Dr. Kendra Coates is an award-winning education leader passionate about celebrating our unlimited potential (UP) and human-centered teaching and learning. In her twenty years of teaching and leadership, she has taught all ages, from preschool to professionals across a variety of settings including early childhood, after school, abroad, AmeriCorps, special education and intervention, PreK-12 leadership, and higher education.

She is the author of Growing Early Mindsets (GEM) a literacy-based teaching and learning framework and curriculum from Mindset Works, the global leader in growth mindset and The Girls’ Guide to Growth Mindset: A Can-Do Approach to Building Confidence, Courage, and Grit.

Kendra currently serves as Director of Mindset and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for Central Oregon at the High Desert Education Service District. In addition, she is a certified professional coach and mindfulness facilitator, an adjunct professor, and guest lecturer/speaker. She holds a B.A. in political science, a M.A.T in Special Education, a M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction, a D.Ed. in Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership and educational licenses in literacy, PreK–12 special education, early childhood and elementary education, and school administration in the state of Oregon.