Kawika Smith is a math educator, researcher, and advocate committed to advancing equity for justice-involved and opportunity youth. He first connected with Children’s Defense Fund-California as a high school junior through the Beat the Odds® program in 2019 and has since remained an active youth leader within the organization.
In 2025, Kawika was selected for the inaugural cohort of CDF-CA’s Radical Imagination Fellowship, focused on systems change through storytelling, policy engagement, and civic leadership. Now based in Washington, D.C., where he teaches high school mathematics, Kawika continues to support California’s young people by collaborating with state and Los Angeles County leaders to advance youth-centered policy priorities.