Annie began her advocacy in education during her second year of high school by getting involved in teacher-led campaigns to support positive growth in her school district. From there on, she became outspoken about systemic issues in the local public education system and how they were impacting herself and those around her. Being drawn to teaching, she volunteered as a Teacher’s Assistant in her local elementary school and earned a US Figure Skating Coaching Certification at 17. After moving to Canada, Annie spent three years earning her Honours B.A. in International Development and Educational Studies at York University. Her academic background has led her to examine education as a key component to human development and wellbeing, inspiring her to advocate for positive change that focuses on the needs of youth.

Annie Kidder is the Executive Director and a founder of People for Education. Formerly a theatre director, Kidder became involved in public education in Ontario in the late 1990’s and since then has become an expert on education policy and funding. She regularly provides advice to policy-makers and government, and her writing on education has been published in a range of media. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Ontario Principals’ Council 2004 Outstanding Contribution to Education Award, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation 2005 Public Education Advocacy Award, and in 2018, an honourary doctorate from York University. She has spoken at conferences in Canada, the United States, Europe, Africa and South America.  She is regularly quoted in the media as an expert on education issues. She lives in Toronto.

Govind is a 2020 McCall MacBain Loran Scholar who is enrolled in the Bachelor of Science program at the University of British Columbia; he is majoring in microbiology. Govind has a strong passion for working with children and community development. Throughout high-school, Govind volunteered with multiple community organizations. Recently, Govind was a member of the Surrey Centre Constituency Youth Council, he is a Rotarian, and he volunteers with SAF International. Govind is currently leading an initiative to expand SAF International into the Okanagan region through UBC and other community organizations. In 2021, Govind was awarded Surrey’s Top 25 Under 25 Award for his community involvement. Govind is a believer in the fact that all children should have the chance to explore their passions and pursue their dreams. Through his work with People for Education, he wants to help fight barriers that students face, such as mental health, racism alongside discrimination, and financial barriers, to assist in making our world an equitable place for all.

Izzah was drawn to being a youth advisor at People for Education due to her intersecting interests in education and systems change. She is currently in her final year of the Bachelor of Sciences Program at McMaster University, specializing in Child Health, and is working alongside the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board on their Safe Schools project for her thesis. In her spare (and also not-so-spare) time, she can be found listening to her favourite artists on repeat.

Guided by a background in the arts and a love of film, Jasmine believes that research can be used to tell a powerful story and has the potential to incite hope for change. Her research interests concentrate on queer youth, 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive education, equity in schools, and community-engaged research. She is passionate about making research more accessible, while working toward an equitable public education system where all youth have the opportunity to succeed. Jasmine holds an MA in Educational Leadership and Policy from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, a BA in Sexual Diversity Studies from the University of Toronto, and a BFA in Film Production from York University. Her master’s thesis explored teacher experiences of Day of Pink in Ontario schools.

Jen Pearson is a knowledgeable, curious, and skilled researcher, advocate, and educator. She is a highly collaborative project manager with a deep appreciation and critical eye toward public education, its flaws and, most importantly, its potential.

In her previous role with Hamilton Community Foundation, Jen leveraged her past experience working with youth to oversee a $15M systems change initiative that ignited collaboration between classrooms, communities, and institutions. Jen is passionate about creating a high quality, equitable public education system that disrupts and dismantles deeply rooted systems of oppression.

In addition to her work at PFE, Jen is a Sessional Faculty Member at McMaster University, teaching courses in community-based research, community engagement, and group process. Her interests include bridging the policy-dissemination gap, international education policy, and youth engagement. In her spare time, Jen loves to hike, bake, and talk about her cats.

Jen holds a BHSc from McMaster University and an MSc from the London School of Economics.

Kate Blair is People for Education’s Manager of Evaluation and Improvement. She has focused her career on critically and collaboratively exploring big questions related to access and retention in education, and opportunities for lifelong learning. Kate is committed to using evaluation to measure and understand impact, and to create spaces to continuously reflect, learn and plan using evidence.

In her previous roles with the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) and the Evaluation Centre for Complex Health Interventions (TECCHI), Kate honed her research, evaluation and coordination skills. In these spaces, she identified and assessed programs in place to support access to education and healthcare for underrepresented groups, explored challenges to program implementation, and identified opportunities for ongoing program development in both sectors. In her spare time, Kate enjoys being outside with her husband, son and dog and designing spaces in their home (the older, more it has to be fixed up, the better!).

Kate holds a Master’s degree from the University of Western Ontario where her thesis focused on the educational transitions of d/Deaf youth in Ontario.

Having previously worked in education-related research across sectors in England, Scotland and Sri Lanka, Kaushi Attygalle strives to take an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complex issues facing public education today. Her experience working in vastly different contexts and settings has allowed her the space to take a comparative view of education and thoughtfully apply that knowledge to local contexts. Prior to joining People for Education, Kaushi worked at the Youth Research & Evaluation Exchange, based at York University, engaging in equity-based education and youth sector research. She is passionate about the role of the arts in creating space for transformative learning both in and outside the classroom and continues to contribute to various arts-based education projects in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where she grew up. She holds a Master of Arts in Education from the Institute of Education, University College London. Outside of work, Kaushi enjoys hiking, is a film and theatre enthusiast, and a full-time foster to rescue dogs in Ontario.

Maryam is a non-profit professional who is passionate about women’s and children’s rights, racialized communities, and Canadian-Muslim affairs. She completed her studies at York University and the University of Waterloo, where she obtained her Master’s degree. Her academic background in political science and global governance has very much shaped the way she views the world. By using her personal and professional experiences, Maryam hopes to one day make an impactful change in society. Maryam lives in Niagara Falls with her husband and son.

Robin has worn many hats in the field of education: classroom teacher, policy researcher, published author, and curriculum designer. She joins People for Education after spending seven years at the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, where she supported pan-Canadian policy and data development in collaboration with all 13 provinces and territories. Her research interests focus on anti-racism, social justice, fostering community among racialized teachers, and the potential of a universal public education in preparing future generations to build and thrive in an equitable society. She holds a PhD in Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning from the University of Toronto, a MA in French Literature (donc elle est bilingue et vous invite de lui contacter en anglais ou en français), a BEd from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and an Honours BASc from McMaster University. Located in Toronto, she spends her free time trying to keep up with her two kids.

Sharon is a passionate communication professional who believes that words have the power to motivate and inspire people to take action and that’s what drives her work. She is keen about working towards creating a more equitable society, be it promoting access to education for children of marginalized communities in India or advancing women-owned businesses in Canada through supplier diversity.

Sharon has a Masters degree in Communication from Leeds Beckett University in the United Kingdom. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and learning about food and recipes from other countries. Luckily her husband is a big eater! She loves to write (mostly inspired by her own life growing up in a small town in India), go on walks and explore the neighborhood (unfortunately she can’t follow google maps too well and often finds herself lost and forced to ‘explore’), and train her pup, a 10-month-old wheaten terrier (definitely a work-in-progress!).

Having worked in various roles across the nonprofit and education sectors, Stephanie is passionate about what happens behind the scenes to bring transformative action to life. Stephanie was born in Brantford, Ontario and moved to Mexico City with her family as a young girl. She attributes her passion for social progress to her multicultural upbringing. She holds a double major in International Development and Political Science from the University of Toronto Scarborough, and upon graduating worked in the nonprofit sector representing a variety of international, national, and local nonprofits in her work in fundraising. She recently graduated from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education with her Master of Education and is eager to help transform public education in Canada in becoming more accessible and equitable for all students and communities. In her spare time Stephanie is an avid reader, painter, and volunteer.