ECP Student Selected for California Black Studies Curriculum Project
Shaunté Yvette Hill MA ‘24
In 2023, EdD student Shaunté Yvette Hill MA ‘24 was selected from a pool of educators and education administrators across California to participate in the California Black Studies Curriculum Development Project, tasked with the creation of a K–12 Black Studies curriculum to reflect Black history as an essential part of American history and to improve the educational experience and identity development of Black students. For the past two years, she’s developed 10 unique modules to be a part of this official curriculum, and was able to pilot these modules in 2025.
“The lesson plans cover a range of topics from engineering and language to Black dance culture and Kendrick Lamar,” says Hill. “The goal is for students to learn about the contributions of Black people in society, and for Black students in particular to feel fully seen and supported in the classroom.”
Shaunté is using these experiences to shape her dissertation research, which will explore how Black women, often undervalued or invisible in professional settings, find joy and agency through curriculum design, and how their work positively impacts future generations of Black students by seeing themselves reflected in education in affirming and empowering ways.
Shaunté’s Story
Her work in educational reform is not only driven by social justice-oriented passions, but is also inspired by own personal and professional experiences as a Black woman.
“My decision to pursue my MA in Educational Leadership and EdD was two-fold,” says Hill. “In workplaces, I was too often overlooked, undervalued, and overworked, and I want to be in a position where I’m able to reshape workplace culture into one where all employees are set up to succeed. At home, I was seeing my daughter struggling in an environment where she didn’t feel seen or supported as a Black girl in a predominantly white school, and I can’t allow her to go through all the same things I did growing up. This inspired my focus on education.”
Shaunté now serves as the Associate Director of Student Advocacy for SCU’s LEAD Scholars program, and believes that her role supporting first-generation college students at Santa Clara feels like a natural next step in her story. “My journey is not a traditional one, and I had to endure quite considerable burnout and mistreatment to get to where I am today. But I am stronger now and able to genuinely support my students here at Santa Clara because of these experiences. I now finally feel ready and equipped to prevent others from going through the same by enacting some real, systemic change,” says Hill. “And I’m just getting started.”