Dr. Baines has held faculty positions at UC Berkeley and SF State and was recognized for a 2023 Distinguished Graduate Award at University of Washington, where she received her PhD in Learning Sciences. Growing up in the Bay Area as the daughter of a Filipino immigrant, she devotes her life to elevating underrepresented voices through public speaking education. As a former special education teacher, she has expertise in Learning Sciences, Universal Design for Learning, and Project-Based Learning. Together with her colleagues at The Practice Space, Dr. Baines recently co-authored a book for K-12 educators called, Amplify Student Voices: Equitable Practices to Build Confidence in the Classroom.
Award-Winning Equity Work:
Dr. Baines and her nonprofit won a national Activating Equity Award from the National Speech and Debate Association, which recognizes one nonprofit annually who has done exceptional work advancing equity in speech and debate. She also spoke on behalf of The Practice Space to be a two-time winner of the competitive Title Nine Nonprofit Edition Pitchfest and recipient of a T9 Fund Award, which honors change-making women who are pushing the needle on the women’s movement and are grassroots experts who are the most impactful in their fields. She serves on the Board of Directors for PBLWorks and Richmond Promise.
Distinguished Graduate
Established in 1986, the Distinguished Graduate Award annually recognizes a University of Washington College of Education graduate of marked distinction. Past recipients have included Dr. John Corbally, former President of the MacArthur Foundation, Harold Morse, promoter of the Educational Television Networks' The Learning Channel and Ovation, Christine Gregoire, former Governor of Washington, and noted multicultural education scholar Gloria Ladson Billings.
According to Dean Dr. Mia Tuan, ”This year, it is especially gratifying to honor AnnMarie Baines, a College of Education graduate who has achieved distinction as a scholar and researcher, and as an innovator in community-based education in public speaking and leadership for young people, many of whom are members of historically minoritized communities. Your accomplishments, your leadership, and your service have been widely recognized by others and the College of Education faculty is pleased to add to your well-deserved accolades.”
Press
AnnMarie was featured in the September-October 2023 edition of Rostrum Magazine, a publications of the National Speech and Debate Association.
The Practice Space
Dr. Baines is the founder of The Practice Space, a Richmond-based nonprofit in the SF Bay Area dedicated to promoting effective and inclusive communication in schools and communities. They build confidence and community through communication skill development to advance inclusion, develop empathy, and elevate underrepresented voices. They provide accessible educational content and supportive practice experiences to help people speak in a clear, engaging way that represents who they are. Through coaching and curriculum, The Practice Space envisions a world where diverse communities of youth and adults feel free, cared for, and capable of manifesting their voices in the world.