This year’s Summit, Supporting Emergent Literacy Development with Evidence-based Early Language and Literacy Practices for Young Children, was held July 12-13, 2023, on the Georgia College & State University campus in Milledgeville, GA. 

Sessions were held on July 12, 2023, from 12 to 4pm, followed by a celebration of the legacy of Mrs. Deal during a ticketed fundraising event, Dinner with the Deal Center, from 6:30-8:30 pm. Attendees enjoyed a night of food, music, and much more, including the unveiling of an original painting of Mrs. Deal. The Summit continued on July 13, 2023, from 8am to 4pm. 

Over the course of the two day Summit, the Deal Center united leaders in education, research, policy, and community engagement to celebrate progress and galvanize state and local action toward building a network for evidence-based early language and literacy practices. The Deal Center believes Literacy Changes Lives, and now more than ever, we need to turn this promise into practice and policy.