Micaela E Stafford
New York, NY 10027
caelastafford@gmail.com | linkedin.com/in/micaelastafford
EDUCATION
Doctor of Education, Art and Art Education
Teachers College, Columbia University Expected 2029
Master of Arts in Art, Education, and Community Practice
New York University 2025
Master of Arts in Teaching, Urban Education and Social Justice
University of San Francisco 2024
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Concentration in Critical Diversity and Social Justice
University of San Francisco 2019
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Research Assistant
Brooklyn Public Library 2026-present
As a Research Assistant with ARTmobile in partnership with Brooklyn Public Library, I collect data from participants attending community art workshops, programs, and outings across Brooklyn. I organize and analyze participant data to help evaluate program experiences, engagement, and impact and contribute to ARTmobile’s ongoing research and evaluation efforts.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Visual Arts Teacher
New York City Public Schools 2024-present
Develop and teach engaging visual arts lessons for K–5 students, aligned with state standards and rooted in culturally responsive pedagogy
Collaborate with teachers, administrators, and families, to plan exhibitions and school-wide arts events
Elementary School Teacher
San Francisco Unified School District 2022-2024
Designed and implemented cross-disciplinary art projects that integrated visual arts into core academic subjects.
Organized and co-led Black Student Union meetings for 3rd and 4th-grade students, fostering cultural awareness and leadership.
Elementary School Teacher
Hawaii State Department of Education 2020-2022
Taught lessons using Seesaw, iReady, and hands-on projects in both virtual and in-person settings.
Established "Brave Fridays," a social justice initiative using art and literacy to explore race, gender, and economic inequities.
PROJECTS
Nekubi Art Residency Collaboration Upcoming: January 2027
In collaboration with Angela Fremont, I will participate in the Nekubi Art Residency in Kavala, Greece, on a community-based art project connecting children in Kavala and Brooklyn. Through collaborative mapmaking and an international art exchange, students will explore their communities, share perspectives, and reimagine coastal life through art.
The Outdoor Studio 2026-present
The Outdoor Studio Project at PS 376 is a place-based art and environmental learning initiative designed to add to the work being done to transform the community garden into a creative, accessible, and community-centered learning space. The goal of the project is to support outdoor learning opportunities for students, families, and teachers while fostering connections between art, nature, and community engagement.
Rede: Language, Knots, and Connection 2026
In collaboration with Jiyoon Lee and Brazilian artist Erika Malzoni, I co-organized a community-based art-making workshop exploring rede, a Portuguese word meaning hammock, fishing net, and social network. Through knot-tying and collaborative designing, participants reflected on connection, care, and community while contributing to a collective artwork.
EXHIBITIONS
Spring Studio Works Exhibition (Group)
Macy Art Gallery, New York, NY Jan 2026
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Reimagining Learning through Place-Based Art Education
North Eastern Philosophy of Education Society
Columbia University, New York, NY October 2026
GRANTS
Diversity, Community, and Social Justice Committee Micro-grant
Art & Humanities Department
Teachers College, Columbia University 2026
SELECTED SCHOLARSHIPS
TC Changemaker Award
Teachers College, Columbia University 2026
Study Abroad Scholarship, Center for African Education
Teachers College, Columbia University 2026
Innovating Education Scholarship
Teachers College, Columbia University 2025
Rayburn Clark Scholarship
New York University 2024
Global Study Scholarship
New York University 2024
Corps Member Scholarship/Award
Teach For America 2020
P. Gmelch Endowment Scholarship
University of San Francisco 2019
CERTIFICATIONS
Visual Arts Teaching Credential
New York State Education Department
Childhood Education Teaching Credential
New York State Education Department
Multiple Subject Teaching Credential
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Project-Based Learning Certificate
PBL Works
IRB Social and Behavioral Researchers
CITI Program
AFFILIATIONS
National Art Education Association 2025-present
International Society for Education Through Art 2025-present
Alpha Kappa Delta- Honors Sociology Society 2019-present