Meet the Project Coordinator

Theresia Rosa Kleeman

I am a middle school Visual Art, English Language Development, and AVID teacher at Octavia E. Butler Magnet, where I cultivate a culture of belonging, care, and curiosity that honors every student as a powerful scholar in the process of becoming. An artist, poet, and thinker, I hold a Master of Education from UCLA’s Principal Leadership Institute, a Master of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from CalArts, an Administrative Services Credential, Single Subject Credentials in English, Art, and Social Science, a Career Technical Education Credential in Arts, Media, and Entertainment, and a CLAD Certificate. I also serve as a UCLA Teacher Induction mentor, accompanying future educators as they develop authentic, sustainable approaches through reflection and relationship. A proud member of United Teachers of Pasadena (UTP), I partner with our learning community to imagine creative ecosystems where students practice inquiry, voice observations, contribute ways of knowing, and generate meanings from lived experiences. Inspired by Octavia E. Butler’s words, “Tell stories filled with facts. Make people touch and taste and know. Make people feel! feel! feel!” our project situates students to encounter themselves, one another, and the natural world with greater wonder and possibility.