Award-winning actor, advocate and No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Grace Byers will headline the LIFE Literacy Conference 2026 on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman.
Byers will deliver the keynote address, “Every Child Has a Voice,” as part of a full-day programme exploring what children need to thrive, what happens when important early needs go unmet, and the role every part of the community can play in helping children reach their potential.
Under the theme “Early Childhood: Shared Responsibility. Shared Success,” the conference will bring together educators, parents, caregivers, health professionals, business and community leaders, and advocates to consider early childhood not simply as an education issue, but as a shared responsibility with implications for families and the future of the Cayman Islands.
Following LIFE’s inaugural conference in 2025, this year’s programme will build on the conversation around the importance of the earliest years and move from understanding and awareness toward practical action.
Dr. Laurence van Hanswijck de Jonge of KidsAbility will present “Building the Brain: Why the Earliest Years Shape a Lifetime,” examining the foundations of healthy development, while Paul Byles of FTS Cayman Islands will discuss “Investing Early: The Economics of Opportunity.”
Hon. Rolston Anglin, Minister for Education and Training, will also deliver a keynote address sharing the government’s perspective on early childhood education and development in the Cayman Islands.
The first of two panel discussions, “When Early Needs Go Unmet: Understanding the Cost of Inaction,” will bring together experts from early intervention, health and early childhood education. The discussion will examine the foundations children need in order to learn and develop, what can happen when developmental needs are not identified or addressed early, and the impact when children and families cannot access the support they need.
The conference will conclude with “Shared Responsibility, Shared Success: From Awareness to Action,” a cross-sector leadership discussion focused on what families, educators, health professionals, businesses, government, social services, the justice system and the wider community can each do to strengthen outcomes for children.
The discussion will ask participants to move beyond the question of who is responsible for early childhood and instead consider: What is my responsibility, and what can I do next?
The programme will also include the presentation of “From Play to Progress: One Year On,” a LIFE Discussion Paper informed by stakeholder reflections on progress since the publication of the 2025 “From Play to Progress: Strengthening Early Childhood Education in the Cayman Islands” report, developed by LIFE Cayman in collaboration with KPMG.
“Early childhood education is not just an education issue. The experiences children have in their earliest years shape families, communities and Cayman’s future, which is why responsibility for getting it right belongs to all of us,” said Erica Dell’Oglio, Executive Director of LIFE.
The LIFE Literacy Conference 2026 is open to all. Attendance is free, but registration is required at www.life.org.ky.
The conference is made possible through the support of the Ministry of Education and Training; Charles and Sian Jennings; Health City Cayman Islands; Cayman Independent Ltd.; CG Britcay; Heritage Holdings Group of Companies; and Merrill Lynch Bank & Trust Cayman Islands.