Kathleen Osta,

Managing Director, Strategic Partnerships

kosta (at) nationalequityproject.org

Kathleen has been working to support the healthy growth and development of young people and advance racial and social justice for over 25 years – as a teacher, social worker, coach, and non-profit leader. She joined the National Equity Project (then BayCES) in 1997 and currently serves as a Managing Director providing leadership for work in the Midwest Region and contributing to the design and facilitation of national networks of leaders focused on advancing equity. In all contexts, her focus is on creating humanizing spaces where young people and adults can learn, heal, and work together to create communities in which everyone belongs, contributes, and receives what they need to thrive. Her current work is focused on exploring the intersection systemic oppression, learning and development, and social emotional wellness in schools and communities.

Prior to joining the National Equity Project in 1997, Kathleen worked as a School Social Worker and Project Facilitator for the Comer School Development Program in the Chicago Public Schools where she led the development of school-community partnerships and facilitated multi-disciplinary teams responsible for meeting the academic and social emotional needs of children and families. Kathleen earned her undergraduate degree from the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio and a Masters in Social Work from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. She has tremendous gratitude for the courageous and inspiring leaders she supports across all sectors of public service and for the extraordinary team at NEP that she gets to call family. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two teenage daughters. Follow Kathleen on Twitter at @kathleenostanep.