Kaia Tomokiyo Anderson

Renton, WA | K-6, Science, 2022

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

What motivates me to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching is seeing young learners excited to come to school and discover new things. I strive to create a classroom where every student feels celebrated for what they know and empowered to grow in new ways. My goal is for students to develop a genuine love of learning and to recognize the science that surrounds them in their everyday lives.

What has been the most transformative moment that affirmed your impact on STEM education?

One of the most transformative moments in my STEM teaching journey was hearing fellow educators share how impressed they were by the deep thinking their students were doing in science. It helped me realize how powerful and inspirational my work could be. Demonstrating that even our youngest learners are capable of meaningful scientific insights affirmed the importance of sharing effective practices and elevating what’s happening in our classrooms.

Using your platform as a Presidential Awardee, how do you hope to advance our nation in STEM?

I hope to use this platform to advocate for equitable, high-quality science instruction for all students. Every child deserves meaningful STEM learning that empowers them to pursue their goals and contribute to society. I want to help cultivate a generation of critical thinkers—citizens who observe the world with curiosity, solve problems, and see the relevance of science in daily life. Through this role, I aim to elevate the importance of science education and inspire broader support.

Biography

Kaia Anderson has been engaged in science education reform for over 12 years and has taught and designed STEM education for classroom communities since 2011. She has also been a kindergarten teacher for more than 10 years, with the most recent six years at Sartori Elementary. Previously, she taught kindergarten, first, and second grade at Southern Heights Elementary. As part of her passion for learning, Kaia has participated in an ongoing researcher-teacher partnership since 2014 through the Ambitious Teaching research group at the University of Washington. Through this partnership, she has grown her capacity to implement justice-oriented science for primary-grade children. This partnership has been instrumental in expanding her love of teaching science and has enabled her to share her expertise with elementary teachers across the nation. She is also a professional development leader, encouraging science education for teachers and children. Kaia has shared her experiences at educational conferences through the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Her teaching has been featured on the Teaching Channel and used in many teacher education courses. Kaia continues to develop and pilot new science units based on the latest instructional design research. She has also been a panelist and guest speaker for the National Academies of Sciences (NAS), Engineering (NAE), and Medicine (NAM). Kaia earned a B.A. in anthropology from the University of Washington and an M.A. in teaching from City University. She is certified in kindergarten through eighth grade elementary education and is a National Board Certified Early Childhood Generalist.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

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