Nat Duran, M.Ed
Pronouns: they/them
Values and Philosophy
Nat Duran is a compassion-led and dedicated educator focused on community building and social justice across various realms of youth work. They use popular education tools and strengths-based frameworks such as positive youth development and human centered design to inform their work with individuals, groups, and organizations. Nat strives to practice at the intersection of how the world is now and the future possibility of our collective liberation. By creating educational spaces with imagination, empathy, and vulnerability, Nat supports others in both un-learning assumptions that perpetuate harmful systems as well as learning more just ways to be in community with one another.
Areas of Focus
Nat works with youth and adults in educational settings as well as out-of-school-time programs. They are especially passionate about building the structures for youth to be agents of change in their communities, developing values-based programs, and creating professional communities for ongoing learning and support.
Experience and training
Nat obtained both their B.A. in Teaching of English and M.Ed. in Youth Development from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Nat has been a champion for putting youth voice to action throughout their career within school, housing, and advocacy settings; they have taught high school English, provided case management to young adults in care, and, most recently, they served as the Youth Engagement Manager for the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, leading the Illinois Genders & Sexualities Alliance (GSA) Network and providing statewide leadership for the safer schools movement.
Contact Nat at: Nat (at) constellationcollectivechicago (period) com