Aaron Carasco
Attaché - Department of education
Completed Training: 03.2019
Resident in: seattle, wa
Cascadian Since: 1987
Pronouns: he/him
Diplomat Bio:
Klahowaya Tillikum Cascadians!
Just like all of us, I belong to a multitude of identities, which change and grow over time. I am of the Columbia River watershed. I am also queer, an early childhood educator, a musician, an activist, and a proponent of social justice. I was born in Portland, OR (near Wy’east mountain) on Klamath land, into a big loving family. Being smack dab in the middle of 30 first cousins who lived all over Cascadia, I was lucky to be able to explore this beautiful region during childhood. It fostered my love and dedication to growing and protecting our water shed.
I moved to Seattle and pursued a career as an early childhood educator with a focus on anti-bias and social justice. I am currently a mentor educator in North Seattle. I do work with teachers on how to educate children bioregionally - and as activists to stand up for themselves, for others, and for injustice. I’ll leave you with a quote from my personal hero, Fred Rodgers:
If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of.
There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.
Why my work with Cascadia is important:
In my mind, education is not just about teaching children, but is a mechanism for changing the world. The primary job of educators, of all those who seek to teach - and not just as teachers but as human beings, is to provide a narrative. Often a counter-narrative to what is the dominant narrative in society. We do this by providing information based on what we know is true, and modeling what we believe is right. This is integrity: when we act as we say we believe.
That is why this work is important - it is seeking answers to questions important to Cascadia:
How do we teach a younger generation to be stewards of this land? To protect and love our watershed?
What does it mean to indigenize education? How do we do this?
How are we bioregional educators? How do we teach bioregionally?
How do I as a parent connect with my child in regards to Cascadia? How do I connect with other Cascading families?
Contact Me
Do you have a question or a comment for me? Feel free to reach out below. Thank you!
