Valenciá De’La Clay-Bell

A New York native and Morgan State University alumna, who spent 13 years writing about her service in public schools, working to undo the many myths and misconceptions that today's youth had to buy for the price of their knowledge.   

Valenciá taught Humanities to 8th grade learners, during the day, and trained pre-service teachers, as a professor of Critical Literacy, at night.   Valenciá also served as a co-founding leader of various nonprofit organizations with programs that included youth led mentoring services, international art experiences of cultural exchange, and charitable networking events for millennials.   

One summer in between, she became the author of “Soundless Cries Don’t Lead to Healing: A Critical Thinking Guide to Cultural Consciousness.”  She is currently a neuroeducation research student, studying the science of human-growth and brain development and using this knowledge to reform Valenciá’s Garden from being a reflective educational community blog, into GrowCery Garden—virtual resources to grow beyond creative barriers.  

One of GrowCery Garden’s first resource tools is called the Scholar Garden Productivity Cards, drawn from Valenciá’s current experience as an EdD student at Johns Hopkins University, managing her dissertation studies with the traumatic events unfolding in her life. In developing the cards and documenting her creative journey on Instagram, she has developed a budding virtual community, curating productivity spaces for creative scholars looking to develop mechanisms for dealing with procrastination.   

Within GrowCery Garden, Valenciá is also propagating the INDIE Incubator program for independent educators to build their visions, in collaboration with their communities and her mentorship as reliable guidance. During her time as a National Geographic Fellow, she was able to experience success and gain invaluable exposure from having a one on one mentor who supported her in earning her National Geographic Educator Certification. This inspired Valenciá to carry the torch to light the way for other educators who may need mentorship as they begin an independent organization.  

Above being an avid reader, writer, creator, educator, and mental-health advocate, Valenciá is a symbol of liberation who plans to continue innovating and impacting education, from her heart to the world, for years to come.