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Rita Monique Bouchard Ed.D., is a 2025 graduate of the Ed.D. program in Educational and Professional Practice at Antioch University.

Dissertation Committee:

Richard Kahn, PhD, Committee Chair

Paul Bocko, PhD, Committee Member

Don Trent Jacobs, EdD, PhD, Committee Member

Keywords

critical pedagogy, place-based education, Original Kinship/Indigenous Worldview, Natureculture, phenomenology, power and knowledge, elementary education

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to observe the lived experiences of children while learning about place through a Kinship/Indigenous worldview and the impact of the experience on their love and care for place. The study unfolds from a theoretical framework at the nexus of critical theory, place-based education, and a Kinship/Indigenous worldview. The overarching question is, “Can teaching through an Original Kinship/Indigenous Worldview grow children towards connection and love for place?” Elementary students and their teacher explored one square block of the school community, illuminating a different aspect of our place daily through Kinship/Indigenous worldview Precepts (Wahinkpe Topa & Narvaez, 2022). Students constructed their knowledge of place from unseen organisms to the power systems present and developed an understanding of their impact on place. Data gathered included Natureculture (Haraway, 2003) journal notes, sketches, reflections, photovoice, and semi-structured interviews. Natureculture is a synthesis of nature and culture that recognizes their inseparability in ecological relationships that are both biophysically and socially formed (Fuentes, 2010; Haraway, 2003). Findings reveal that learning to see all elements of place/community through a Kinship/Indigenous worldview supports children in understanding interconnectedness, meaning children understand their connection to nature as a biological and cultural relatedness nurtured through connecting with all beings. Data was isolated, analyzed, and interpreted to illuminate themes giving voice to the lived experience of children learning about a place through an original kindship/Indigenous worldview and their shift to care for them. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Comments

ORCID No. 0009-0003-2275-054X

Bio:

Rita brings a wealth of experience from teaching in elementary, high school, and teacher education communities. As a founding parent and educator at Da Vinci Connect k-8, She is deeply connected to her role and the community. As a scholar-practitioner, she strives to incorporate research into her practice and holds onto what works well for the community. An enduring throughline in her praxis is teaching and learning through the lens of nonviolence and how its ability to elevate curricula to be inclusive of learners' voices and ideas, validating their place on their learning continuum. Her colleagues push the boundaries of what a thriving learning community can look, sound, and feel like without using grades in a no-punishment or rewards learning environment.

Part of Rita’s focus is sharing what works to create compassionate learning communities with educators from different learning contexts and philosophies. She plays a key role in parent-educator conferences and is an accomplished speaker and workshop presenter. Rita leads workshops that empower educators to elevate their practices. She supports growth-minded educators as they confidently reimagine their roles and transform their learning environments.

Rita completed her EdD at Antioch University. She holds a Master's in Leadership and Change from Antioch and a bachelor's in Geology from California State University Dominguez Hills. She spent several years as a field geologist for restoration projects on military bases across the Southwest. Her scholarship centers on critical theory, place-based pedagogy, and an original kinship-Indigenous worldview.

Presentations:

Parent Educator Conference Winter 2025: The Habit of Agency: What it is and how parents can support children's agency at home.

A Call of Our Time: Awakenings to Nonviolence in Curriculum and Education March 8-10, 2024 Oklahoma State University-Tulsa Hosted by the OSU Curriculum Studies Program: Creating Compassionate Classrooms and Schools

Parent Educator Conference Fall 23: Supporting Learner Agency Through Project-Based Learning (PBL) at Home

Sri Aria Virtual Open Day Mini Conference 2020 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Let's Play: The Benefits of Play in Learning

AERO Conference Spring 2020: Virtual Learning, Take 2: How do we design a virtual learning environment that is enjoyable and sustainable for kids, teachers, and parents and promotes and supports self-directed learning?

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