McKenzie Paterson (she/her/hers) is the Community Designer at Education Design Lab and brings her experience in community building, social design, intercultural communications, and civic and social learning to support the Lab’s work. In her role, McKenzie leads the Lab’s community of practice to elevate an interconnected ecosystem of practitioners through equity-centered learning and collaboration for redesigning systems of learning and working at the margins.

Prior to joining the Lab, McKenzie was an Outreach Coordinator at the Close Up Foundation, where she cultivated and managed equity-centered partnerships with schools and communities in Washington, Illinois, Idaho, Maine, and Virginia. Previous to that, she was an Education and Youth Development Specialist with Peace Corps Thailand and partnered with her local community to pilot a portfolio of capacity-building programs for educators and learners throughout central Thailand. She holds a dual Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Public Relations from Syracuse University.

McKenzie is a fierce champion of radical joy and humanity, and she believes deeply in the magic of connection to catalyze our collective liberation. She strives to bring this passion to support the Lab’s mission in contributing to a future where people who have been historically and systematically underinvested in have opportunities to create the futures they want for themselves.

McKenzie lives in Washington, D.C., and loves exploring the natural and curated world around her, discovering new music that speaks to her soul, and all the little moments in between spent with her community that make her feel fully alive.