MY Mission
Kalise Wornum is a nationally sought-after keynote speaker, educational leader, workshop facilitator, and author in the area of anti-racist education and cultural proficiency. Her dynamic insight and study of best practices for having difficult conversations around race and diversity have pushed Kalise and her team to the forefront of preparing classrooms and schools for equity in education in the 21st century.
Dr. Kalise Wornum
CEO, KW Diversity Inc.
“It is my mission as an educator to help teachers recognize where race and learning intersect and eradicate all forms of racism from the classroom. It is my life's work to relentlessly pursue this goal and in doing so the beauty of teaching and learning will be experienced by both student and teacher.”
-Dr. K. Wornum
About Dr. Kalise Wornum
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Continuing concerns about America’s racial academic achievement gap, along with her experience and growing devotion to this work, led Kalise to develop KW Diversity, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in cultural proficiency, and community conversations to support difficult conversations regarding race and culture. Kalise’s ten-hour foundational course has proven to be the answer that school systems are searching for to address the ongoing challenge of leveling the academic playing field. Kalise is powerful in her delivery, professional in her presentation, and passionate in her devotion to the development of teachers and the education of all students.
Kalise Wornum is a nationally sought-after keynote speaker, educational leader, and workshop facilitator in the area of anti-racist education and cultural proficiency. Born in Boston, Kalise’s dedication to confronting racism in the classroom began early in her education as a student in the METCO Program – a state-funded, voluntary desegregation program in Massachusetts. Her experience, both the beauty, and complexities of academic success in a predominantly white suburban school system, fostered in Kalise a desire to train students, teachers, and school administrators about the need for representation and cultural competency in the classroom. Kalise continues to use her experience as a graduate of the Lexington Public Schools to inform her of spoken presentations and written materials for the courses and workshops she offers.
Her dynamic insight and study of best practices for having difficult conversations around race and diversity have pushed Kalise and her team to the forefront of preparing classrooms and schools for equity in education in the 21st century. Kalise earned a BA in Humanities and Interpersonal Communication from Bradford College in Haverhill, Massachusetts. She continued her education earning a MA in Educational Administration from the University of Vermont in Burlington. In 2017, Kalise received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and management. She is a licensed administrator and holds a Certificate of Educational Leadership from Boston University’s Education Collaborative. Through employment at various colleges and universities has given Kalise a thorough knowledge and understanding of the American educational system. That knowledge is furthered by her work as the Senior Director of Educational Equity for Brookline Public Schools, and Director of the METCO Program for Wellesley Public Schools for sixteen years. Kalise served as the Executive Director of Empowering Multicultural Initiatives, which allowed her to interface with educators across New England and cemented for her the importance of professional development in the area of building relationships with diverse learners and exploring personal racism and its effects on teaching and learning.
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