Keynote Speaker

Cheryl North is deeply committed to improving schools by preparing thoughtful, responsive and well-supported teachers for today’s changing classrooms. At UMBC, she teaches courses focused on content area literacy, English language arts, and children’s and young adult literature. She has presented widely on young adult literature, arts integration and innovative approaches to engaging young readers and writers.

Cheryl is passionate about reimagining how literacy is taught and how teachers are prepared to meet the needs of increasingly diverse learners. She believes literacy is fundamentally social and cultural, and that authentic, meaningful literacy experiences, not standardized prompts or rigid anthologies, best develop students as communicators, thinkers and creators. Her teaching and research interests include graphic novels, digital storytelling and creative, student-centered approaches that make literacy relevant and responsive.

At UMBC, Cheryl plays an active role in planning and facilitating the annual Arts Integration Conference. She also collaborates nationally through the National Writing Project and the Maryland Writing Project. Across all of her work, Cheryl is focused on the evolving landscape of education and on preparing teachers to thrive within it.