Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Kae Stevenson.
Hi Dr. Kae, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The moment that changed everything came in my classroom one ordinary afternoon. I was teaching a passage from Willa Cather when a student suddenly asked, “Ms., why we reading this?” That question stopped me in my tracks. It wasn’t defiance—it was curiosity, honesty, and a longing to see himself reflected in the learning. That moment became the spark for what would one day grow into CuratED Literacy.
Over the years, I’ve watched students come alive when they encounter literature that honors their stories and cultural assets. One student, who had relocated from Tortola after the 2017 hurricane, once told me that my class helped transform his love for reading and, ultimately, his sense of identity. Through texts that celebrated Black voices and experiences, he found a mirror he’d never had before.
Those experiences along with my own journey as a Black woman, a mother of four boys, and a scholar researching how Black teachers serve as cultural brokers shaped my belief that literacy is about more than reading words. It’s about seeing yourself in them.
When I founded CuratED Literacy, it began as a tutoring program. But like the students it served, it evolved. Today, we partner with schools, parents, and organizations to design culturally responsive curriculum, professional learning, and family-based literacy experiences. Whether it’s a PD session for educators or a parent workshop, every offering is curated, humanized, relevant, and rooted in connection.
My background as both an educator and corporate trainer taught me that effective teaching, for children or adults, begins with empathy. At CuratED Literacy, we meet every learner and partner where they are. Our goal is simple yet profound: to bridge home and school so that every child sees their brilliance and every community feels seen in the process.
As we grow, we hope to build more community partnerships because literacy doesn’t just happen in the schoolhouse. Literacy is everywhere: in conversations, in art, in local stories that shape who we are. We want to collaborate with local businesses, community organizations, and families across Atlanta to expand our reach and strengthen the literacy ecosystem that connects us all.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all, but every bump has shaped the vision of CuratED Literacy. Balancing multiple roles as an educator, business owner, researcher, and mom of four boys has not always been easy. There are days when I’m up early on the weekends before the sun writing curriculum, planning during soccer practices, fine tuning PD sessions after bedtime, and still showing up with full heart in my classroom. But I’ve learned that purpose doesn’t always travel the smoothest road. It travels the most meaningful one.
The biggest challenge has been managing the balance between doing the work and building the work. I’m deeply invested in every project because each partnership matters. But that same commitment also reminds me that sustainable growth requires collaboration. That’s why we’re actively seeking partners who share our vision. We are eager to collaborate with schools, organizations, and community leaders who understand that literacy is collective work.
Every challenge has reinforced what I believe at my core: that this work is bigger than me. CuratED Literacy is not just about teaching reading—it’s about creating experiences that honor people, culture, and connection. The road may not have been smooth, but it has been worth every step.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about CuratED Literacy, LLC. ?
CuratED Literacy is more than a business—it’s a movement to reimagine what literacy can look and feel like for every learner. We specialize in bridging home and school through culturally responsive, multimodal literacy practices that honor the identities, voices, and experiences of the people we serve.
We partner with schools, districts, and organizations to design professional learning, curriculum, and literacy initiatives that are human-centered and relevant. We also work directly with families through workshops, parent coaching, and student support. What started as a tutoring service has grown into a full-service literacy consulting firm that designs experiences and not just products. Every offering is curated for the unique needs of the partner, school, or family we serve.
What sets CuratED Literacy apart is the intentionality behind everything we do. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Our work is grounded in empathy, research, and lived experience. We take the time to understand people. We ground our work in their goals, their culture, their community and then we design from there. That’s how we build real, sustainable impact.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud that people describe our work as transformative and human. Whether we’re leading a district-wide PD or sitting with parents who want to help their child read with confidence, the feedback is the same: “You made this make sense. You made this feel possible.”
At CuratED Literacy, we want readers to know that literacy is everywhere. It’s how we think, communicate, and connect. Our mission is to help every child see their brilliance and every educator and parent feel equipped to nurture it. We’re not just building literacy skills; we’re building bridges between classrooms and communities, between text and identity, between knowledge and purpose.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Literacy is the heartbeat of everything we do. It shapes how we see ourselves, how we connect with others, and how we imagine what’s possible. My hope is that readers walk away believing that literacy isn’t confined to classrooms. It lives in our homes, neighborhoods, and everyday experiences.
At the end of the day, I’m a mom, a teacher, and a believer in possibility. Everything I do through CuratED Literacy comes from that place. I want my four boys and every child to grow up knowing that their voices matter, their stories matter, and their brilliance deserves to be seen.
We’re always looking to collaborate with schools, local businesses, and organizations that share our commitment to equity, culture, and community. Because when we come together, we create something powerful: spaces where every learner is affirmed, every family is supported, and literacy becomes a living, breathing part of who we are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.curatedliteracy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_dr.kae/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Curated-Literacy-61562171301436/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaestevenson
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@curated.literacy
