When we as a global civilization together experience a shared event on an unprecedented scale, it behooves us to pause for a moment, to take stock of what we’ve lost, and perhaps even more importantly, what we’ve gained. This year was a year of tragic loss, but it also was a year of inspiring transformation. Brazilian educator Paulo Freire notes that literacy should create bridges between the “word and the world.” This year, Habla’s 13th annual teacher institute examined our lived realities, reflecting on the year that has been, and imagining the future that might be. A range of texts from poetry composed in the last year to contemporary children’s books inspired our own storytelling and art making in a groundbreaking and inspiring teacher institute.