Experience
The Global Center for LGBTI+ Freedom and Education January 2019 - Present
Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer
IREX, Washington, D.C. May 2019 - Present
Program Officer, SHE’s GREAT!
Program Officer, Fulbright Teacher Exchange Programs
Mexican House of Languages, Mexico City, Mexico September 2018 - Present
Instructor & Graphic Content Creator
Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY March 2017 - March 2018
Program Assistant, Teaching Residents at Teachers College
Peace Corps Headquarters, Washington, DC February 2015 - March 2017
Program Support Assistant, Legal Team/Placement Office
Peace Corps, Mongolia June 2011 - July 2014
English Teacher and Community Development Volunteer
Publications
Herrera, J., Thomas, C., & Freeman, C. (Forthcoming). Reforms towards an LGBTI+ inclusive education for Mexican students. Education Policy Analysis Archives. Right to Education and Educational Inclusion of LGBT+ Youth in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Pizmony-Levy, Oren and Cai Thomas (Forthcoming). School Climate for LGBTI Students in Mongolia. Research Report. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University.
The Global Center for LGBTI+ Freedom and Education. (Forthcoming). 2019 Needs Assessment Survey. Global Center.
Lewinger, S., Thomas, C., & Freeman, C., (Forthcoming). Teachers’ perspectives on addressing LGBT+ topics in primary and secondary education: A systematic literature review.
Freeman, C., Thomas, C., Simon, A., & Herrera, J. (2021). Teachers Resource Pack – The United States Version. The Global Center.
Freeman, C., Thomas, C., & Herrera, J. (2021). Findings from the Classroom: What do teachers need to support LGBTI+ students? The Global Center.
International Research and Exchanges Board. (2020). Creating more inclusive practices for LGBT+ individuals in schools and workplaces. Retrieved from https://www.irex.org/insight/creating-more-inclusive-practices-lgbt-individuals-schools-and-workplaces
Presentations
“The Global Center’s Teacher Resource Pack: Classroom & Curriculum Materials to create more LGBTI+ Inclusive Classrooms.” May 2021. HoCo Rainbow Conference 2021 (with Jorge Herrera and Cody Freeman).
“Inclusive spaces for trans and non-binary students: an intersectional approach.” April 2021. Annual Meeting of the Comparative and International Education Society. Discussant.
“Being out in the comparative and international education field.” Annual Meeting of the Comparative and International Education Society (with Bryce Loo).
“What do teachers need to support LGBTI+ students? Findings from the Global Center’s Teachers Resource Pack survey.” April 2021. Annual Meeting of the Comparative and International Education Society (with Cody Freeman and Jorge Herrera).
“Connecting people around the world through a unified concept for educational impact.” October 2020. Professional Learning Communities in Education. Faculty of Learning Sciences & Education, Thammasat University. Bangkok, Thailand.
“Teachers’ perspective on addressing LGBT+ topics in K-12 education: A systematic literature review.” March 2020. The 2020 Annual Meeting of the Comparative and International Education Society (with Sarah Lewinger and Cai Thomas). https://youtu.be/dFslKZaN6us
“International Perspectives of on the School Experience of LGBTI Youth.” April 2018. Teachers College: International & Transcultural Department (with Cody Freeman).
“School Climate for LGBTI Students in Mongolia.” March 2018. The 2018 Annual Meeting of the Comparative and International Education.
Awards
Partial Scholarship to Teachers College, Columbia University, September 2017 - May 2018
Peace Corps, Meritorious Service Award, September 2016
Peace Corps, Meritorious Service Award, Inclusive Communications Team, September 2015
Community Involvement
Group facilitator for friends and family of LGBTI individuals, PFLAG, August 2019 - Present
Camp Counselor, Brave Trails (LGBT Youth Leadership Camp), August 2019
Board Member & Previous Co-Director, Friends of Mongolia Non-Profit, June 2015 - December 2020
Volunteer, New Alternatives Non-Profit (LGBT Homeless Youth), June 2017 - March 2018
Co-Founder & Previous President, Passports to Peace Student Organization, October 2017 - May 2018
Event Organizing Committee Member, Hostelling International, March 2015 - August 2016
Education
Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY
Masters of Arts in Comparative and International Education
2018
Oxford Seminars, Washington, DC, USA
TESOL/TESL/TEFL Certification
2011
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
2009