A journalism and media investigation program that helps young people make sense of what they see online — and use storytelling as a tool for connection, not division.
The Results
After REACH, students show up differently.
92%now ask, "Who is missing from this story?" when viewing media
100%feel more confident sharing their ideas and perspectives with others
98%report a significantly higher awareness of people with differing perspectives
96%understand that the "truth" of a story can change based on whose perspective is being told
99%understand how social media algorithms influence what they see and believe
New — One Session Option
Not ready for the full program? Try a single session first.
The REACH One-Session Class Overview gives teachers a self-contained introduction to media literacy — perfect for a single class period, no prep required.
What's Covered in One Session
A stand-alone experience introducing the core ideas of REACH.
Introduction to media bias and ownership
Hands-on article analysis activity
Guided reflection on empathy in storytelling
Journal prompt and takeaway discussion
Pathway into the full REACH program
What The People Behind REACH Stands For
Five Pillars, One Purpose
R
Report
Core journalism tools and ethics — stories sourced and told with integrity.
E
Empathize
Storytelling with care and responsibility for the person behind the headline.
A
Analyze
Media bias, social media, and global perspectives — the full picture.
C
Connect
Building bridges between communities and experiences across divides.
H
Humanize
Reframing headlines to reveal the real people and stories within them.
Why It Matters
Media shapes how young people see the world.
Today's landscape bombards students with misinformation, bias, and divisive narratives. REACH gives them the tools to push back — not with cynicism, but with curiosity and care.
"Online content is framed as verified facts, not hypothetical possibilities children can think about and reject. Online sources of information are often hidden or even fabricated, and children do not have access to the past records of accuracy and reliability for those sources."
Research on children & online misinformation
90%
of TikTok users are shown misinformation within their first 35 minutes on the platform. — NewsGuard Study
"When you share your opinion, you have a chance to get more people to connect."
— REACH Student
The Program Story
How REACH Came to Be
REACH didn't start in a classroom or a boardroom. It started at a kitchen table, with a high schooler watching her younger brothers scroll through news they couldn't make sense of — and realizing the problem was bigger than her family.
The Problem
Today's students are surrounded by more information than any generation before them — and fewer tools to evaluate it. Not because they aren't smart enough. Because no one has taught them how. Tahlia saw this firsthand: not just misinformation, but a complete absence of the skills to question, slow down, and look deeper. Her brothers weren't failing. The system was failing them.
"Young people are capable of sophisticated thinking. They just need someone to meet them where they are."
The Response
Tahlia had spent years teaching international relations and public policy to middle schoolers through League of Creative Minds — designing curriculum, running workshops, moderating conferences. She knew what it looked like when young people were given real intellectual tools and trusted to use them. REACH grew from that experience: a journalism and media literacy program built not around passive consumption, but active questioning.
The question driving REACH was simple: what would it look like to give every student a real journalism toolkit — not facts to memorize, but skills to carry for life? The program combines rigorous curriculum design with a belief that storytelling, done with empathy and intention, is one of the most powerful forces for change we have.
What It Became
REACH is now a five-pillar curriculum built for middle and high school classrooms — covering responsible reporting, empathy in storytelling, media analysis, community connection, and humanizing the people behind headlines. Each lesson is free, self-contained, and designed for educators who want to give their students something that lasts beyond the school year.
Why We Exist
Our Mission
REACH exists to give every young person the tools to question, understand, and shape the stories that define their world.
REACH equips students with the skills to critically analyze what they see, understand the human stories behind the headlines, and foster empathy across divides.
— REACH Program Mission Statement
The Problem We Address
A media landscape built to divide.
Today's media environment bombards young people with misinformation, bias, and divisive narratives. REACH teaches students how to ask thoughtful questions, recognize bias, center human voices, and share narratives with empathy.
"Repetitive exposure to incorrect information can create an effect where even if one knows better, they might start believing or acting on something they don't fully believe to be true due to its familiarity" — known as the illusory truth effect.
Rakoen Maertens, PhD — University of Oxford
"Through hands-on storytelling, students finish the program with the skills and mindset to think critically and contribute meaningfully to conversations around the world."
"After REACH, I will definitely be paying more attention to the way that the news presents info, and will think about how they had gotten the story."
— 11 Year Old REACH Student
"My responsibility as a journalist is to write the truth and be unbiased. To tell all sides of the people and the story."
— Lesson 3 Student Reflection
What We Believe
Core Values
Every voice deserves to be heard.
REACH centers stories of people often left out of mainstream narratives, teaching students to seek out those voices with intention.
Empathy is a skill you can learn.
Understanding someone else's experience doesn't happen by accident. REACH gives students concrete practices to build that capacity.
Critical thinking is an act of care.
Questioning what you read isn't cynicism — it's responsibility. REACH teaches students to interrogate information out of respect for truth.
Storytelling can change the world.
Stories shift how people see each other. REACH trains the next generation of storytellers to use that power wisely.
Hear From the Students
Student Voices
"After REACH, I will think differently about how a headline can change how the situation in the article seems to appear."
— REACH Student, End of Program Reflection
"My responsibility as a journalist is to write the truth and be unbiased. To tell all sides of the people and the story."
— Lesson 3 Student Reflection
"My responsibility as a listener is to be empathetic and understanding. To listen to all sides of people."
— REACH Student Reflection
"Headlines give us a first bias in our heads before we start reading."
— 5th Grade REACH Student
"Thoughtful questions can help us to learn other perspectives we didn't know about before."
— Lesson 5 Student Reflection
"If you don't know what to say or how to say it breathe, think, and have confidence."
— Lesson 6 Student Reflection
"If you don't say what you think, then someone else might say it in a way you don't like."
— Lesson 1 Student Reflection
"Someone might post false information to get attention and spread rumors."
— Class Participant
"Someone may post something misleading online to hook someone to watch more."
— Lesson 4 Student Reflection
"Headlines are the main thing people see and talk about."
— Lesson 2 Student Reflection
"Bad news hooks you in because negatives are like oh no let me read that."
— REACH Student
"Before I share something online, I should ask: is this safe? Is it true? Does it harm anyone?"
— Social Media Student Reflection
Curriculum & Resources
The Curriculum
Each lesson builds on the last. Click any lesson to expand details.
01
Media Landscape
Who's Telling the Stories?
"What controls how stories get told?"
News evolutionOwnershipGlobal perspectives
→
Teacher GuideLesson 1 · Media Landscape · ~75 min
Objectives
Understand news media evolution and ownership
Recognize media ownership and cultural influence on news
Analyze how global perspectives shape reporting
Big Questions
How has news changed over the years?
What controls how stories get told?
How does cultural ownership affect news?
"If we don't tell our own stories, someone else will — and they may not tell them right."
— Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
5–10 min
Welcome & Introduction to REACH
Introduce the five pillars of REACH. Discuss the hands-on learning approach. Walk through the student notebook — especially the observations and ideas section. Emphasize that all perspectives are supported.
5–10 min
Pre-Class Survey
Use the survey to get a sense of where students are starting from. Link: bit.ly/4jvK8T9
15 min
Icebreaker: 3 Lies and a Truth
Have 4 students step out. The class agrees on a story that happened to one student. All 4 return and answer questions as if the story happened to them. The class guesses whose story it really is. Debrief: how details change from a single fact — just like news.
20 min
Who Owns the Media?
Ask: "What was the last piece of news you read or heard, and where was it from?" Explore which sources they know. Reveal: just 6 people own $430 billion of media. Touch on government-owned media and freedom of the press. Discuss different types of news sources.
20 min
Activity: Spot the Source or Telephone
Spot the Source: Examine articles that look reputable but come from biased organizations. Discuss how to verify source credibility. Telephone: Show how information changes as it passes through people — just like news gets distorted.
10 min
Journal Reflection
Prompt: "What stories about your community or culture do you think others misunderstand? How would you tell them differently?"
Activities Summary
3 Lies & a Truth icebreaker
Pre-class survey (bit.ly/4jvK8T9)
Who Owns the Media discussion
Spot the Source activity
Telephone game (alternate)
Journal prompt
Key Concepts
6 companies own most major US media
Government-owned vs. independent media
Freedom of the press
Cultural bias in reporting
Source credibility and verification
02
Bias & Framing
Behind the Headlines
"How does loaded language affect marginalized communities?"
Types of biasLoaded languagePerspective-shifting
→
Teacher GuideLesson 2 · Bias & Framing · ~65 min
Objectives
Learn what bias is in media
Understand the different types of bias
Analyze how bias affects reader perception
See how bias changes people's perspectives
Big Questions
Where do you normally read news, if at all?
Have you ever seen 2 versions of a story sound different?
How does loaded language affect marginalized communities?
"Headlines, in a way, are what mislead you because bad news is a headline, and gradual improvement is not."
— Bill Gates
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
15 min
You're in Big Trouble!
Tell students they broke a famous mug at a museum. Have them write in their notebook how they would tell the story to: their best friend, a parent, a news reporter, and the museum. Go through each answer and contrast how the same event is framed differently for different audiences.
15 min
Headline Lesson
Ask: "What is a headline?" Explain its purpose in a news story. Give students three headlines about the same park crash and ask what emotions each one triggers. Discuss how word choice shapes perception before they've even read the story.
25 min
Article Activity: Write the Headline
Split into groups of 2–3. Give each group one of two articles — with the headline removed. Ask them to read and create their own headline. Groups present their headlines to the class. Discuss what each headline implies about the article. Then reveal the original headline and compare.
10 min
Journal Reflection
Prompt: "How do you think headlines influence how we think about news stories?"
Activities Summary
"You're in Big Trouble!" framing exercise
3-headline comparison activity
Write-the-headline group activity
Optional: refugee guest speaker
Journal prompt
Key Concepts
Types of media bias
Loaded language and framing
Audience-based storytelling
Headlines as editorial choice
How bias affects marginalized groups
03
Journalism Skills
Journalism 101 — Parts of a Story
"How can you tell someone's story without speaking over them?"
Article anatomyStrong questionsEthics
→
Teacher GuideLesson 3 · Journalism Skills · ~65 min
Objectives
Explain the parts of a news article
Practice asking open-ended, strong questions
Learn the ethics of being a journalist
Big Questions
What makes a story feel trustworthy and complete?
How do journalists gather and organize information?
How can you tell someone's story without speaking over them?
"Journalism is the first rough draft of history."
— Philip Graham
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
20 min
Parts of a Story Lesson
Ask: "What makes a story feel real?" Introduce journalism as the first draft of history. Walk through a TikTok social media article together — read each section aloud and ask what role that section plays in the overall piece. Students should recognize the headline; guide them through the rest (lede, nut graf, body, kicker).
25 min
Write the Article Activity
Distribute the MLB Robot Umps fact sheet. Ask students to write a brief article using the story structure just taught: Headline → Lede → Nut Graf → Body → Kicker. Have students read their articles aloud. Then compare to the real published article and discuss what they included or left out.
10 min
Journal Reflection
Prompt: "How do the lede, nut graf, body, quotes, and kicker help the reader understand both the facts and the significance of the story? Reflect on why each part matters and how you might use these techniques in your own reporting."
Activities Summary
TikTok article dissection
MLB Robot Umps write-the-story
Article structure comparison
Journal prompt
Story Structure
Headline — grabs attention
Lede — answers who, what, when, where
Nut Graf — explains why it matters
Body — quotes, evidence, context
Kicker — memorable closing
04
Digital Literacy
Social Media
"Can social media be used to make the world better?"
AlgorithmsMisinformationFact-checking
→
Teacher GuideLesson 4 · Digital Literacy · ~65 min
Objectives
Examine how algorithms and trends shape what we see
Identify misinformation, disinformation, and emotional manipulation
Evaluate how social media reinforces bias or builds bridges
Discuss how to critically approach social media content
Big Questions
What's the difference between misinformation and disinformation?
How do platforms decide what we see?
Can social media be used to make the world better?
How can social media deliver news responsibly?
"We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us."
— Marshall McLuhan
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
20 min
Cupcake Posts Activity
Ask: "Does everyone see the same thing on social media?" Introduce the concept of algorithms. Split students into groups and give each group a different post about the same topic — but don't let groups share with each other. Have groups present their posts and discuss their reactions. Reveal that all posts were about the same thing.
10 min
Algorithms & Misinformation Lesson
Explain how AI and algorithms curate what users see. Define and contrast: Misinformation (false info spread without intent to deceive) vs. Disinformation (deliberately false info spread to mislead). Discuss real-world examples.
25 min
Design Your Post
Students create their own posts to advertise cupcakes — posts must be truthful and honest. Twist: Tell one group they can use misinformation, and another they can use disinformation. Debrief how each group's approach felt different and what impact it might have on real audiences.
10 min
Journal Reflection
Prompt: "Before I share something online, I should ask myself…"
Activities Summary
Cupcake Posts group reveal
Algorithm discussion
Mis vs. disinformation lesson
Design Your Post challenge
Journal prompt
Key Concepts
Social media algorithms and filter bubbles
Misinformation vs. disinformation
Emotional manipulation in content
Responsible sharing practices
Social media as a tool for good
05
Storytelling & Empathy
The Missing Mic
"Who gets to be heard — and who is left out?"
Missing voicesStrong questionsJournalist ethics
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Teacher GuideLesson 5 · Storytelling & Empathy · ~75 min
Objectives
Understand how including or excluding voices changes a story
Practice asking thoughtful, open-ended questions
Accurately represent someone else's perspective using quotes
Recognize the responsibility of telling someone else's story with fairness
Big Questions
Who gets to be heard in a story and who is often left out?
How can we ask questions that help us truly understand someone else?
What makes a story feel fair and respectful to the person being represented?
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
— Maya Angelou
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
5 min
Introduction Question
Ask: "Your school is thinking about banning technology for students on campus. If someone were writing an article, who would they interview?" Introduce what a source is and why protecting sources matters. Guide toward less visible voices — younger students, specific groups, etc.
20 min
Source Article Discussion
Split into groups. Give them the NEA tech-fatigue article and ask: who is quoted and who is missing? Each group identifies at least one missing voice and explains why they think that voice was left out.
10 min
Asking Better Questions
Compare "Did you like the article?" vs. "What part stood out and why?" — which gave more information? Walk through the T-chart: weak questions get yes/no; strong questions get stories. Good questions don't gain answers — they gain understanding.
15 min
Interview Activity
Assign each student a role (administrator, student, parent, school board). Pair students representing different roles — one is the person, one is the journalist. The journalist asks open-ended questions and records quotes, then adds those quotes to the original article and presents their choices to the class.
10 min
Journal Reflection
Prompt: "When you were adding your quotes to the article, did you feel a 'weight' of responsibility to get their words right? How does knowing a person's 'why' change the way you write about them?"
Activities Summary
Introduction: who would you interview?
NEA article — who is quoted vs. missing
Strong vs. weak questions T-chart
Interview activity with role assignments
Journal prompt (Maya Angelou)
Key Concepts
Sources and source protection
Missing voices in journalism
Open-ended vs. closed questions
Empathy and accuracy in storytelling
Responsibility of representation
06
Public Speaking
Your Voice, Your Impact
"How does the way you speak change what people understand?"
Tone & expressionPersuasive speakingFinal reflection
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Teacher GuideLesson 6 · Public Speaking · ~75 min
Objectives
Understand how voice, tone, and expression change how a message is received
Practice speaking clearly and confidently in front of others
Reflect on how their voice can be used to share ideas and perspectives
Evaluate their own growth through the final program survey
Big Questions
How does the way we speak change what people understand?
What makes someone's voice powerful or engaging?
How can we use our voice to build a bridge instead of a wall?
"We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us."
— Marshall McLuhan
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
15 min
Pick Your Emotion
Students pick a secret emotion and read aloud: "I didn't expect today to turn out like this. At first, everything seemed normal. But then something happened that changed everything. Now I don't know what to think." The class guesses the emotion. Debrief: tone changes meaning; small shifts in voice create big differences.
30 min
Convince Me
Each student writes and delivers a 45-second speech: a school rule they agree or disagree with, something they care about, or something they think should change. Requirements: clear opinion, one reason or example, and use voice to emphasize meaning. After each speech, the class discusses: What was convincing? What did they hear in the speaker's voice?
15 min
REACH Reflection
Share the post-REACH survey (bit.ly/4lU7W4i) — anonymous and honest. Then lead a final audible group discussion: "If we combined everything we learned in REACH, what is one message we would tell someone about stories and communication?"
Activities Summary
Pick Your Emotion reading activity
Convince Me persuasive speech
Post-REACH Survey (bit.ly/4lU7W4i)
Final group reflection discussion
Key Concepts
Tone, expression, and vocal emphasis
Persuasive speaking structure
Voice as a tool for change
Confidence in public communication
Program synthesis and reflection
Featured — Start Here
One-Session Class Overview
Not ready for the full program? The One-Session Overview is completely free and self-contained — a complete media literacy experience in a single class period, no prep required.
Single class periodNo prep requiredGrades 6–12Free download
What's Included
A compact stand-alone experience introducing the core ideas of REACH.
Introduction to media bias and ownership
Hands-on article analysis activity
Guided reflection on empathy in storytelling
Journal prompt and takeaway discussion
Pathway into the full REACH program
Full Program — All 6 Lessons
100% Free
Student Notebook & Lesson Packages
Each download is completely free — student notebook pages, activity sheets, journal prompts, and a facilitator guide for that lesson.
📰
Available Now
Lesson 1 — Who's Telling the Stories?
Student notebook pages, 3 Lies & a Truth activity, Spot the Source worksheet, and journal prompt.
🔍
Available Now
Lesson 2 — Behind the Headlines
Bias-highlighting worksheet, write-the-headline activity, and Bill Gates journal prompt.
✏️
Available Now
Lesson 3 — Journalism 101
MLB Robot Ump facts sheet, Write the Story template (Headline → Lede → Nut Graf → Body → Kicker), and Philip Graham journal prompt.
📱
Available Now
Lesson 4 — Social Media
Cupcake Posts activity sheets, mis vs. disinformation worksheet, and Design Your Post group activity.
🎙️
Available Now
Lesson 5 — The Missing Mic
Source article analysis, strong vs. weak questions T-chart, interview activity, and Maya Angelou reflection prompt.
🌟
Available Now
Lesson 6 — Your Voice, Your Impact
Pick Your Emotion activity, Convince Me speech planner, post-REACH survey, and final reflection journal.
The Foundation
The Five Pillars of REACH
Each letter of REACH represents a core commitment — to the students, to the communities they're part of, and to the stories that deserve to be told.
R
Pillar One
Report
Teaches core journalism tools and ethics — how to gather information responsibly, verify sources, and structure a story that informs without misleading.
E
Pillar Two
Empathize
Centers storytelling with care and responsibility. Every person behind a headline has a full life. This pillar trains students to approach stories with humility and genuine curiosity.
A
Pillar Three
Analyze
Covers media bias, social media influence, and global perspectives. Students learn to examine the information they consume — who made it, why, and what it leaves out.
C
Pillar Four
Connect
Builds bridges between communities and experiences. Storytelling is most powerful when it crosses divides. This pillar pushes students to find common ground.
H
Pillar Five
Humanize
Reframes headlines to show the people behind them. The news can make people feel like statistics or symbols. This pillar teaches students to find the full human being in every story.
The People Behind REACH
About
Tahlia Shahani
Founder & Curriculum Designer · REACH
Tahlia Shahani is a junior at Aragon High School with a deep passion for international relations, media literacy, and empowering young people to think critically about the world around them. She created REACH after watching her younger brothers — in 5th and 8th grade — struggle to make sense of what they were seeing online. Recognizing that confusion as something much bigger than her family, she built a curriculum to help students everywhere ask better questions and tell better stories.
Through her work with League of Creative Minds, Tahlia has prepared curriculum and taught weekly classes and summer camps on international relations and public policy to middle school students. She has mentored students outside the classroom and organized and moderated conferences at Stanford University, in Sacramento, and in Vancouver.
As a delegate, Tahlia has attended weekly sessions with policy professionals and college professors, debating international relations and public policy issues and participating in Model UN conferences in New Mexico and Boston. Her commitment to understanding global issues took her to Guatemala in 2023 to study child malnutrition, and to Egypt in 2024 to study the conflict in the Middle East.
REACH is the natural extension of everything she has learned — a belief that the next generation deserves the tools to understand their world, challenge what they read, and tell the stories that need to be told.
Jules Singh
Director of Operations · REACH
Jules Singh is a sophomore at Aragon High School with a deep passion for ensuring that education is available to all who need it. Growing up in a family of teachers, she has seen firsthand how technology has evolved in the classroom and the growing role it plays in the day-to-day lives of grade school students. Watching the internet take advantage of young people inspired her to join REACH’s efforts in showing students how to navigate a challenging online world.
Outside of REACH, Jules immerses herself in STEM — deeply involved in engineering and mechanics and driven by the long-unanswered questions of the world. With a technical outlook, she brings a logistical perspective to the team, encouraging innovation and efficiency within the program. As Director of Operations, Jules works hard to corroborate the teachings of REACH’s curriculum and maximize the outcomes of the program to the greatest extent possible.
Naomi Dulac
Director of Outreach · REACH
Naomi Dulac is a sophomore at Aragon High School and REACH’s Director of Outreach. She never had the opportunity to learn media literacy with outside support, so she had to teach herself — a process she found challenging and eye-opening. That experience drives her work now: she wants to give others the tools and literacy she never got to receive, helping students recognize sources and misinformation without the deep emotional cost of figuring it out alone.
Outside of REACH, Naomi loves music and spends her time helping younger kids learn to perform with confidence. As a section leader, she brings patience, leadership, and encouragement to the students she teaches. She hopes to use those same skills to help more young people grow into confident, media-literate thinkers.
For Naomi, REACH is about making media literacy accessible, supportive, and empowering — so students can question what they see, trust themselves, and navigate the world with confidence.
Tanya Lee
Director of Marketing · REACH
Tanya Lee is a sophomore at Aragon High School who brings a uniquely global perspective to REACH. Having spent much of her childhood living in Taiwan and traveling widely, she grew up immersed in different cultures, languages, and ways of seeing the world — experiences that shaped how she thinks about people and ideas.
Living in Taiwan gave Tanya an up-close view of how media shapes public understanding. Watching coverage of Taiwan through both local and international outlets, she developed an early and personal awareness of how information gets filtered, framed, and sometimes distorted. That experience gave her a foundation in media literacy that she carries into her work at REACH.
Outside of REACH, Tanya is passionate about writing, debate, and mock trial — pursuits that have sharpened her ability to craft a clear argument and communicate with purpose. As Director of Marketing, she channels that same precision into how REACH tells its story and connects with the students it serves.
Riley Wideman
Head of Curriculum Innovation · REACH
Riley Wideman is a freshman at Aragon High School with a deep commitment to raising awareness about how media shapes the way people are perceived and understood. She joined REACH driven by a belief that every young person deserves the tools to see past surface-level narratives — to recognize the influence of social media on public perception and engage with the more complex, nuanced stories behind the headlines.
Riley is especially passionate about working with younger students, helping them build the skills to make sense of the world around them and think critically about what they see and hear. She brings both curiosity and care to that work, always meeting students where they are.
Outside of REACH, Riley immerses herself in music, languages, and sports — a range of pursuits that reflect her wide-ranging intellectual curiosity. She hopes to one day pursue studies in both medicine and law, fields that share her commitment to advocacy, precision, and service to others.
The People Behind REACH
Advisors
Toni Ouradnik
5th Grade Teacher · Advisor
Toni Ouradnik is an experienced Head Teacher with a 25-year history of creating transformative learning experiences and inclusive classroom culture in primary/secondary education, both indoors and out. Starting her career as a naturalist in the Marin Headlands, she has pushed her practice through formal and informal educational opportunities, including a Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from the University of San Francisco, focused on culturally competent K-8 Education. She is a strong proponent of student voice in curriculum creation and prefers to work as a facilitator and guide for youth, helping students' develop their inherent skills and potential in a collaborative process. Toni has also demonstrated focus and leadership in Social Emotional Learning and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in schools. Supporting REACH's youth-led focus on critical media literacy is a culmination of Toni's priorities as an educator.
When she is not in the classroom or supporting curriculum development such as REACH, she is active in the Bay Area dance and performance community and loves to travel, write, kayak, participate in community activism, hike, and see live music. Her most inspiring endeavor is spending time with her family and her perspective as a parent of young adults supports the work she does with REACH.
Shani Shay, M.Ed.
Director, Incarceration to College · Advisor
Shani Shay is an educator, researcher, and advocate dedicated to transforming educational access for incarcerated and system-impacted youth. She is the Director and Founder of Incarceration to College (ITC) and Pathways to College (PTC) — two pioneering programs that use culturally affirming, anti-racist, and trauma-informed curricula to help students in juvenile facilities and community schools transition successfully to higher education.
A proud graduate of Harvard University (M.Ed., 2024) and UC Berkeley (B.A. in African-American Studies, Minor in Education, 2022), Shani's scholarship explores liberatory pedagogies, Black feminist teaching methods, and curriculum models that raise the educational aspirations of incarcerated youth. Her work bridges academia and lived experience — cultivating college access pipelines from juvenile halls to universities statewide.
At UC Berkeley, Shani has served as Advocacy Co-Chair and President of the Black Underground Scholars, supporting formerly incarcerated students through mentorship, resource access, and leadership development. She also serves on the Underground Scholars Initiative Board and chairs the Alameda County Education Subcommittee, advancing equitable education policies for justice-impacted youth.
Shani's leadership has been recognized nationally. She is a Rockwood Fellow for Leaders in Higher Education in Prison (2025–2026), a 2021 Elder Freeman Policy Fellow, and has received honors including the Harvard Graduate School of Education Intellectual Contribution Award (2024), UC Berkeley Excellence in Management Award (2024), Alameda County Probation Department Commitment to Excellence Award (2024), California Women in Leadership Award (2020), and Mather Good Citizen Award (2022).
Her research and programs have been featured in Berkeley News, Dope Era Magazine, Impact Justice, and The Peralta Retiree. She has presented at major national convenings, including the National Symposium on Juvenile Justice Services (2025), NACRJ Conference (2024), and NCORE Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (2024).
Reach Out
Contact
Questions about REACH, the curriculum, collaboration, or bringing the program to your school? Get in touch.
