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Current Position(s)
Theatre Teacher
Roybal Learning Center
Los Angeles Unified School District
UTLA/NEA
Founder & Executive Director
Education Ensemble
Los Angeles, CA
Co-Host & Co-Creator
Continental Shifts Podcast
Co-Creator
EN-ACT
Educator's Network - Art Creates Transformation
Los Angeles, CA
Secretary (Elected June 2021)
Former Co-Regional Director, California (SoCal)
NEA Asian Pacific Islander Caucus
Chair (Appointed June 2020)
Leading Educator Ambassador for Equity
Education Civil Rights Alliance
Convened by National Center for Youth Law
Washington D.C.
At-Large Rep & Human Rights Chair Person (2013-2020)
Centinela Valley Secondary Teachers Association
South Bay United Teachers
California Teachers Association
Los Angeles, CA
Varsity Registrar & Co-Char for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Drama Teachers Association of Southern California
2020-2021
#TeachSDGs Ambassador
Communications Committee
United Nations, New York
Curriculum Development Team & Contributing Author of The Global Goals Book
Innovation Lab Schools
Africa
National Coalition for Safe Schools
Founding Member
USA
Fellow, Arts Education Cohort (2017-2018)
Arts for L.A. ACTIVATE
Varkey Teacher Ambassador
Varkey Foundation, London
Rock Your World Ambassador
Creative Visions, Malibu
Lead Educator & Brain Trust Member
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, New York
Director of Curriculum Development
Board of Directors
Media Done Responsibly
Los Angeles, CA
Recent Awards
Speaking Engagements, Workshop Facilitation & Other Endeavors
Credential(s)
Education
M.A. Language Arts & Literacy (2013)
Loyola Marymount University
B.A. African-American Studies & Urban Education (2010)
California State University, Northridge
Book Features
Teaching Life
By Armand Doucet
Teach Boldly: Using Ed Tech for Social Good
Jennifer Williams
Publications
Award-Winning Educators Call on States to Halt Bans on Critical Race Theory
Education Post
HELPING TEENS COPE UNDER COVID-19 THROUGH THE ARTS - #TEACHERSVOICES
UNESCO Teacher Task Force
Global Goals Book
Innovation Lab Schools
"Arts Integration & 10 Supplies to Make it Happen" (July 2019)
EN-ACT Blog
"Generation Z Will Inherit This World and Be the Change We Should Have Been" (2019)
Kindred Spirits Blog
Share My lesson
"Trump and DeVos Should Know What It Means for Our Students of Color When They Remove Discipline Guidance" (2018)
Education Post
"Social Justice Theatre in California"
Space2Learn Blog
"Develop & Sustain Empathy, Reach Our Goals by 2030"
#TeachSDGs Initiative Blog
United Nations
"Global Community of Learners Striving to Tackle Climate Change - And on the Way Build Partnerships for the Goals"
#TeachSDGs Initiative Blog
United Nations
Education at a Crossroads: Human Rights and Arts Education
Global Citizen
Black Power Encyclopedia, Contributor
"Angela Y. Davis"
"National Black Feminist Organization"
"Systematic Review: Faculty Departure from Four-Year Colleges and Universities
Review of the Literature 1996 - 2012" (2013)
Hip Hop Think Tank Journal, "If Hip Hop and Cointelpro Had a Baby" (2011)
Say It Loud Newspaper, "On the Cusp of a New Student Movement" (2010)
KapuSens Pan African Studies Literary Review, "How Hip Hop Elected Obama" (2009)
Hip Hop Think Tank Academic Journal, "Free Huey: Search for Hip Hop's Next Great Leader" (2008)
KapuSens Pan African Studies Literary Review, "Who Am I?" (2008)
KapuSens Pan African Studies Literary review, " Hip Hop: A Homophobic or Masculine Art Form" (2008)
Professional Organizations
Affiliations
Research Area(s)
Personal Interests
Theatre Teacher
Roybal Learning Center
Los Angeles Unified School District
UTLA/NEA
Founder & Executive Director
Education Ensemble
Los Angeles, CA
Co-Host & Co-Creator
Continental Shifts Podcast
Co-Creator
EN-ACT
Educator's Network - Art Creates Transformation
Los Angeles, CA
Secretary (Elected June 2021)
Former Co-Regional Director, California (SoCal)
NEA Asian Pacific Islander Caucus
Chair (Appointed June 2020)
- Racial Equity Steering Committee
- Racial & Social Justice Advisory Committee
Leading Educator Ambassador for Equity
Education Civil Rights Alliance
Convened by National Center for Youth Law
Washington D.C.
At-Large Rep & Human Rights Chair Person (2013-2020)
Centinela Valley Secondary Teachers Association
South Bay United Teachers
California Teachers Association
Los Angeles, CA
Varsity Registrar & Co-Char for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Drama Teachers Association of Southern California
2020-2021
#TeachSDGs Ambassador
Communications Committee
United Nations, New York
Curriculum Development Team & Contributing Author of The Global Goals Book
Innovation Lab Schools
Africa
National Coalition for Safe Schools
Founding Member
USA
Fellow, Arts Education Cohort (2017-2018)
Arts for L.A. ACTIVATE
Varkey Teacher Ambassador
Varkey Foundation, London
Rock Your World Ambassador
Creative Visions, Malibu
Lead Educator & Brain Trust Member
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, New York
Director of Curriculum Development
Board of Directors
Media Done Responsibly
Los Angeles, CA
Recent Awards
- NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship, 2021
- NEA National Teacher Leadership Conference Scholarship, 2018
- CTA Peace and Justice, Equity and Human Rights Award, 2018
- Life Changer of the Year Nominee (June 2017) View Profile Here
- Centinela Valley Educational Foundation Grant (May 2017) for "Theatre Arts & Project-Based Leaning: the Path to Global Citizenry"
- CTA GLBT Safety in Schools Grant in Honor of Guy DeRosa Recipient (March 2016)
- Rotary Club of Hawthorne Grant Awardee (May 2016) for demonstrating initiative, innovation, and inspiration in shaping the future of our nation through education and your Verbatim Project.
- Top 50 Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize (December 2016)
- Best in Theatre (June 2016) recognition for participation in the South Bay Digital Media Arts Consortium Grant.
- Stella Award (June 2016) from Media Done Responsibly for commitment to the organization and its mission. This was the inaugural award, named after Estella Church, to honor all those after her who chooses to continue the work to such a high standard.
- Educational Excellence Award (2016) from SW SELPA Community Advisory Committee for outstanding performance and dedication to students with special needs and their families.
- Extraordinary Theatre Educator (March 2015) from California Educational Theatre Association for extraordinary work with students in theatre arts education and advocacy.
- Rotary Club of Hawthorne Grant Awardee (May 2015) for demonstrating initiative, innovation, and inspiration in shaping the future of our nation through education and your Verbatim Project.
Speaking Engagements, Workshop Facilitation & Other Endeavors
- Media Done Responsibly + National Association for Media Literacy Education, Workshop: Confirming the Business Case for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education, July 2021
- Media Done Responsibly + Children's Screen Time Action Network, Workshop: Beyond the Digital Divide, May 2021
- Curriculum Consultant, California State University, Northridge, June 2021
- Educational Theatre Association, Workshop & Webinar: Introduction to Equity Vocabulary & Combatting White Supremacy in Theatre Arts Education, July 2021
- New Leaders Council (New Jersey), Workshop: Combating White Supremacy in the Work Place, June 2021
- RFK Human Rights: Speak Truth to Power Series, Workshop: Human Rights Ed & Arts Integration, July 2021
- National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum + Moms Rising, Panel: Conversation with AAPI Moms, May 2021
- Black Teacher Design Lab, National Teacher Project, May 2021
- University of Michigan, Asian Pacific Heritage Month Keynote as Continental Shifts, April 2021
- Center Theatre Group, "Theatre Education & Service", College Fair, March 2021
- Empowering Pacific Islander Communities, "Black & Pacifika Narrative Project", Ongoing Project, March 2021
- NEA Summer Justice Series, "Protecting Education Civil Rights for Immigrant Children", August 2020
- "Talking Education: Education Vs. Racism", Varkey Foundation, July 28, 2020
- "Education Rights for Immigrant Children Among COVID Challenges", National Teacher Virtual Leadership Conference, July 9, 2020
- Virtual International Thespian Festival, Educational Theatre Association, "Educators Panel on Racism & Racial Equity", June 26, 2020
- Centinela Valley Secondary Teachers Association, Racial & Social Justice Forum, June 2020
- "School to Deportation Pipeline", Education Civil Rights Alliance partnership with National Network of State Teachers of the Year, Facebook Live Event, April 21, 2020
- Freestyle Fridays: Addressing Xenophobia against Asian & Muslim Communities, New Jersey Education Association, April 17, 2020
- Education is Political, NEA Leadership Summit, March 2020, Orlando, FL
- Ethnic Minority Early Identification and Development Program, California Teachers Association, 2019-2020
- "If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much": Protecting Education Civil Rights", ASCD Empower Conference, Los Angeles, CA, March 2020
- "Protection the Education Rights of LGTBQ Students", Education Civil Rights Alliance partnership with National Network of State Teachers of the Year, Facebook Live Event, February 18, 2020
- Educators' and Policy Expert Panel: School to Deportation Pipeline, Education Civil Rights Alliance, San Francisco, CA, February 2020
- Reshaping Our Identities: From Educator to Activist, Educators for Student Equity, Education Civil Rights Alliance (National Youth Center for Law), Webinar, January 2020
- Protecting Civil Rights of LGBTQ+ Youth, NEA LGBTQ Caucus, Las Vegas, NV, October 2019
- Spirited Explorations: Theatrical Inquiry for Reading, Writing, and Speaking in the ELA Classroom, NCTE Annual Convention, Baltimore, MD, November 2019
- "Spittin' Verses One Pentameter at a Time", Teaching, Teaching Our World Through the Arts, Skirball Museum, Los Angeles, CA, September 2019
- Social Emotional Learning & Arts Integration Workshop for Teacher/Artist Collaborative, The Broad Stage Education & Community Programs, Santa Monica, CA (Summer 2019)
- National Summit on School Safety, National Coalition for Safe Schools, March 2019, Birmingham, Alabama
- Speak Truth to Power Impact Story, RFK Human Rights, 50th Anniversary Ripple of Hope Gala, December 2018, Manhattan, New York
- Youth Leadership for Integral Human Development - Laudato Si’ and the
Sustainable Development Goals, Vatican Youth Symposium, Pontifical Academy of Sciences (PAS), October 2018, Vatican, Vatican City - Upholding Marginalized Students' Civil Rights: The Equity Journey's First Step, Grantmakers for Education Annual Conference, October 2018, San Diego, CA
- Speak Truth to Power: Arts Integration & Student Social Justice Action, NNSTOY National teacher Leadership Conference, July 2018, Las Vegas, NV
- Social Emotional Learning & Arts Integration, The Broad Stage Teaching Artist Cohort, The Broad Stage, July 2018, Santa Monica, CA
- MIT Solve Workshop Facilitation, Global Education Skills Forum, March 2017, Dubai, UAE
- House Debate: Is the rise of robots in education a good thing?", Global Education Skills Forum, March 2017, Dubai, UAE
- Speak Truth to Power Summer Institute, Facilitator, Los Angeles, CA
Credential(s)
- Clear Career Technical Education: Arts, Media and Entertainment Credential, USD
- GATE Certification, UCIE
- Clear Single Subject Credential, UCLAE
- Reading Specialist Certificate (Forthcoming), LMU
- Certified in ERWC, CSULA
Education
M.A. Language Arts & Literacy (2013)
Loyola Marymount University
B.A. African-American Studies & Urban Education (2010)
California State University, Northridge
Book Features
Teaching Life
By Armand Doucet
Teach Boldly: Using Ed Tech for Social Good
Jennifer Williams
Publications
Award-Winning Educators Call on States to Halt Bans on Critical Race Theory
Education Post
HELPING TEENS COPE UNDER COVID-19 THROUGH THE ARTS - #TEACHERSVOICES
UNESCO Teacher Task Force
Global Goals Book
Innovation Lab Schools
"Arts Integration & 10 Supplies to Make it Happen" (July 2019)
EN-ACT Blog
"Generation Z Will Inherit This World and Be the Change We Should Have Been" (2019)
Kindred Spirits Blog
Share My lesson
"Trump and DeVos Should Know What It Means for Our Students of Color When They Remove Discipline Guidance" (2018)
Education Post
"Social Justice Theatre in California"
Space2Learn Blog
"Develop & Sustain Empathy, Reach Our Goals by 2030"
#TeachSDGs Initiative Blog
United Nations
"Global Community of Learners Striving to Tackle Climate Change - And on the Way Build Partnerships for the Goals"
#TeachSDGs Initiative Blog
United Nations
Education at a Crossroads: Human Rights and Arts Education
Global Citizen
Black Power Encyclopedia, Contributor
"Angela Y. Davis"
"National Black Feminist Organization"
"Systematic Review: Faculty Departure from Four-Year Colleges and Universities
Review of the Literature 1996 - 2012" (2013)
Hip Hop Think Tank Journal, "If Hip Hop and Cointelpro Had a Baby" (2011)
Say It Loud Newspaper, "On the Cusp of a New Student Movement" (2010)
KapuSens Pan African Studies Literary Review, "How Hip Hop Elected Obama" (2009)
Hip Hop Think Tank Academic Journal, "Free Huey: Search for Hip Hop's Next Great Leader" (2008)
KapuSens Pan African Studies Literary Review, "Who Am I?" (2008)
KapuSens Pan African Studies Literary review, " Hip Hop: A Homophobic or Masculine Art Form" (2008)
Professional Organizations
- Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
- United Teachers of Los Angeles
- Centinela Valley Secondary Teachers Association
- South Bay Unified Teachers
- NEA Asian Pacific Islander Caucus
- NEA Black Caucus
- CTA African American Caucus
- CTA Asian Pacific Islander Caucus
- California Educators Theatre Association
- International Thespian Society
- Drama Teacher's Association of Southern California
- California Teachers Association
- National Education Association
Affiliations
- NEA Global Learning Fellow (2021-2022)
- NEA Leaders for Just Schools Cohort (2019-2020)
- CTA EMEID Cohort (2019-2020)
- NEA See Educators Run Cohort (2018-2019)
- Lead Educator Ambassador for Equity, Education Civil Rights Alliance, (2017-Current)
- Arts for L.A., Activate Fellow (2012-2018)
- Varkey Teacher Ambassador, Varkey Foundation
- #TeachSDG's Initiative, United Nations
- Creative Visions, Rock Your World
- Speak Truth to Power, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, L.A. Cohort, Lead STTP Educator (2014 - Current)
- Kappa Delta Pi (2013)
- Ahnk Ma'at Wedjau Honor Society (2010)
- Minerva Leadership Organization (2009)
- AmeriCorp: Students in Service (2008, 2010)
- National Council for Black Studies
- Hip Hop Think Tank
- National Hip Hop Political Convention
Research Area(s)
- Explicit Empathy Instruction
- Hip Hop Pedagogy & Hip Hop Based Education
- Literacy & Language Arts
- Racial Identity Development & Academic Self-Concepts
- Black Boys, Motivation, and Gains in Literacy
- Service Learning
- Arts Education & Advocacy
- Mentorship
- Implication of Language Acquisition Theory on African American Children
Personal Interests
- Theatre Arts
- Technology & Design
- Musical Theatre
- Service