Christopher Emdin Professional Development

Christopher Emdin is one of the most influential voices in culturally responsive education, and his professional development offerings challenge educators to fundamentally rethink how they connect with students in urban and diverse classrooms. As the Maxine Greene Chair for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Professor of Science Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, Emdin brings academic rigour and authentic cultural fluency to his work with schools. His groundbreaking concept of reality pedagogy — introduced in his bestselling book For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood… and the Rest of Y’all Too — calls on teachers to understand and honour students’ cultural and emotional realities as the starting point for instruction. Emdin’s ‘Seven C’s’ framework provides practical strategies for building community, integrating culturally relevant practices like hip-hop pedagogy and call-and-response, and connecting urban youth experiences to broader global narratives. Named by Time magazine as one of 27 people bridging divides in the United States, Emdin is also the creator of the HipHopEd social media movement and Science Genius BATTLES, which use hip-hop as a vehicle for science learning. His professional development sessions, keynotes, and workshops are known for being transformative — pushing educators beyond comfort zones while equipping them with concrete tools for creating more equitable, engaging classrooms. For educators committed to equity, identity, and culturally responsive practice, Christopher Emdin’s work is essential.