Akiea “Ki” Gross (they/them) is an early childhood alchemist, educator and creative practitioner exploring the life-affirming possibilities of wonder, curiosity, abolitionist imagination and political education for young children and their adult comrades through their innovative pedagogy, Woke Kindergarten. Woke Kindergarten is a visionary anti-oppressive early learning ecosystem supporting children and those who care for them in their commitment to liberatory learning.

As an extension of their work, Ki formed Black Children Play!, a communal, archival and play project grounded in a reclamation of space, preservation of histories, and right to Black childhoods, rooted in the belief that Black children’s play is its own form of revolutionary praxis. A former classroom teacher and instructional coach chosen as ECEA’s 2020 Social Justice Educator of the Year, their experiences with the carceral state of schooling previously inspired the creation of Black Teachers Matter and Black Teachers Mentor. As an artist and educator, they are guided by the belief that young children are our north stars to liberation and co-architects in designing the liberatory futures we all deserve.

Ki’s work commitments support community members in moving towards more principled, critical, anti-carceral and values-aligned manifestations of their work. They are currently focused on expanding their offerings through various community-based projects, artistic and literary mediums.

They hold Masters degrees from Columbia University’s Teachers College and Touro College’s partnership with the Deeper Learning Institute, as well as two Bachelors degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill and are committed to deepening their study in community and global settings.