The early years are critical for building the foundational reading and writing skills that set students up for long-term academic success. Featuring A Suitcase Full and Author visit by Maryam Kia. Facilitated by Rebecca Bellingham and Veronica Scott, authors of The Artful Approach to Exploring Identity and Fostering Belonging, and The Artful Read Aloud, this interactive experience highlights how purposeful play activities, storytelling, community poems, expressive movement, and “artful read-alouds” can bring early literacy to life—honoring children’s identities, amplifying their voices, and fostering the belonging that underpins joyful learning and academic excellence.