Rafely Palacios

Rafely Palacios is a first-grade bilingual teacher and literacy advocate in the Bay Area, recognized by the ILA 30 Under 30 for her work improving literacy outcomes for multilingual learners. 

As a first-generation college graduate with Yucatec Maya roots, she is deeply committed to leveraging education to create transformative opportunities that honor cultural identity and empower marginalized communities. She has led literacy-focused initiatives that bridge research and practice to enhance outcomes for multilingual learners. Her work emphasizes culturally responsive, evidence-based instruction to support biliteracy development in English and Spanish.