A proud first-generation Taiwanese immigrant, mother, educator, and creative, Kimberly Tsai Cawkwell has served over twelve years in the education ecosystem. As a current adjunct-faculty member of the High Tech High (HTH) M.Ed Program and Lead Designer of Pedagogy and Innovation at the Center for Love & Justice, Kim is deeply honored to have the space to co-design and facilitate professional learning that cultivates Deeper Learning pedagogy in service of nurturing equitable spaces within K-12 schools.
Growing up as a multilingual learner in a semi-isolated motel next to a busy New Orleans expressway, living through the duality of American and Taiwanese cultures, and experiencing teaching and learning in variety of settings around the globe, Kim has developed a unique lens for culturally responsive environments and an insatiable desire to center student voices in classrooms. Through the opportunities to learn from students in her own classrooms to students from diverse corners of our globe, Kim believes deeply in student-driven transformative learning that sparks a common love and joy to seek knowledge. As she continues to support systemic change that lifts up student voices and honors the passions and identities of all students, Kim is grateful for the invaluable knowledge gained from others, holds humility as a practitioner and mentor for Deeper Learning practices, and is continuously inspired by the beautiful humans who are called to serve youth.
Prior to joining the center, Kim was a founder of two High Tech Elementary (HTe) schools, a former colleague at the University of San Diego and New Tech Network, and a public servant in the Pasadena and San Diego regions. She holds a B.A. from the University of Riverside and M.Ed from the University of San Diego. When she’s not designing and facilitating learning, Kim might be found spending quality time with her two daughters, loving spouse, and family in Oceanside, San Gabriel, and Taichung. Learn more about Kimberly Tsai Cawkwell on Twitter @mskimcawkwell.