Orinthia Harris

Orinthia Harris

Orinthia Harris, PhD, has over two decades of extensive experience in both classroom and extracurricular settings. She is the founder and executive director at STEMearly LLC, an organization dedicated to reigniting the passion to teach while equipping both educators and students with the essential tools for thriving. Her workshops and training sessions encompass STEM education through a hands-on, experiential approach and an array of topics. She has presented at numerous national conferences, including the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Head Start Association, Smart Start, and the Division for Early Childhood within the Council for Exceptional Children (CEI).

Dr. Harris has also served as a faculty member for STEM and antiracism for CEI since 2014. Within CEI, she has collaborated with institutions such as the State University of New York, the National Indian Education Association, the Center for Applied Special Technologies, and Yale University. Dr. Harris also has certifications as a CLASS specialist with Teachstone, as an early childhood trainer accredited by the Maryland State Department of Education, and as a trainer for the Mid-Atlantic Equity Training Consortium. She was selected as a 2023 exchange leader through the Exchange Leadership Initiative.

Dr. Harris has been featured as a recognized authority in early childhood and antiracism education on several podcasts and has published several articles, such as “Getting Uncomfortable: Antiracism and Mindfulness” and “Six Models For Early Childhood STEAM.” She also has 15 years of experience teaching grades K–5, including ESOL, and furthered her leadership expertise as a board member for Hope Community Public Charter Schools in Washington, DC, and as acting principal for the summer enrichment program at Howard County Public Schools.

In 2020, Dr. Harris earned her doctorate from Notre Dame of Maryland University, focusing on educational leadership for changing populations.