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Victoria Purcell-Gates is the Canada Research Chair in Early Childhood Literacy for the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. She studies the ways in which people within communities value and practice literacy in all aspects of their lives. Her interests also include designing early literacy instruction that builds on young children's linguistic, cognitive, cultural, and social models for reading and writing acquired within their home communities. She is a former president of the National Reading Conference and a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. Her latest book is

Lauryn has over 10 years experience as an elementary classroom teacher, literacy instructional coach and culturally responsive trainer. She was formerly a teaching and learning specialist with Teaching Tolerance. She holds a bachelor's degree in American Studies and a master's of education degree in culturally responsive teaching, both from the University of Colorado. She is currently working on her doctorate in education at Vanderbilt University. Lauryn has a passion for educating teachers on engagement strategies and is particularly interested in closing the opportunity gap for young males