Author: Colleen K. Vesely

Colleen is an associate professor of Early Childhood Education in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Her work examines the experiences of diverse, marginalized, and minoritized young children and their families. Colleen’s scholarship also focuses on family engagement, particularly among families from diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, linguistic, and ability backgrounds. Colleen teaches courses focused on family engagement in early care and education, family processes and dynamics, as well as research methods. Colleen is the creator of the Raising Unicorns website (www.raisingunicorns.org) focused on raising gender-expansive children in a gender-binary world. Raising Unicorns provides resources for children (see KK’s Kids Corner) parents, teachers, and caregivers to support and affirm gender-expansive children. Colleen lives in northern Virginia with her partner and their three amazing children, and she describes motherhood as the most humbling experience of her life.