Katari Coleman, an early childhood education thought leader and expert, leads innovative efforts to advance all children’s school readiness and success. She has expertise in child development, out-of-school time (OST) care, early childhood and OST workforce development, family engagement, parent education, Adverse Childhood Experiences, strategic planning, and systems change.

Coleman is a highly experienced trainer and instructional designer who brings a deep understanding of learning sciences, adult learning, product development, and traditional and virtual training. Currently, she is the quality commitment and implementation director and a leadership team member for EDC’s Institute for Home Visiting Workforce Development and Jackie Walorski Center for Evidence-Based Case Management. For 10 years, she co-led the National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE), a resource and training hub that built capacity to ensure children can access high-quality afterschool learning that supports their development and boosts their academic achievement.

Coleman is the Board President of the National Workforce Registry Alliance, a private, non profit, voluntary organization of state early childhood and after-school workforce registry and professional development leaders. Prior to joining EDC, she held several key leadership roles in the early childhood education and OST fields, including developing a parent literacy curriculum for Transformation Nashville and leading an eight-site federal grant that trained early childhood professionals throughout Tennessee. She has served as an associate professor and adjunct faculty at several higher education institutions.

Coleman holds a PhD in Cultural and Educational Policy Studies from Loyola University and an MEd in Early Childhood Education from Erikson Institute.