
About Me
Dr. Kimi Waite's professional praxis is situated at the intersections of environmental justice education, geography, critical pedagogy, and social studies. An Asian American educator-activist-scholar with over 10 years of teaching experience, she has received both national and state recognition for her leadership in environmental education, social studies, and climate change education. She has a multiple subjects teaching credential from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, an M.Ed. from UCLA, and a Ph.D. in Sustainability Education from Prescott College. Her work has been published by outlets such as PBS, The Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Ms. Magazine, The Progressive, The San Diego Union-Tribune, Grist, Cal Matters, Rethinking Schools, and The Journal of Curriculum & Pedagogy.
Dr. Kimi Waite will be an Assistant Professor of Child & Family Studies at Cal State LA in Fall 2023. Prior experiences include: Part-time faculty in CSU Fullerton's Department of Elementary & Bilingual Education; a TK-12 STEM curriculum specialist in Compton; and
an elementary school teacher in South Los Angeles. In addition, Kimi has taught in South Korea and Guyana and is an experienced facilitator for in-service teacher professional development. A lifelong global citizen and former expat, Kimi has been to over 80 countries and all 7 continents.

Awards & Fellowships
Awards:
National Geographic Explorer:
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2022 National Geographic Society grant awardee
Mentor Award:
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For outstanding mentorship and dedication to the North American Association for Environmental Education Civics Environmental Education Fellowship
2021 Outstanding Elementary Social Studies Educator of the Year:
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California Council for the Social Studies
2019 Environmental Education 30 Under 30:
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The North American Association for Environmental Education & USDA Forest Service
Fellowships:
Early Career Fellow, Researcher (2023-Present):
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UCLA Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, Institute of the Environment & Sustainability
Early Career Fellow, Graduate Student (2020-2023):
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UCLA Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, Institute of the Environment & Sustainability
Public Voices Fellow on the Climate Crisis:
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The OpEd Project & The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
Civics Environmental Education Fellow:
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The North American Association for Environmental Education, US EPA & Cedar Tree Foundation

Teaching & Research
Teaching Interests:
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Teacher professional development: Critical environmental education, social justice, & environmental justice
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Environmental justice & climate justice pedagogy
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Educational technology, innovation, & 21st-century learning
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Interdisciplinary elementary education: STEAM & social studies focus
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Asian American studies and Asian American history
Research Interests:
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Critical qualitative research: Autoethnography & portraiture
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AsianCrit & Asian American environmental history
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The intersections of race, education, and the environment
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The environmental science agency of PK-12 teachers
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Environmental justice & climate justice pedagogy
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Partnerships between teachers, students, & STEM professionals to advance environmental civic action