Make It Matter

My Story

Kimberly Manning has always been fascinated by people… how we learn, what helps us thrive, and how schools can become places where everyone feels they belong. Curiosity has been the thread running through her life, leading her from coaching preschool sports to teaching learners from ages three to ninety-three, and ultimately to helping schools reimagine what education can be.

After completing a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Education at the University of Victoria, Kimberly discovered that her greatest passion wasn’t simply teaching curriculum—it was designing learning experiences that helped people grow. She developed bridge programs focused on pacing, differentiation, remediation, and enrichment, particularly in foundational English skills, before spending several years in editing and publishing while raising her young family. During that time, she also wrote provincial and state curricula and trained alongside leaders in curriculum design, deepening her belief that thoughtful learning experiences have the power to change lives.

Throughout her career, Kimberly has worked with schools across Canada and the United States as an educator, consultant, and leader. Whether serving as an English and Physical Education teacher, ELL specialist, program coordinator, Prep School Head, Director of Boarding, Head of School, or Executive Director of Growth and Strategy, she has always approached the work in the same way: by meeting schools where they are, listening deeply, and helping them become the communities they aspire to be. Her work has centred on pathways-based learning, student wellbeing, curriculum innovation, and building cultures of integrity, belonging, and purpose.

Kimberly holds a TESOL Master’s Diploma, is trained in both IB and AP programs, and has contributed to curriculum development across North America. But more than any title or credential, she hopes to be known as someone who believes deeply in the potential of people. She is drawn to big questions about identity, contribution, and purpose, and believes education is at its best when it helps young people discover not just what they can do, but who they can become.

Outside of work, you’ll most likely find Kimberly with her husband and three sons, enthusiastically supporting whatever sport currently has their attention, exploring the outdoors, or curled up with a good book. She also loves writing, singing enthusiastically (off-key), and spending time with Rosie, her much-loved rosy-red golden retriever.

About This Space

Make It Matter is a small, steady practice of noticing what moves us—the moments that matter most. Here, we trace how education shapes thinking, how play teaches joy, and how feeling deeply connects us to what’s real. These essays are thinky thinks from an active thinker. Because the smallest observations, held close enough, can tell us the biggest truths.