Central Valley Library Camp '26

When adults read, kids win! Plus, making time for books (written for young people) creates another way for you to build relationships, cultivate a sense of community AND demonstrate (through action) that you value reading and literacy. In this session, Jennifer will share some of her favorite (recent) reads for learners of all ages, give away some of her favorites from the list AND share collection development strategies for making sure your shelves are filled with the kinds of books your readers deserve!
Audience: K–12 school librarians and other educators. May also interest school administrators.
Future Ready Librarian Alignment: Inspires Reading Engagement; Curates Digital Resources and Tools; Cultivates Community Partnerships.

How can libraries become spaces where all students feel seen, included, and empowered? This session explores strategies for designing engaging, inclusive programming for students in Special Day Classes (SDC) through intentional collaboration with Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. Participants will learn how to develop real-world partnerships that bring students together through shared projects, hands-on learning, and meaningful interactions, while also leveraging site and community partnerships, including collaboration with Fresno County Superintendent of Schools (FCSS) and support from community liaisons to expand access and fund programming opportunities.

In the fast-paced world of modern education, visual communication is no longer a luxury—it is a necessity. Whether you are a teacher trying to spark student engagement, a librarian curating a welcoming digital space, or an administrator streamlining district-wide communications, the challenge remains the same: how do we create professional, high-quality content without a degree in graphic design or a massive budget?

The answer lies in Canva for Education. This session is designed specifically for educators, librarians, and school leaders who want to master the basics of this powerful, intuitive platform. We will begin with the best kept secret in ed-tech: Canva for Education is 100% free for K-12 teachers and their students, offering premium features that typically cost hundreds of dollars at no cost to your school.

Throughout this interactive session, we will explore the "wealth of possibilities" found within Canva’s massive library of education-specific templates. We will move beyond the blank canvas and show you how to find, customize, and deploy assets in minutes.

What we will cover:

The Educator’s Toolkit: Learn how to create vibrant lesson plans, interactive worksheets, and classroom kits that grab students' attention.

The Librarian’s Corner: Discover how to design eye-catching book posters, library signage, and digital newsletters that turn the library into the heart of the school.

The Administrator’s Suite: Explore professional templates for school-wide flyers, social media announcements, and formal presentations that maintain a consistent, polished brand for your institution.

By the end of this hour, you will be equipped with the "Design Thinking" needed to transform your daily tasks. We’ll show you how to leverage drag-and-drop tools, magic resizing, and collaboration features that allow your entire team to work together in one digital space.

Whether you are a self-proclaimed "non-designer" or looking to refresh your current skills, you will leave this session with a finished project and the confidence to make your school’s vision come to life. Join us to see how simple, accessible, and transformative great design can be!

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Register and verify their free Canva for Education account to access premium features.

Navigate the Canva interface to locate specific templates for flyers, social media, and presentations.

Customize existing templates using the drag-and-drop editor to suit their specific school or classroom needs.

Collaborate with colleagues by sharing designs and folders for streamlined school communication.

Central Unified is in its third year of The News and Media Literacy Fellowship program.  Central librarians will share with you the strategies they are using to implement the News and Media Literacy Project resources, the Checkology and Common Sense Media lessons and how they are connecting lessons to content that teachers are already teaching.  Join us for practical tips to help incorporate this vital media literacy content into your lessons and how best to support teachers doing the same.