Completed Curriculum Projects
NAF + NYC DOE Culturally Responsive Curriculum
Working with the National Academies Foundation (NAF) and the NYC Department of Education (NYC DOE) to develop a three-unit curriculum set of project-based, culturally responsive curriculum that explores equitable topics through case study investigations.
Unit 1 places students in the shoes of community advocates tasked with assisting residents in the River Parishes of Louisiana, the area known as “Cancer Alley”.
Unit 2 has students taking the role of congressional researchers tasked with informing their congressperson about facial recognition used in high-stakes law enforcement scenarios so their congressperson can make an informed decision before voting.
Unit 3 challenges students to propose an environmentally, culturally, socially, and economically sustainable tourism project that is mutually beneficial in Puerto Rico.
Presented at NAF Next 2022 in Houston, TX
My responsibilities include interviewing and co-designing with focus groups of NAF educators, designing and playtesting curricular activities, writing lesson plans and supplemental student-facing materials, conducting pilot research to collect student and teacher feedback, iterating content based on research, collaborating to incorporate needs and feedback from relevant stakeholders, and presenting the material during professional development sessions with NAF and NYC educators.
Kenya Play (K-PLAY)
Humans Who Play along with IREX and generously funded by the LEGO Foundation, embarked on a four-year partnership to create the K-PLAY program. The aim of this program is to equip primary school teachers in the rural counties of Kilifi and Kwale with the skills, support, and materials needed to introduce playful learning technology experiences for their 90,000+ students. This program is part of the Tech & Play coalition with partners including MIT’s Lifelong Kindergarten Team, Tufts University, and the Exploratorium.
My responsibilities include designing tinkering, no-tech, Scratch, and Micro:bit activities for teacher training, playtesting curricular activities, writing teacher training curriculum, video production of activity tutorials (filming, editing, and publishing), developing solutions for Playlab materials and spaces, and collaborating with in-country staff and external partners.
NAF Internship Preparation Curriculum
Working with the National Academies Foundation (NAF) to build out a 10-lesson set of curriculum centered around preparing high school students for their first internship and/or job experiences.
My responsibilities include interviewing and co-designing with focus groups of NAF educators, designing and playtesting curricular activities, writing lesson plans and supplemental student-facing materials, conducting pilot research to collect student and teacher feedback, iterating content based on research, and collaborating to incorporate needs and feedback from relevant stakeholders.
External Company Equity Review
I contributed to the landscape analysis, external review, and findings presentation for a client requesting an equity-focused review of their product/service after internal findings revealed internal bias and bias in the audience utilizing their product/service.
Through this process, we also provided the client with an equity-focused design toolkit; a set of resources to bring equity-focused design principles to the forefront of future projects and internal processes.
Our Shared Street
A playful approach to conducting a public transportation oriented street festival, Our Shared Street, in a fully virtual environment, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the full case study here.
NAF Career Skills Curriculum Design
An online and in-person learning content for a playful redesign of the career skills and college preparation curriculum for high school students enrolled in NAF Academies.
My work included the creation of teacher lesson plans, student-facing materials, and games that can be played in both physical and virtual settings.
Read the full case study here.
SSEC Curriculum Development
During Summer 2019, I interned at the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) in Washington, DC where I developed curriculum for elementary and middle school students focused around the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, including a Youth Access Grant (YAG) project using podcasts to introduce topics and podcast development as a novel artifact. I also formally trained educators in a professional development session held at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
Credited as “Intern” on the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals “Food! Community Research Guide” module.
Additionally, I aided in the production of “Pick Your Plate", a digital game about global nutrition available on web or mobile devices.