Kathryn England-Aytes

“The war for Indian children will be won in the classroom, whoever controls our education controls our future.”

Wilma Mankiller, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief, 1985-1995

Born and reared in Oklahoma, Kathryn received bachelor of science in psychology and master of science in social science degrees from Southern Oregon State University, Ashland, Oregon; and an Ed.D. from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California.

Kathryn has taught a range of courses in criminal justice and psychology with a variety of delivery formats, including traditional, online, and hybrid classes. She is a board member and frequent presenter for the Native American Children's Alliance, an inter-tribal non-profit organization whose mission is to promote excellence in child abuse prevention and intervention in Indian Country. She is also a curriculum developer and master trainer for the Kinship Center in Salinas, CA, as well as a consultant and presenter for the National Center on Adoption and Permanency, a national organization that provides a broad range of multidisciplinary services and resources relating to adoption, foster care and child welfare.

Kathryn's research interests include an exploration of historical trauma, academic persistence and resiliency among American Indians and their descendants. As an educator, her goal is to honor and integrate the cultures, values and traditions of Native students with learning opportunities for full participation in the larger community. Her classrooms become collaborative efforts to explore and understand what it means to be fully human, with a strong emphasis on real-life applications and lifelong learning.