Decoda Literacy Conference 2026
Schedule
Wed, 15 Apr, 2026 at 08:00 am to Fri, 17 Apr, 2026 at 03:00 pm
UTC-07:00Location
Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport | Richmond, BC
About this Event
Literacy: Bridging the Gaps
Visit our website and the conference program guide (also available as a pdf) for more information.
Together, through an exciting knowledge exchange, over 200 participants will focus on emerging trends and critical issues and develop skills to tackle literacy challenges that face British Columbians.
Registration ends at 11:30 pm March 27th.
Share your conference experience on social media using #DecodaConf26 and #LiteracyBridgingTheGaps to celebrate the event!
More information
- Breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks are provided.
- There is a restaurant onsite.
- A walking trail is available nearby (see details here).
- A pop-up Decoda Free Bookshare will be at the conference – leave room to take a book home with you!
Exhibitor Hall
A unique opportunity to find out about literacy related services across BC, peruse resources, and purchase good books. Tables will be set up for the duration of the conference with time for browsing during the morning, lunch and afternoon breaks.
Make sure you visit all the tables so that you have a chance to win a draw prize!
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact Natasha at 604-681-4199 x 400 or [email protected].
The conference is held on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.
Thank you to our supporters!
Training Session, Apr 15
🕑: 08:00 AM - 09:00 AM
Breakfast
🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Parents as Literacy Supporters (PALS) Facilitators Training
Host: Fiona Morrison
Info: This engaging, full-day training offers an opportunity to explore the newly revised PALS curriculum and resources - refreshed, pilot-tested, and ready to inspire meaningful learning with families across British Columbia. Designed to support PALS, ABPALS, and IPALS programming, the training provides a practical and reflective look at program structure, key themes, and updated materials that strengthen inclusive family literacy initiatives.
🕑: 10:30 AM - 10:45 AM
15 min break
🕑: 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
PALS training continued
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Lunch
🕑: 01:00 PM - 03:30 PM
PALS training continued
🕑: 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Conference registration
Host: Lea Edgar
Conference Day 1, Apr 16
🕑: 07:30 AM - 08:30 AM
Registration and breakfast
🕑: 08:30 AM - 09:45 AM
Indigenous Welcome & Keynote: Zahra Esmail
Host: Zahra Esmail
Info: Literacy is essential to strong, inclusive communities. It supports participation, skills development, and belonging, especially for newcomers. In this keynote, Zahra will explore how literacy strengthens communities while also connecting to the health and sustainability of the non-profit sector in BC.
Drawing on Vantage Point’s State of the Non-Profit Sector research, she will examine how gaps in literacy programs and funding reflect broader sector challenges, including workforce capacity, leadership, and long-term stability. Zahra will highlight how literacy practitioners and organizations play a vital role in community resilience, equity, and economic participation, and how collaboration and investment in people can help build a stronger future for all.
🕑: 09:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Conversations and Connections Café - Part 1
Host: Suzanne Smythe
Info: This interactive session will feature 18–20 tables, each with a different topic and facilitator. Participants will rotate through six 20-minute discussions, giving attendees the chance to have many conversations with different presenters and connect with other literacy practitioners throughout the morning.
🕑: 10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Break
🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Conversations and Connections Café - Part 2
Host: Suzanne Smythe
Info: This interactive session will feature 18–20 tables, each with a different topic and facilitator. Participants will rotate through six 20-minute discussions, giving attendees the chance to have many conversations with different presenters and connect with other literacy practitioners throughout the morning.
🕑: 12:15 PM - 01:15 PM
Lunch
🕑: 01:15 PM - 02:45 PM
Concurrent sessions
🕑: 02:45 PM - 03:15 PM
Break
🕑: 03:15 PM - 03:45 PM
Concurrent sessions
Conference Day 2, Apr 17
🕑: 08:00 AM - 09:00 AM
Registration and breakfast
🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Keynote: Alexander Samuel
Host: Alexandra Samuel
Info: What happens when machines think for us? The rapid adoption of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools has raised profound questions about the future of critical thinking, learning and literacy. But AI doesn't have to be the end of the human story: Instead, it can open a new chapter—once we reckon with how AI transforms our relationship to knowledge, creativity and one another.
Drawing on her AI stories for The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review, Alexandra dismantles the idea that we face a choice between embracing the productivity benefits of AI or rejecting it as an existential threat. Instead, she argues for using AI to hone our own critical thinking, creative and human capacities, and provides practical tactics you can use and share.
You'll gain a new framework for thinking about AI—one that will transform how you approach your own work, your relationships, and ultimately, how you help others navigate this new landscape.
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Housekeeping
🕑: 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Concurrent sessions
🕑: 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Lunch
🕑: 12:45 PM - 02:15 PM
Concurrent sessions
🕑: 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
Closing comments, coffee and networking
Host: Sandra Lee
Where is it happening?
Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport, 8181 Cambie Road, Richmond, CanadaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 185.00 to CAD 400.00






