Appearances

  • "What distinguishes Ms. Gray is her grounded commitment to liberation as both principle and practice. She does not approach justice work abstractly; she approaches it as something lived, relational, and evolving. She listens carefully, thinks critically, and acts with intention. Her work reflects a clear opposition to systems of harm - racism, economic inequity, structural exclusion - while also demonstrating a belief in what can be built in their place. Ms. Gray is also a builder. She invests in trust, in shared understanding, and in the long-term health of the groups she is part of. She recognizes that sustaining movements requires more than urgency; it requires care, alignment, and endurance.

    -LaShae Lee, Ph.D

Below represents a sample of the range of work I do with educators, caregivers, and organizations.

2025: Outdoor Play and Learning Institute via Washington Nature Preschool Association (WaNPA) and Washington Association for the Education of Young Children (WAEYC)

Session Presentation: Cultivating Curiosity: Orienting Early Learners Toward Justice Through Nature-Based Learning

2024: Live Conversation with Jyoti Gupta of The Colourism Project about children as culture makers and how adults can support and facilitate the co-creation of culture with kids.

2023: Podcast Appearance: Radical Mothering Ep1 with Fran Liberatore on working full-time while unschooling 2 kids, letting go of control, and how education can look all kinds of different ways for different families.

2023: Facilitated Workshop: Co-Creating Community Through Art: A Workshop for Educators offering a practical arts-based activity for the first week of school to build classroom community for any grade level

2023: Step Up Conference: Moving Racial Equity Forward via Leadership Snohomish County

Session Presentation: Why Art is the Key Ingredient for Raising Anti-Racist Kids  View podcast appearance about our session here

2022: Live Conversation with Rebecca of Studio Sprout sharing tips for educators and caregivers for starting big conversations in developmentally-appropriate ways

2022: Live Conversation with Fran Liberatore of Radical Mothering about homeschooling and talking with kids about social justice

2021: Presenter & Panelist at Delta Kappa Gamma Society International State Convention: Facilitated an affinity session for white educators on unpacking white cultural norms, power, privilege, and interrogating personal bias in their teaching practice. Panelists: Susan Gray (M.A. & M.Ed), Paige Wescott (Ph.D), & Suzie Hodges (Ph.D).

2018: Special Education Law Conference via National Business Institute (Yakima, WA)

Session Presentation: Successfully handling disciplinary actions for students in special education.

2021-2024: Core member of the Co-Create to Liberate facilitation team via Radici Studios - a multiracial team of art therapists and educators providing a range of professional development to organizations on the transformative power of art for intergenerational healing. Workshops guided participants through using the arts as a medium for engaging kids, families, and communities around issues of bias, anti-racism, inclusivity, justice, and collective liberation. Facilitators: Steph Balon (MFT), Amber Simmons (MFT), Jen Bloomer (MA), & Susan Gray (M.Ed & M.A.)

2015-Present: Teacher training and certification, program design, faculty development, state-level education advocacy, member of various advisory boards, workgroups, and policymaking for public education in WA state.