Debra Shushan is an educator, artist and California native plant advocate. She has been teaching Studio Art, Photography and most recently, Media Arts, to high school students at Salesian College Preparatory in Richmond, CA for 24 years and also serves as the Visual and Performing Arts Chairperson. Shushan joined Art21 Educators in 2021, began foregrounding big questions and Art21 materials in her curriculum and felt a sense of community and belonging right away. Shushan centers social-emotional learning, a trauma-informed approach and differentiated instruction in her work with students. She is committed to the practice of habitat restoration. Shushan’s CA native garden was on the 2024 Bringing Back the Natives tour in the Bay Area.