We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Stephanie Brown. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Stephanie below.

Dr. Stephanie , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

The mission of I AM Educational Series is to provide educational resources that uncover hidden figures in Black History, in Women’s History and to highlight the contributions men and women of color made in America.

The story behind the mission is a simple one; lack of representation in today’s educational system is still very real and as a teacher it’s my job do something about it.

I have been in education for over 20 years. I have taught in elementary school, middle school, and in higher education. In those 20 years, I have witnessed first-hand how LITTLE students, even adult learners, know about Black History and Women’s History.

My own educational trajectory is no different from my students. My K-12 education of Black History consisted of learning about Dr. Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman, and a few writers from the Harlem Renaissance. I remember sitting in class and wondering, “Is that it?” and thinking, “There has to be more!” It wasn’t until undergrad that I learned about the fearless abolitionists like Fredrick Douglas, the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement like Medgar Evans, and the Black women suffragists like Mary Church Terrell.

Thus, I went on a quest which led to countless hours in the library on weekends reading and researching. I was fascinated yet at the same time so ashamed that there was so much I did not know. I also wondered why the curriculum and lessons during my K-12 education reflected so little of Black History and Women’s History. Therefore, I became an educator dedicated to teaching every student in my class elements of Black History and Women’s History.

After 20 years of research, of mastering educational methodology and becoming an educational leader, I created I AM Educational Series.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Can you please tell our readers about yourself?

I’m a Christian. I love to serve and make a difference in my community and I do so with passion and energy! The primary area I serve in is education. It is my utmost joy to create resources like lesson plans, curriculum, children’s books, children’s activities books, children’s enrichment events, and writing workshops in my community and beyond. Doing so is my way of giving kids the knowledge in Black History and Women’s History that I wished I had when I was a kid.

What type of products/services/creative works you provide?
I AM Educational Series provides resources for teachers and parents. It provides lesson plans based on educational learning theories, children’s books that rhymes which help with phonic awareness, repetition, sounds and patterns, and children’s activities books that help teachers expand the theme of the books. The activities books also help children with problem solving, cognitive development, improving concentration and promote that learning is fun! In addition, my children’s books and activity books meet the desperate need of more representation in children’s literature for in 2022, only 13% of children’s books were written by a Black author (CCBC 2022).

What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/?
I am must proud of recognizing a need in education, having the wisdom to meet it and seeing it flourish. Although I’ve taught English in elementary, middle school and in higher ed, I never thought I would use those skills to make a difference in education. My hope was to write a book of poems one day and leave it at that. Yet, here I am, using those same skills to contribute to a desperate need in education and in children’s literature.

This journey has taught me that you don’t have to be perfect in your art, you just have to care and be willing to use it to make a difference. Then, your art becomes an honest one where people beyond your community partner with you, share the art for you and buy the art from you. Then, you’ll see it flourish!

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Before I became the Director of English in higher ed, I was first an Adjunct Professor. I taught after a full eight-hour day of advising at risk students at a private college. Sometimes I would teach two course at a time because the money helped, but in exchange I battled with constant exhaustion. I worked like that for eight years. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the opportunity to become a Professor of English in higher ed. It just came with a high price to pay at the time.

While I was in my seventh year of being an Adjunct Professor, I met an editor of an educational company. When I got the idea of writing my first children’s book, I reached out to her. She connected me with a children’s book illustrator who also served as an editor. We met. I told her about my idea of writing a children’s book and the rest is history! That illustrator and I have worked on four children’s books together and will be working on fifth this year. The point of the story is that the hustle, that part-time job, that thing you do on the side to earn a little cash could cultivate the environment that brings you into your destiny. So, be faithful to it. You just never know the role it will play in your future.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.iameducationalseries.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iameducationalseries/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAMEducationalSeries/