We are an education nonprofit dedicated to supporting families, educators, and organizations in fostering healthy identity development through culturally responsive books and critical multicultural education across the lifespan.
The Conscious Kid empowers anti-bias education and equitable classroom communities by equipping families, schools, & organizations with impactful resources to increase diverse, equitable representation of people of color and marginalized groups in children’s books, educational curriculum, and popular media.
We utilize diverse, authentic representation and authorship in books, curricula, and media that center asset based narratives about people of color and marginalized communities to transform how children see themselves and the world.
We partner with academic and community to produce evidence-based research on the impact of diverse representation in youth literature. Our findings help to support all children in developing healthy relationships with their own identities and with others.
We create accessible resources, programs, and tools that support families, educators, and organizations in cultivating anti-racist, inclusive learning environments. Our work centers children’s lived experiences to promote equity and justice from the start.
We advocate for policies that protect and empower children and families of color in advocating for books in school which reflects their experiences. Through community-led initiatives and coalition building, we’re driving systemic change grounded in justice and accountability.
In 2016, we walked into our local public library in Long Beach, CA with our one-year-old son and asked the librarian for books that featured Black characters.After 30 minutes, they returned with three books. Two were written by white authors. The third featured a little Black girl praying to God to not have “nappy” hair, and that moment changed everything.
We began searching for children’s books that reflected our child’s identity and joy — not just stereotypes and deficit narratives. But it was hard. And we weren’t alone. That experience sparked the beginning of The Conscious Kid — first as a way to share the books we did find with other families like ours through Instagram and a small, book lending program. Since then, we’ve grown into a national nonprofit reaching thousands of families and classrooms.
Co-Founder, Executive Director
Dr. Ramon Stephens is an Assistant Professor at San Jose State University, and a former Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University. He received his PhD in Education Studies from the University of California, San Diego.
His research focuses on identity and sense of belonging for children and adults brings over 20 years of experience in equity, diversity and inclusion.
Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer
Katie Ishizuka is an educator and researcher who partners with schools, companies, and organizations to provide training and resources in anti-bias education and healthy racial identity development for children and adults of all ages.
She has 20 years of experience in racial and social justice work, with a focus on developing and implementing culturally relevant content and curriculum.
A joyful Super Bowl week partnership brought NFL players, community leaders, and students together at Emerson Elementary—highlighting the power of connection, creativity, and investing in young people for lasting impact.
Navjot Kaur discusses Sikh representation in children’s books, the misrepresentation of the dastaar, and the importance of advocating for accurate, inclusive storytelling.
Marietta Collins, Ph.D, shares about her new book and her insights on how to discuss racism and police shootings with young children, and the role children's books can play in facilitating these conversations.
