staff

Lia, a passionate advocate for education and human rights, specializes in children's rights pedagogy. With a global perspective gained from experiences in New York, Connecticut, Montpellier, Vienna, and Santo Domingo, she believes in the transformative power of education for a brighter and just future. As both a human rights professional and an artist, she creatively fosters connections with children and adults, constantly seeking impactful changes within existing systems.

Vaughan has had a career in education spanning over 3 decades. He is the current Senior Deputy Principal at a large co-educational school in Victoria, Australia. Vaughan is a current doctoral candidate whose thesis is primarily focused on student motivation and engagement, curriculum reform and progressive education. He is committed to promoting education experiences that promote self-determination for students, teachers, and schools.

Nick is a former high school Social Studies in Iowa public schools, who promotes progressive education across the board. Nick aims to reestablish the idea of what school could be to one of student-centered success that relies on their ideas and knowledge, instead of a dictated “future ready” curriculum.

Farimah is a dedicated children's illustrator, who brings vibrant characters and illustrations to life through her artistic endeavors. With a love for creating visually engaging content tailored for young minds, she aims to spark imagination and curiosity in the hearts of children. Through her work, she aspires to contribute joy and inspiration to the child's colorful imagination.

Jen is an Assistant Principal in a Texas public school in the greater Houston area. She is passionate about arts advocacy, and it is her hope that students will come to see art not simply as a reflection of culture but rather as a powerful tool to create it. Having grown up in rural Montana, she appreciates Houston’s scarcity of snow and enjoys exploring the city with her family.

Chris McNutt is the co-founder and executive director of Human Restoration Project, a nonprofit organization focused on student engagement, well-being, and motivation. His work centers on realizing systems-based change, examining how progressive pedagogical shifts (e.g. PBL, ungrading) reimagine school to best suit the needs of students and teachers alike. He was a public high school digital media & design educator who focused on experiential learning, portfolio-driven assessment, and community involvement.

Cassie, a former school counselor from West Michigan, believes in providing students with educational experiences that which cultivate curiosity, creativity and meaningful connection to self and community. She is passionate about integrating SEL standards and therapeutic approaches into everyday teaching practices to create nurturing learning environments that support the holistic development of students. Outside of her professional life, you may find her at one of Michigan’s beaches or exploring the Montana mountains with her husband and two daughters.

Naoya is a college student near Tokyo, Japan who's excited about creating schools that are truly driven by the needs of every student. He's especially interested in connecting students with experiential learning experiences that help them develop the self-efficacy they need to impact their communities.

Kevin is a passionate edtech advocate and former fraud analyst, known for his ability to merge technical acumen with an interest in creating secure, engaging learning platforms. His background reflects a strong commitment to leveraging technology for educational innovation, aiming to make learning accessible and effective for diverse communities.

Gilberto has spent most of his career working as a software developer, but his passion lies in the intersection between education technology and human-computer interaction. He aims to use his technology skills to help develop tools to support the paradigm shift to progressive education. Having been born and raised in Puerto Rico has given him a strong commitment to ensure no marginalized communities are left behind and to give back to the people that shaped him.

Mal had intended to be an English teacher, to share a love of stories but also a belief that stories are the building blocks of the universe! That’s what we are all made of, and it’s what we are doing every time we connect and interact with one another...telling stories, with every breath.  Which makes reading and understanding them so much more than academic!  We have to know what kinds of stories we mean to tell.  Having wandered out of a story that wasn’t his after all, he’s currently lost in exploring the study of media literacy through Dungeons and Dragons, or ELAD&D.

Noah is a Junior at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst studying Mathematics as well as Social Thought & Political Economy (STPEC). Noah grew up as a third-culture kid, living most of his life abroad in Egypt, Israel, Morocco, Ireland, and India. He is passionate about math education, as well as learning for its own sake rather than as a means to an end. He is excited to intern with HRP and explore the world of radical pedagogy!

Singh is a former mathematics and physics teacher, who has taught the basics to IB math in honors-level courses. From socioeconomically challenged environments in Toronto to the prestigious International School of Lausanne in Switzerland, Mr. Singh has become a leader in creative math education. He is an Adviser at Amplify and a Content Creator at Mathigon, and is author of Pi of Life: The Hidden Happiness of Mathematics and Math Recess: Playful Learning in an Age of Disruption.

Olivia is a student at Nueva High School in San Mateo, California. She enjoys dance, upcycling clothing, and Girl Scouts. Through her Girl Scout Silver Award project, she realized that teens today lack the core skill to discuss social issues, especially with people of different views. She joined this initiative to fight polarization, form connections through conversations, and improve education

Summer is a social media professional based in Minnesota. Over the past six years she has worked with businesses, startups, nonprofit organizations, and student groups to create cohesive and effective social media and marketing strategies. She studied Media Culture and Leadership at the University of Minnesota, and is eager to employ the power of storytelling and conversation to amplify youth voices and create change with the 100 Days of Conversations project.

Léa is a university student at Minerva Schools at KGI currently studying in San Francisco. She is passionate about history, political science, and education. She is excited to hear from, interact and work with all the diverse and amazing people participating in these important discussions. Through the use of social platforms, she hopes to ensure that all youth voices have the opportunity to be heard and be supported.

Nonto is a Business Management and Communications graduate from South Africa. She is passionate about sharing ideas and connecting with people, and loves to engage with people of different races, culture and to learn their ways of living. In her culture, she upholds the value of UBUNTU (I am because you are), which she believes has kept the world moving because of how life connects us. Further she believes that education is the backbone which shapes our understanding, hopes, dreams and how we view ourselves and those around us.

Dr. Erin Lynn Raab is committed to creating a more just and equitable world through education. With nearly two decades of experience founding organizations and leading non-profit teams, she specializes in impact strategy, systems-thinking, and designing empowering programs. Erin earned her Ph.D. from Stanford, focusing on transforming the schooling system to foster human flourishing, democracy, and collective liberation, and co-founded REENVISIONED to redefine the purpose of school by centering the voices of young people, families, and educators.

Jason Blair is a 20+ year veteran arts educator with an MA in art education from The Ohio State University. He teaches elementary art in Dublin, Ohio, with an emphasis on the importance of building a community where creativity is valued. He advises through GrowCreativeThinkers.

Susan D. Blum is an anthropologist who finds the world around her infinitely fascinating. After dedicating half her career to studying China, she has since focused on understanding education, the universe within which she lives every day. She has been teaching in various institutions of higher education for over thirty years, and since 2000, she has been a faculty member at Notre Dame.

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Hedreich Nichols is a dynamic figure in education, excelling as a speaker, adult educator, and tech integration specialist. Her expertise lies in guiding educators to create student-driven learning environments, and she is renowned for her impactful workshops and courses on teacher efficacy and cultural literacy, benefiting districts globally. Additionally, Hedreich's book, Finding Your Blind Spots: 8 Guiding Principles to Overcome Implicit Bias in Teaching, has garnered acclaim, combining her experiences with academic research to empower teachers and leaders in supporting diverse and interconnected students.

Krissy Wright Quinn is the former director at Jennings Community School and serves on the boards of Education Evolving, Edvisions Cooperative, and Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs. She is also a MN Network Co-Leader for Teacher Powered Schools.

Dr. Smith has 26 years of experience as a public-school teacher, leader, and graduate school instructor. She resides in New Orleans, Louisiana, which is a nationally recognized city known for its school reforms in public education yet is plagued with challenges. Traci is the founder of The Institute for Conscious-Driven Living, which is a learning portal designed to assist helpers and healers navigate their personal and professional journeys.

Dr. Zhao is the Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas and advocate of self-directed, meaningful learning. Zhao is a well-established author and researcher that can help us navigate human-centered practice, including writing What Works May Hurt and An Education Crisis Is a Terrible Thing to Waste: How Radical Changes Can Spark Student Excitement and Success.

Waverly Zhao is a American University student majoring in Political Science with a minor in Chinese. Her work includes co-founding Iowa WTF, a student advocacy group centered on LGTBQIA+ rights, youth activism, and progressive politics.

Dr. Susan Engel is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Founding Director of the Program in Teaching at Williams College, and currently serves as the Gaudino Scholar, promoting opportunities for students to explore beyond their familiar experiences. With a research focus on curiosity, children's narratives, and the development of ideas, her scholarly work has appeared in notable journals, and she has authored seven books, including "A School of Our Own," co-written with her son Sam.

Julia is a social studies educator at Evergreen Middle School in Evergreen, Colorado. Ms. Fliss is an active supporter of progressive education, and encourages the use and exploration of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by connecting with educators around the world. She is incredibly passionate about supporting HRP’s message and finding ways to promote equitable, empowering environments.

Madeline Jester is a college student at Cornell who is an advocate of progressive pedagogy, specifically gradeless learning. She currently attends a nontraditional high school, Clark Street Community School, which uses interdisciplinary classes to teach a wide variety of subjects. Their model has inspired her advocacy. Jester’s voice and perspective is imperative for us creating a truly multifaceted organization, and offers a student voice to all of our resources and endeavors.

Mr. Primm is a science educator at High Marq Environmental Charter School in Montello, Wisconsin, a small public charter school centered on interdisciplinary experiential learning with a focus on the environment. Mr. Primm is involved in his school’s governance council and serves as treasurer of the board for the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education. Further, Mr. Primm was one of the earliest and steadfast supporters of HRP.

Mr. Warner is an English professor at the University of Charleston, the author of many works including So You Want to Be President? and The Funny Man, a weekly columnist for the Chicago Tribune, contributor to Inside Higher Ed. He has focused his recent work on writing pedagogy in Why They Can’t Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and its companion work, The Writer’s Practice: Building Confidence in Your Nonfiction Writing.