Dr. Kimi Waite is an award-winning Asian American Scholar-Activist, Author, and Innovation Leader with expertise in climate change and environmental justice education. Rooted in educational justice, her work draws on nearly a decade of experience teaching and leading in K-12 Title I public schools in South Los Angeles and Compton, and has reached over 169 million readers through national news outlets. She has received state and national awards for her teaching and leadership in environmental education and social studies, and is a National Geographic Explorer. ​

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National Press and Media

A publicly engaged scholar who utilizes movement journalism to drive educational justice, her writing has reached national audiences of over 169 million readers through outlets such as MSN News, The Progressive Magazine, The Boston Globe, Ms. Magazine, and others. Her expertise has been featured and cited in national media, including The Washington Post, KALW's NPR, The Hechinger Report, NRDC, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

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Author of Three Books 

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She is the author of three books: 

• What Teachers Want to Know About Teaching Climate Change: An Educator's Guide to Nurturing Hope and Resilience (K-12). (Corwin Press, 2025). 

• Teaching Environmental Justice in the Elementary Classroom: Entry Points for Equity Across the K-5 Curriculum. (Routledge, 2026).

• Research-based children's book. (National Science Teaching Association Press, 2026).

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Educational Impact and Innovation

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A National Geographic Explorer, she is the co-creator and director of EcoBlitz, a community science program that uses environmental GIS apps and has impacted 3,500+ K-12 teachers and students nationwide. She has collaborated with teachers, students, and scientists from the Philippines and Indigenous Nations of California. Her commitment to global environmental education is shaped by her international teaching experiences in South Korea and Guyana, as well as her explorations and travels to over 85 countries and all seven continents. She was previously a curriculum trainer for the California Global Education Project and National Geographic Education. 

She also served in a school district leadership position as a STEM and Innovation Specialist in Compton, supporting the district's K-12 teachers and 20,000+ students with online learning, STEM curriculum and pedagogy, and professional development in educational technology and innovation. 

State Education Policy Leadership and Service 

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Dr. Waite has been a member of the steering committee for California's statewide climate change education initiative since 2019, and contributed to the statewide recommendations report. 

She delivers invited talks, professional development workshops, and conference presentations for K-12 teachers and school/district leaders, labor unions, and non-profit organizations. 

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Higher Education Roles

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Dr. Waite became an Assistant Professor at California State University, Los Angeles in 2023. Before this, she worked in pre-service elementary teacher preparation and credentialing at California State University, Fullerton. ​

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