autobiography

Ryan Kurada is currently the Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Coordinator at the Sonoma County Office of Education. He is dedicated to transforming educational environments where learning is relevant, meaningful, and interesting for all students. Before joining SCOE, Ryan taught TK, Kindergarten, and first grade at University Elementary School in Rohnert Park where he developed their school-wide project-based learning program. His passion for early childhood education led him to visit Reggio Emilia, Italy where he observed in their world-renowned project-based preschools. Ryan has collaborated with the San Francisco Exploratorium Tinkering Studio in developing statewide professional development opportunities and is also a PBLWorks National Faculty member. He holds an M.A. in Early Childhood Education from Sonoma State University and a B.F.A. in Art Education. Ryan has presented at numerous national conferences including the U.S. Department of Education Teach to Lead Summit, National Science Teaching Association, and the California STEAM Symposium.​