Leydi Vidal

Leydi Vidal has a diverse range of work experience. Leydi is currently working as an English Second Language Teacher at Learn English since 2022. Leydi also has previous experience as an English Second Language Teacher at an unnamed company since 2012. Leydi has experience as an English-Spanish Translator/Interpreter at AfroResistance since 2022, where they translate documents and interprets social, academic, political, and environmental events. Leydi also worked as an Ethnic Communities Advisor at the Colombian Truth Commission from 2021 to 2021, where they researched the impact of the armed conflict on ethnic communities and designed public policies. Additionally, they have worked as a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2017 and as a Spanish Teacher at the International Language Institute of Massachusetts in the same year. Leydi has also worked as an Adviser of Afrocolombian Studies at the Colombian Ministry of Education from 2013 to 2015, where they advised and supported the Board of Education in designing social programs and policies and promoting affirmative actions for Afrocolombian young students. Prior to that, they worked as an English Language Teacher at the Colombo American Cultural Center from 2011 to 2012, focusing on teaching English through an intercultural approach. Finally, Leydi worked as a Teacher Trainer on Afrocolombian Studies high school curricula at the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) from 2010 to 2011. In this role, they conducted workshops, exhibited textbooks' images, and presented research results on racism and racial discrimination.

Leydi Vidal began their education journey at Distrital University Francisco José de Caldas from 2004 to 2013, where they earned a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a Minor in English as a Foreign Language. Leydi then pursued higher education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, obtaining a Master's degree in African American Studies from 2015 to 2018. Leydi furthered their academic pursuits by enrolling in a Ph.D. program in African American Studies, History, and Literature at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which they completed from 2018 to 2021. Interested in educational technology, Leydi pursued an additional specialization in Informática para el Aprendizaje en RED (Computing for Learning in Networks) at the Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores from 2021 to 2022. Additionally, in 2021, they also engaged in a short-term program at CUDES - Corporación Universitaria para el Desarrollo Empresarial y Social in the field of Ciencia, Tecnología, Innovación, Etnoeducación, y Conocimientos Ancestrales (Science, Technology, Innovation, Ethnoeducation, and Ancestral Knowledge).