Program Description
Event Details
Comic-Con International and San Diego Public Library have teamed up for the Comic Conference for Educators and Librarians (CCEL). This FREE five-day conference will take place at the San Diego Central Library during Comic-Con® from July 19-23, and will explore the role comics play in promoting education and literacy for all ages. Those in the library and education fields are invited to learn creative and exciting ways to incorporate comics and other popular arts into their work. Through presentations and panel discussions, the Conference hopes to engage the community and promote comics as a medium for learning.
Saturday Schedule:
10:00–11:00 Comics, Cultures, and Classrooms—Chanti Burnette (Ánimo South Los Angeles High School), Timothy Ojetunde (WestEd), and Peter Carlson (Green Dot Public Schools) share theories and practical examples of embedding comics and pop culture into responsive high school curricula in order to build collaboration within the classroom through a collectivist culture of literacy. They share stories of students practicing critical media literacy skills with multimodal text analysis and production while gaining nuanced perceptions of themselves and the world around them. Moderated by Angie Amador (Green Dot Public Schools).
11:00–12:00 Comics Studies at Michigan State University—Ryan Claytor (MSU professor and coordinator of the MSU Comics minor) outlines the many comics resources available at Michigan State University. An internationally recognized multi-day event, multiple studio courses, triennial host of the Comics Studies Society conference, professional development opportunities for students, and the largest public collection of comic books in the world are just a few of the many perks.
12:00–1:00 Kapow, Woosh, Zap! Engaging Students with Comics in the Classroom—Jaime Chavez (intervention counselor, San Diego Unified), Mick Rabin (resource counselor, Youth Advocacy Dept., San Diego Unified), Ella "Dizzy" Rogosin (teacher, Sweetwater UHSD), Ed Lim (teacher, Bonita Vista High School), and Lorran Garrison (school psychologist) discuss how incorporating comics into the curriculum increases engagement and access for all students while developing a love for learning (and secretly powering up literacy skills) and how the Comic-Con Educator Book Club brings together teachers from across the region in pursuit of great reads, community, and strategies for the classroom. You, too, can become a super teacher! They will share resources, tips, and tools you can add to your utility belt. Moderated by Jewyl Alderson (San Diego County Office of Education).
1:00–2:00 Comics on Campus: Academia vs. Fandom (Battle or a Collab?)—As the pressure mounts to provide new ideas and new voices, this panel explores the educational opportunities and nationwide realities with real-world case studies. professors Dr. Chris Wildrick (Syracuse University), Dr. Christina Knopf (SUNY Cortland), and Dr. Billy Obenauer (University of Maine), along with recent MBA graduate Bailey Day and moderator professor Ed Catto (Ithaca College) discuss leveraging pop culture as learning tools for students in business, literature, filmmaking, and more.
2:00–3:00 Science in Middle-Grade Sci-Fi—Panelists explore the importance of scientific accuracy in middle-grade sf stories and discuss whether it enhances the reading experience or gets in the way of the storytelling process. They will also talk about how accurately portrayed science can serve as a source of inspiration, potentially motivating young readers to become life-long readers of science fiction and even pursue future careers in STEM fields. Featuring authors Greg Van Eekhout (Voyage of the Dogs) and Cecil Castellucci (Flash Facts [Supergirl]) and scientists Lisa Will (resident astronomer, Fleet Science Center) and Ronald Coleman (Ph.D. in regenerative medicine). Moderated by Andrea Decker (scientist engagement manager, Fleet Science Center).
3:00–4:00 Engineering Superhero Technology—Chris Garcia (STEAM professor and middle school administrator) will teach the power of the engineering design process and how it has been used by superheroes like Tony Stark to create groundbreaking technology that saves lives. You'll explore the steps of the design process and see how they apply to real-world scenarios. By the end of the session, you'll have a new appreciation for the critical role engineering plays in creating our modern world and its potential for solving some of our most significant challenges.
4:00–5:00 Comics Change the World: Comics Activism Then to Now—Comics aren't just vehicles for great stories and pictures, they're also powerful tools for changing the world. Pamela Jackson (history professor and co-director of the Center for Comics Studies, San Diego State University), Elizabeth Pollard (popular culture librarian and co-director of the Center for Comics Studies, San Diego State University), and Betsy Gomez (American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom) will lead a discussion of the ways in which comics have been used to address civil rights and social issues since their inception and how they're still being used to address contemporary issues such as censorship, racism, LGBTQ+ rights, and more.
5:00–6:00 Afghan Youth Art and Poetry Exchange—If you could help Anne Frank continue her education, would you? Find out how a group of San Diego students created Flowers for the Future to help Afghan girls continue their education and turned it into an international all-volunteer student-to-student learning platform. If it can be done for Afghanistan, it can be done anywhere!
Space is limited and registration is strongly encouraged each day.
Comic-Con badge-holders with valid single same-day or four-day badges are welcome to attend and are not required to register.
In addition to CCEL, San Diego Public Library hosts themed San Diego Comic-Con programming leading up to and through the days of the conference. Please visit our website for more information.