National Center for Families Learning

10/16/2026

Congratulations to Heather Hall, runner-up for the 2026 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year! 🎉

Heather is a STEM teacher at Montview Elementary School in Huntsville, Alabama, and helps families learn right alongside their children. She organizes STEM Family Nights, runs Robotics Club and Greenpower Racing with family involvement, translates school information into the home languages of English Language Learner families, and helps lead the "Book to Home" initiative, which makes sure every student gets a new book every Friday.

Thanks to support from TOYOTA Heather receives $5,000 to continue her family engagement efforts. Congratulations, Heather, and thank you for all you do for your students and their families!

Toyota USA

10/15/2026

We're three weeks away from the 2026 Families Learning Conference! 🎉

Do you have plans to join the 600+ educators, researchers, community leaders, and literacy professionals who'll be with us in San Antonio, November 8–11? You'll find 80+ workshops and sessions, 100+ speakers, and a national community of people working to strengthen family literacy, family engagement, and family leadership.

Don't miss your chance to register for !

10/14/2026

We're hiring! NCFL is seeking a Senior Director, Development in Louisville, KY. This leader will guide a comprehensive fundraising strategy that supports our national growth and our mission to eradicate poverty through education.

Know someone who'd be a great fit? Please share!

10/13/2026

Celebrate National Family Literacy Month with us this November! 💚

When families learn together, they grow together. Here's how you can get involved:

➡️ Read, talk, and learn together during everyday moments, like at meals or on errands
➡️ Find programs near you in the National Literacy Directory (nld.org)
➡️ Ask your local government to recognize November as National Family Literacy Month
➡️ Explore NCFL's free online resource library for family and educator activities

Share how you're celebrating with .

10/12/2026

Save the date! Join NCFL on Thursday, October 22 at 2:00 p.m. ET for our free national webinar, "A, B, 'C': The Public Library's Role in Early Literacy."

Elizabeth M. McChesney, senior advisor at the Urban Libraries Council, will share a community ecosystem approach to early literacy, including evidence-backed ways to engage young children, resources for strengthening families, and how libraries support early childcare workers.

It's free, and open to anyone who cares about helping children and families thrive.

10/12/2026

Adult education changes more than a paycheck. It strengthens parents, children, and whole communities. This new research from ALL IN and World Education makes the case for looking at the full return on investing in adult learners. When families learn together, they grow together. Read the report ⬇️

What does adult education really return to learners, families, communities, and society?

Employment and earnings are only part of the return on investment (ROI) in adult education. Research from Margaret Becker Patterson, Jungeun Lee, and Kate Antanovich explores the broader impact on learners, families, communities, and society.

The research makes a compelling case for a future study on the full, robust impact of investing in adult education.

👉 Read the report from the ALL IN and World Education Small Grants Research Initiative: https://hubs.la/Q04zFRfV0

10/09/2026

ICYMI: We’re thrilled to celebrate the recent announcement of the Barbara Bush Family Literacy Innovation Grants from the George and Barbara Bush Foundation! These grants will help expand multigenerational literacy and learning opportunities across the country.

🎉 Even more exciting: three of the recipients are NCFL Family Learning Communities™ partners:

Literacy Alliance of Northeast Florida
Literacy Center of West Michigan
Thorn Hill Education Center

When families learn together, they grow together, and stronger families are the foundation of stronger communities. Congratulations to all of the grantees!

10/08/2026

The countdown is ON! 🎉 is just one month away.

Join us November 8–11 in San Antonio for the Families Learning Conference, where we celebrate the power of families learning together. Because when families learn together, they grow together.

🔗 Register at the link in bio.

10/08/2026

One month from today, educators, family learning practitioners, and community leaders will gather in San Antonio for the 2026 Families Learning Conference, November 8–11.

Join us for four days of learning, connection, and practical strategies to put families at the center of change. 📚 💚

10/07/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Nisha Phillip Malahoo, the 2026 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year!

A STEM teacher at Pinewood Elementary, a Title I school in Orlando, Florida, Dr. Phillip-Malahoo builds trust and creates belonging by treating families as true partners in learning. She has taken math out of the classroom and into the community, hosting a Math Night in a local supermarket that drew hundreds of families. She has also supported her school's Haitian Creole-speaking parents with resume workshops and help with online job applications. Within three months, reading proficiency in her classroom rose from 27% to 47%.

As her principal put it, she "does not simply serve families—she builds trust, fosters belonging, and creates sustainable systems of support."

Thanks to support from TOYOTA, Dr. Phillip-Malahoo receives $20,000 to continue her family engagement efforts.

Toyota USA