I am the Director of the Crimson Summer Academy at Harvard. 

I have an unwavering belief in the power and promise of underserved young people, particularly Black boys, and am currently writing for publication about a program I created that successfully detracked my English classes and increased the numbers of students of color in Honors English classes. 

I've taught in public schools, universities, and graduate schools for 19 years and received honors which include: NCTE Outstanding Elementary Educator; Outstanding Contribution to Graduate Studies award from Tufts University; the Faculty of Distinction Award from Cambridge Rindge and Latin; the Marion Gleason Most Promising New Teacher Award from the New England Association of Teachers of English (NEATE); Literacy Champion from the Massachusetts Literacy Council; a Book Love Foundation Grant; and was selected as a Heinemann Fellow. I have been a Trustee of the NCTE Research Foundation, the former Secondary Representative At-Large for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and a former president of NEATE. I am a co-founder of the Educators of Color Conference in Cambridge, MA and a co-founder of #DisruptTexts. 

I regularly deliver professional development locally and nationally for educators covering topics that include: adolescent literacy strategies for young Black boys and struggling readers; children’s and young adult multicultural literature; incorporating inclusive nonfiction and other literature into middle school and high school classrooms; writing strategies for engaging students and many other culturally-sustaining practices. I hold a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, and my on-going research looks at the literacy practices of Black boys. 

Twitter: @TchKimPossible