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Vanessa D'Egidio is a seventh-grade humanities teacher in New York City. This is her eighth year of teaching but her first year as a middle school educator, having moved into a new role after teaching second grade for the past five years. Vanessa brings to the classroom a passion for education that empowers, validates, connects and inspires critical thinking and positive social action. She is a former member of the Teaching Tolerance advisory board and contributor to TT's Perspectives for a Diverse America curriculum. Vanessa enjoys designing and leading workshops around issues related to

Dena Simmons, Ed.D., is a lifelong activist, educator and student of life. A native of the Bronx, New York, Dena grew up in a one-bedroom apartment with her two sisters and immigrant mother. There, Dena learned and lived the violence of injustice and inequity and decided to dedicate her life to educating and empowering others. As the director of implementation at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, she works with schools to use the power of emotions to create a more effective and compassionate society. Prior to her work at the Center, Dena served as an educator, teacher educator

Michelle McAfee, 1999-2000 Teaching Tolerance Research Fellow, has returned to her 2nd grade classroom at Park Day School, Oakland.

Liz N. Clift provides informal education to youth in Denver, Colorado, and volunteers with several organizations that work on food justice issues.

Seema G. Pothini's commitment to underserved youth began by improving student engagement and success as an elementary school teacher in Houston, TX. In addition to teaching students and training teachers, Seema has worked as a K-12 Cultural Integration Specialist in racially and socioeconomically diverse schools. She also serves on the board of directors for a youth homeless shelter in Minneapolis as well as the Minnesota chapter of the National Association for Multicultural Education. Her experience as a child of immigrant parents, coupled with her students' and their families' experiences

Sandra Wozniak recently retired from teaching after 33 years at the Mt. Olive Middle School in New Jersey. There, she developed and implemented coursework integrating critical thinking and technology. Sandra currently works with schools throughout the United States helping students learn how to think, not what to think. In 2010, she was honored as NJ Middle Level Educator of the Year.

Lauren has been an educator since 2000 and has served as a diversity coordinator and a grade-level team leader. She consults with teachers and administrators on designing curriculum and professional development. Porosoff is the lead author of Curriculum at Your Core: Meaningful Teaching in the Age of Standards, EMPOWER Your Students: ​Tools to Inspire a Meaningful School Experience, and Two-for-One Teaching: Connecting Instruction to Student Values.

Bryan is a journalism teacher in Durham, North Carolina. He was also a key faculty member in the fight to release Wildin Acosta from detention.