About me

I am Johana M. Castilla Gilja, the founder of Kids AWARE. My passions are traveling, learning, teaching and connecting with people, igniting curiosity about new educational approaches to work for -and with- children and youth.

 

Professionally, I have nearly 15 years of experience and a varied, long and solid academic background. As a social anthropologist educated in Norway, I specialized in educational and socio-technological topics. I have given presentations and seminars at different universities and institutions in Europe and Latin America.

 

I am also a passionate educator, having worked as a teacher and as a university lecturer before. In fact, I come from a family of teachers (up to 8 family members have worked/ work for the educational sector, and two are Waldorf teachers!) and besides teaching at university, I have also worked in a Waldorf/Steiner kindergarten and school. My passion for understanding new technologies may come from my dad's side, as his expertise in networks for telecommunication technologies inspired me.

 

Additionally, I hold a university degree in social sciences (sociology, anthropology and history) and in archaeology, an interest born from a wish to understand the civilizations and technologies from the past.

 

I am a trained researcher that specializes in the study of the impact that technology has had on society. I am also a certified coach specialized in digital wellness. Following my love for academia and for education, children and technology, I am currently doing a doctorate/ PhD in Educational Sciences in Stavanger, Norway. In my doctoral work I research on the topic of children’s participation and roles in creating Smart cities, the cities of the future.