Championing Inclusion and Accessibility for All Students
Keynote Speaker
Haben Girma
The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma is a human rights lawyer advancing disability justice. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change, and the World Health Organization appointed her Commissioner of Social Connection. She received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and TIME100 Talks. Haben believes disability is an opportunity for innovation, and she travels the world teaching organizations the importance of choosing inclusion.
Harnessing the power of the written word to spark advocacy, she wrote and published the book that became a bestseller. Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law takes readers on adventures around the world, including her parents’ homes in Eritrea and Ethiopia, building a school under the scorching Saharan sun, training with a guide dog in New Jersey, climbing an iceberg in Alaska, fighting for blind readers at a courthouse in Vermont, and talking with President Biden and President Obama at The White House. Warm, funny, thoughtful, and uplifting, this captivating book is a testament to Haben’s determination to resist isolation and find the keys to connection.
A spellbinding speaker, her keynotes have touched the stages of Apple, Bottega Veneta, Disney, Google, Microsoft, Oxford University, and many more. Her engaging presentations ignite audiences to make positive changes in their communities.
Harvesting Dreams: Resilience and Opportunity, My Journey as a Charter School Alumna
Keynote Speaker
Erica Alfaro
Erica Alfaro is an award-winning author, educational advocate, and international keynote speaker. She received global recognition when her graduation pictures went viral and made headlines worldwide. Her story has been featured in major media outlets such as CNN, The Huffington Post, and Yahoo News. Erica received letters of recognition from the United States Assembly, Congress, Senate, and Vice President Kamala Harris. She has received multiple Latina and business leadership awards, including Constituent of the Month by the House of Representatives and 40 under 40 by Business Street. Erica’s book Harvesting Dreams won the International Latino Book Award and the 7th Latino “Book into Movies” award. Her story was portrayed in Cronicas de Univision, a docuseries based on true stories. In 2023, Erica was honored by the County of San Diego when they declared “Oct 5th as Erica Alfaro’s Day,” in addition to National City, Telemundo, and NBC recognizing her as a community leader by painting her image on a public mural. Erica’s graduation picture and story are now permanently featured in the Angel Island Immigration Museum in San Francisco Bay.
As part of California’s public school family, CCSA embraces its history of being an advocacy organization advancing issues of social justice and civil rights. Our members and the teachers and administrators who serve in their schools value diversity in culture, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, and perspective. While we seek to grow a movement that serves all students, all families, and all communities, we work with a special spirit of urgency to provide our most historically underserved and vulnerable students with the high quality public education they deserve. We join in common cause with those fighting both inside and outside of public education for greater equity, opportunity, and access for all.