About Jess

Jess Cleeves is an educator obsessed with relationships. Before becoming a classroom teacher, she worked with learners in informal contexts such as after-school programs for first through third graders and outdoor programming for adjudicated students. After earning her MAT in secondary science education at Stanford's Teacher Prep program (STEP), Jess taught in impacted and marginalized communities in California, Colorado, and Utah, supporting all ages and stages of students from middle school through experienced in-service educators. Jess earned a second Master's of Social Work at the University of Utah while she served as the Associate Director for Equitable Instruction and Clinical Support at the Center for Science and Mathematics Education.  

   

In her current work, Jess helps individuals, couples, organizations, and communities to heal, liberate, and connect. Combining her original training as a conservation biologist, her 20-year career as an educator, and her commitment to critical social work, Jess facilitates couples' therapy, psychoeducation workshops, professional coaching, training for schools and organizations, and community organizing. Particularly important in Jess’ work: helping people be in relationship with themselves and their kin (both human and non-human), getting quickly to the heart of issues towards enacting solutions, and identifying and addressing the ways systemic oppression operates and impacts all of us.