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1. Build Your Self-Care Plan: A workshop for interpreters and translators

Interpreters and translators can encounter emotionally demanding material in a live encounter or on the page. In this interactive webinar, you’ll build a personal self-care plan to support your well-being and help you deliver the message accurately when the work is difficult.

Through guided discussions, you’ll distinguish between trauma and vicarious trauma, use mindfulness to notice how emotionally difficult content affects you, and apply your professional code of ethics to dilemmas that can arise in your work. You’ll leave with a plan that identifies your early signs of stress and outlines practical steps you can take before, during, and after a demanding assignment.

Carola E. Morton is a former California state court interpreter who is originally from Guatemala. She served as key staff for the Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination (FCICE) and the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts (CLAC) programs at the National Center for State Courts. She has over twenty-five years of experience in professional interpreting in the legal and medical fields. Carola also has extensive experience in developing interpreter training curricula, teaching and training interpreters and is a licensed TCII® trainer. She also has extensive experience in all aspects of interpreting test development, test administration, and test rating activities. 

2.1 Translation Labels: Empowering Consumers, Protecting Access, Elevating the Professions 

Translation labels are emerging as essential tools for transparency, consumer protection, and building trust. Just as food labels help consumers understand what they are ingesting, translation labels allow readers to know how multilingual content was produced so they can judge its reliability. This is especially critical in an era of ubiquitous AI, where users often cannot assess the accuracy of a machine‑generated translation. Labels empower individuals to make informed decisions about the information they rely on, support meaningful language access, and strengthen confidence in publishers and providers. They also elevate the translation profession by promoting standards, accountability, shared best practices and the value of human judgement and expertise.

Steve Lank is CEO of Denver-based Cesco Linguistic Services, where he leads a team dedicated to delivering culturally competent, high-impact language solutions. With a career spanning over 35 years, Steve has held leadership roles in the US, Ireland, and Spain, and has worked across nearly every facet of the language services industry—from freelance translator to executive management. He chairs the ASTM subcommittee that developed ASTM F2575 Standard Practice for Language Translation, helping shape industry best practices. Steve holds an MA in Spanish Translation & Interpretation from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and was a lecturer in the graduate translation and interpreting program at the University of Maryland, where he taught courses on translation and interpreting as a business. He is also a founding member and current co-chair of ALC Bridge and a member of ALC’s Governance committee. A frequent speaker at industry events and advocate for professional standards, Steve brings a global perspective and deep industry insight to his work, making him a trusted voice in the field.

2.2 Beyond Translation: How Technology, Workflows, and Standards Elevate Linguistic Expertise in Education

Translators working in school districts and other educational settings do much more than translate documents. They help ensure meaningful communication with multilingual families while navigating competing priorities, tight deadlines, and growing demands for language access.

Behind every successful translation project is a combination of well-designed workflows, effective processes, and quality standards that help translators do their best work. This presentation explores how these elements come together in professional translation environments, from project preparation and terminology management to quality assurance and delivery. We will discuss how structured processes complement—not replace—the knowledge, judgment, and creativity of professional translators, ultimately contributing to greater consistency, efficiency, and translation quality.

Martín Ariano Gahn, Director of Translation & Localization Services at Cesco Linguistic Services, has 15+ years of experience in the translation and localization industry. After earning a BA in Legal Translation from the University of the Republic of Uruguay, he worked as a full-time English into Spanish translator for 5 years, both in-house and freelance. Driven by a passion for language technologies, he moved to Spain to pursue an MA in Translation Technologies at Universitat Jaume I, where he specialized in Machine Translation and Post-editing. He also earned an MA in Medical & Healthcare Translation from Universitat Jaume I in 2015. He recently completed an online master’s degree in Technical Communication and Localization at the Université de Strasbourg (2023–2025). Martín is a proponent of human-centered technology implementation and workflow automation, a plain language practitioner, and an AI enthusiast. He has been contributing to Cesco’s success since 2013.

3. The Future of Ethics: Understanding the Language, Examining the Foundations

What does the future hold for professional ethics in interpreting and translation. Join leaders from AAITE, ATA, NCIHC, and NAJIT for a conversation exploring the principles, language, and foundations that guide ethical professional practice.

Giovanna Carriero-Contreras is a visionary leader whose passion for language access has guided more than 30 years of work in interpreting, translation, training, entrepreneurship, and advocacy. She is the co-founder of Cesco Linguistic Services, an award-winning company recognized for excellence, ethical leadership, and service to linguistically diverse communities.

A seasoned interpreter, translator, renowned trainer, and published author, Giovanna is passionate about preparing professionals to serve with competence, integrity, and confidence—and ensuring that every person can communicate, participate, and be heard. She co-authored The Community Interpreter® International and The Medical Interpreter.

Giovanna is a founding member and current Chair of the American Association of Interpreters and Translators in Education (AAITE). She also played an instrumental role in developing the AAITE National Codes of Ethics and Standards of Practice. In 2024, on behalf of AAITE, she spearheaded the inter-association initiative The Future of Ethics. By bringing professional associations into a shared conversation, she advanced the understanding that, while ethics may be applied differently across specialized settings, the underlying ethical principles remain the same. The initiative presents ethics as a unifying foundation for interpreters and translators across the profession.

Her influence extends to national and international standards development. She serves as Chief of the U.S. Delegation to ISO/TC 37/SC 5 and was Editor of ISO 13611:2024 for community interpreting.

Named the 2020 Bill Daniels Ethical Leader of the Year, Giovanna continues to inspire others through her vision, generosity, and unwavering belief in the power of language to create access, dignity, and belonging. She is the recipient of the 2026 ATA Alexander Gode Medal.

Christina Green is a court-certified interpreter, ATA certified translator, forensic linguist, and advocate for language access with over 25 years of leadership in the language services profession. She is the founder and President of Green Linguistics LLC, an agency providing comprehensive translation, interpretation, and forensic transcription services across legal, corporate, and educational sectors.

A dedicated champion for human-centered interpretation standards, Green serves as Chair of the International Federation of Translators North America (FIT North America) and Chair-Elect of the American Association of Interpreters and Translators in Education (AAITE). Her organizational leadership also extends to the American Translators Association (ATA), where she serves as Chair of the Advocacy Committee and Administrator of the Italian Language Division. Additionally, she serves on the Committee to Improve Interpreting and Translation in Wisconsin Courts, working directly to advance professional standards, language access protections, and the vital role of qualified human practitioners in judicial settings.

Green brings extensive cross-sector experience spanning legal evidence analysis, educational accessibility, and plain-language public communication. Her background includes a 19-year tenure within the Milwaukee Public Schools system, alongside decades of field expertise consulting on forensic audio/video evidence and legal interpreting. Professionally fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and conversational Portuguese, she is widely recognized across North America for her policy insight, practitioner training, and thought leadership on the evolving intersections of language equity, public policy, and emerging technology.

Green has a degree in Translation and Interpreting from Universidad Central de Venezuela, higher studies in applied linguistics, is certified in English and Italian by the Venezuelan Department of Justice, and is currently pursuing an advanced degree in forensic linguistics.

Lorena Castillo is a trilingual, dual-certified Spanish medical interpreter (CMI, CHI) and credentialed ATD Master Instructional Designer with more than 20 years of experience in Spanish, English, ASL medical interpreting. She believes deeply in the power of language access to build trust, uphold dignity, and support ethical, patient-centered care. That belief led her to study ASL and expand her work in service of d/Deaf and Hispanic communities, where she strives to facilitate communication with compassion, cultural awareness, and professionalism. With training in medical interpreting, an ASL healthcare interpreting fellowship from St, Katherine University CATIE center, medical terminology certificate, and instructional design, Lorena brings both field experience and educational expertise to her work. As Instructional Design Manager for Training and Quality at AMN Healthcare Language Services, she creates learning experiences that help interpreters grow in competence, confidence, and ethical practice.

Janis Palma has been a federally-certified judiciary interpreter since 1981 and NAJIT-certified as an English-Spanish interpreter and translator since 2004. She holds a Ph.D. in Language Studies, a Master’s in Legal Studies, a Master’s in Puerto Rican and Caribbean History and Literature, and is currently enrolled in the Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design (RCID) Ph.D. program at Clemson University. She has been researching and writing on interpreter-related subjects since 1986, among which is a paper titled “When interpreting does not remove the language barrier: interpreter ethics at odds with due process rights in U.S. courts.” She is the founder and President of IKIGAI and is currently on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT.)

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