Environmental Justice Educator, Speaker & Consultant

Khavin Debbs

Connecting communities to the outdoors through DEI-rooted education.

Based in Seattle, WA. Founder of Sankofa Outdoors — where environmental justice meets community-based learning.

About Khavin

I was born and raised in Sacramento, CA. My mother was a teacher, and my father was a community activist and railroad conductor. This blend of perspectives instilled in me a passion for justice and a love for exploring and being outdoors.

I studied Early Childhood Education at Sacramento City College, and later worked at Mustard Seed School as an elementary school teacher to homeless children — where I also received my Montessori teacher training. I relocated to Seattle in 2013, where I completed my BA in Environmental Studies at The Evergreen State College and my Master’s in Urban Environmental Education at Antioch University.

My goal is simple: to promote environmental justice through community-based, DEI-rooted education.

Areas of Expertise:

Environmental Justice
DEI-Rooted Education
Place-Based Learning
Early Childhood Education (ECE)
Montessori-Trained
Urban Nature Photography
Community Partnerships
Implicit Bias Training

Seminars & Offerings

DEI ECE Place-Based Education

#NatureSoWhite

Narrow definitions of nature, intergenerational trauma, and a lack of representation have all contributed to the narrative that BIPOC don't engage in outdoor spaces. We dive deep into these issues and explore solutions through Place-Based Education, ECE, and self-reflection.

DEI Community Environmental Justice

Get Out: Community-Based Environmental Learning

From our bodies to our homes to our communities — there is much to learn from the spaces we inhabit regularly. We reflect on our own journeys and learn how using students' everyday existence as the driving force can lead to teaching practices rooted in DEI and environmental justice.

Implicit Bias ECE Self-Reflection

Implicit Bias: Unpack That S**t

We learn what implicit bias is, how it manifests in early childhood education, and how we can check our own stereotypes — so we can encourage our peers and children to do the same.

Partnerships Nonprofits Strategy

Environmental-Based Interagency Partnerships

Want to learn how to partner with other organizations? This training covers tactics and conversations to have before reaching out, as well as ways to sustain relationships with public entities and nonprofits alike.

Environmental Justice Inclusion Perspective

Broadening Our Environmental Perspective

Whenever we have a conversation about the environment, it tends to be siloed. This talk lays a new foundation for what nature and the environment entail — and why expanding that definition is imperative for achieving environmental justice.

Consulting Photography Urban Nature

Consulting & Photography Workshops

DEI and anti-racism consulting for outdoor, early childhood, and environmental-based curriculum. Also offering urban nature photography workshops — where attendees explore new perspectives and discover how nature and the built environment are one and the same.