Maya will serve as keynote speaker at the Christ Child Society of Milwaukee’s 2025 Shower of Love on October 22, 2025. Held at the Italian Community Center, the annual event supports newborns and young children in need. Maya will share insights from Reading for Our Lives, emphasizing the critical role of families in nurturing early literacy from birth.
Maya Payne Smart is a writer, parent educator, and literacy advocate who has served on the boards of numerous library and literacy organizations. She and her family live in Milwaukee, where she serves as affiliated faculty in educational policy and leadership in the College of Education at Marquette University. Her website, MayaSmart.com, provides tips and tools for parents to nurture, teach, and advocate for kids on the road to reading.