should contact conference@familieslearning.org or call (502) 584-1133 x206 (Sara Ulliman).
Yes. For information and pricing, contact Brooke Burnette, Corporate Partnerships Manager, at bburnette@familieslearning.org.
We are anticipating 1000 attendees.
No – there has not been a demand and due to rising costs for attendees, we discontinued the program.
A certificate is available in the Conference program and can be provided afterwards upon request, once attendance has been confirmed.
Appetizers Monday evening, dinner Tuesday evening, and brunch Wednesday mid-morning are included in 3-day registration fee.
Currently, other meals are not provided during the Conference. If additional meals or food & beverage are added through sponsorship, NCFL will update the Conference website accordingly and share in e-communications.
Porch is a comfort/soul food restaurant at the Louisville Marriott Downtown. Starbucks is also onsite. Several restaurants, ranging from fast-casual to formal dining, are available within walking distance of the hotel.
Business casual is the typical dress for meetings and also for the evening banquet. The daily high for Louisville in early November is 63° and the daily low is 45°. A sweater or light jacket is recommended. Bring a swimsuit if interested in using the indoor swimming pool.
The cost of a full 3-day registration is $499. Daily rates are: Monday-only for $230; Tuesday-only for $275; and Wednesday-only for $100.
The 3-day registration fee includes admission into concurrent sessions in seven content strands; networking events; and General Sessions with keynote speakers from Monday, Nov. 4 through Wednesday, Nov. 6. It also includes appetizers and one complimentary drink Monday evening, a plated dinner Tuesday, and a plated brunch Wednesday.
Monday, Nov. 4: $230
Includes admission into the Opening Session with keynote speaker Dr. Karen Mapp; choice of concurrent sessions in seven content strands; and the PNC Grow Up Great® Welcome Reception with appetizers and one complimentary drink ticket.
Tuesday Nov. 5: $275
Includes admission into the General Session with keynote speaker Dr. Debbie Reese; choice of concurrent sessions in seven content strands; and plated dinner at the Banquet Celebration with emcee Byron Pitts and special guest speaker Shigeru Hayakawa.
Wednesday, Nov. 6: $100
Includes admission into a choice of three extended, in-depth sessions; plated meal at the Closing Brunch with keynote speaker Marcus Shingles; and post-conference three-hour workshop.
Discount codes apply to one 3-day $499 registration only, when paying online by credit card, until 11:59pm Pacific time on the date specified. Discount codes are not stackable, meaning you cannot use more than one discount code per order.
Sunday, Nov. 3: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 4: 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 5: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 6: 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Online registration is by credit card only at conference.familieslearning.org/register. Credit cards are accepted securely online.
Prospective attendees can register using this PDF registration form that can be mailed, faxed, or emailed along with payment. Instructions are located on the form.
Purchase orders are accepted as long as a copy of the actual signed purchase order is submitted with the registration form. Registrations will not be processed until the signed purchase order is submitted. Both forms can be faxed to (502) 212-4840.
When paying by check, please download and mail the registration form with your payment. Registration will not be complete without the check.
A full refund less the $75 administration fee will be issued for full conference cancellations received in writing by October 7, 2019. No refunds will be issued for cancellations received after October 7, 2019.
Management for the Families Learning Conference will not be held responsible for, nor issue refunds based on, illness, travel or weather-related interruptions, or other independent issues requiring cancellation after October 7, 2019. Substitutions are permitted.
Louisville Marriott Downtown
280 West Jefferson St., Louisville, Kentucky 40202 USA
1-502-627-5045
Group rate*: $176/night plus tax (16.07% as of June 29, 2018)
Reservation website: book.passkey.com/e/49851176
A PASSKEY enabled link is provided for your convenience (book.passkey.com/e/49851176). In order to get the conference group rate of $176 plus tax, you must make your hotel reservation on or before Friday, October 11, 2019, using the PASSKEY link or calling the hotel directly. Note: This rate also applies 3 days before and 3 days after the regular conference days, based on hotel availability.
Note: There are 20 rooms being held at the prevailing rate for government employees so it is important for you to make your reservation early. Please call the hotel to make your reservation with the government rate, making sure to mention the Families Learning Conference.
We have secured additional lodging two blocks from the Louisville Marriott Downtown. These rooms must be booked by October 11, 2019.
Fairfield & Springhill Suites – Louisville Downtown
100 E. Jefferson, Louisville, KY 40202
Group rate: $169/night plus tax
Click to book online
502-569-3553
The Louisville International Airport (SDF) is the nearest airport, located about seven miles from the Louisville Marriott Downtown.
Taxi, UBER, and Lyft from this airport to the hotel are estimated at $34-40 round-trip.
Persons wishing to present a concurrent session must submit an online application, available at http://conference.familieslearning.org/call-for-proposals/ beginning January 22, 2019. Applications will close March 1, 2019.
NCFL staff will review all concurrent session applications and notify all applicants of their standing in April 2019. If selected, lead presenters will be required to confirm their participation by May 3, 2019, and register for the conference by August 15, 2019. Lead presenters will receive the date, time, and room location for their session(s) mid-summer.
Monday and Tuesday kick off with a General Session that includes a welcome from NCFL President and Founder, Sharon Darling, followed by an inspiring life story from an adult learner and a keynote speech by a well-known figure in education. Afterwards, concurrent sessions in seven content strands will begin. There are four time blocks for concurrent sessions on both Monday and Tuesday. Monday concludes with an evening welcome reception and Tuesday concludes with a Banquet Celebration.
Wednesday begins with the choice between extended featured sessions. The Conference wraps up with the Closing Brunch, followed by an optional post-conference session. See full schedule for details.
The Conference’s seven strands are: Adult Education; Early Childhood Education; Funding and Sustainability; Library; K-12 Education; Parent Leadership; and Research and Policy.
Each session is one hour and 15 minutes long. Rooms are set in theater-style seating. The sessions offered on Wednesday are extended to two hours.
In celebration of PNC’s and NCFL’s 25-year partnership, please join us in the Kentucky Ballroom Salon E on Monday evening, Nov. 4th from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m for a Kentucky-themed Welcome Reception, sponsored by PNC! Enjoy a complimentary Derby beverage, delicious regional appetizers, and a cash bar as you listen to bluegrass music and partake in themed festive activities, including a fascinator-making station (complete with photobooth!). PNC Grow Up Great® will also bring their interactive traveling exhibit, the Mobile Learning Adventure, for attendees to visit during Conference—back by popular demand! Join us as we commemorate PNC’s Grow Up Great initiative marking 15 years of supporting early childhood education, as well as NCFL’s 30th anniversary of serving children and families, with a spirited toast! Come raise a glass with us in honor of the nearly 10 million children and families served through these two organizations. You won’t want to miss this fantastic event!
The entire schedule will be posted at conference.familieslearning.org/schedule by Summer 2019. Updates regarding speakers and special sessions will be posted as they are confirmed.