It’s been nearly a year since we hosted our first equity in education panel, “Disrupting a Destructive Cycle: How Literacy Drives Social Change” at the ILA 2017 Conference in Orlando, FL. Moderated by Cornelius Minor, one of the General Session speakers at the upcoming ILA 2018 Conference in Austin, TX, July 20–23, panelists discussed the need for equity in education and why it is essential that educators examine biases in their school policies, their classroom libraries, and themselves.

Since then, ILA has hosted several #ILAchat conversations about how educators can create an inclusive classroom for all students, examine power and privilege within school systems, consider concepts of gender identity, support multilingual learners, and advocate for equity in their schools and classrooms. Our next #ILAchat, which will occur on Thursday, May 10, at 8:00 p.m. ET, takes a slightly different approach to social justice issues: Rather than discussing how educators can be a force for social change, we’re examining how they can put that power into the hands of their students and inspire activism through literature and literacy.

The topic was suggested by none other than Oliva Van Ledtje (@thelivbits), of LivBits fame. At only 10 years old, Ledtje has already made her mark on the literacy world as a book activist, using social media and videos to share her passion for books and promoting other young voices to do the same. Ledtje’s mother, Cynthia Merrill (@cyndisueboo), joins as a cohost not only to lend a parental voice to the topic but also to share her experience as a teacher and staff developer.

Our third cohost, Cynthia Levinson (@cylev), is former teacher and current nonfiction writer for Watch Out for Flying Kids!, won the 2016 ILA Social Justice Award. Levinson will be a panelist at ILA 2018 and one of our Putting Books to Work authors at Children’s Literature Day. You can learn more about Levinson and find resources for using her books in the classroom on her two websites: cynthialevinson.com and faultlinesintheconstitution.com.

Follow #ILAchat and @ILAtoday at 8:00 p.m. ET on May 10 to join the conversation about how to achieve social justice and activism through literacy.

See you there!

Wesley Ford is the Social Media Strategist for the International Literacy Association.

Nicole Robbins is the Communications Intern for the International Literacy Association.