Meet Joan Leslie, our new team member
8/10/2015
In Joan's Words
I am a Harlem, NY native and a Dartmouth College 2012 grad. I studied government and history in college and was heavily involved in social justice initiatives on campus. Throughout high school and college, I established mentoring programs, linking seniors with incoming students. I also served as a intern at the Bronx Center for Math and Science, teaching Geography, Civics, and U.S. History through the Summer Enrichment at Dartmouth (SEAD) program. I have always sought opportunities to empower young people to set the bar high when dreaming about their future: high enough to continue climbing but strategically enough to recognize their growth and potential on the way up.
I wanted to be a part of an organization that aims to bring sustainable solutions to public educations disparities. If our children are provided equal access to quality education, they have a greater chance of succeeding and breaking the cycle that all too often funnels children raised in poverty through a school to prison pipeline. I am determined to redirect the flow of injustice towards a direction that leads towards hope, promise, and excellence for the future leaders of our communities, states, and nation.
An interesting fact about Joan
She's a spoken word artist who aims to galvanize the artistic community around issues of systemic injustices facing marginalized populations.
We asked Joan to complete the sentence, "I move public education forward..."
I move public education forward by bringing the community facts its members need to know in order to make informed decisions related to public education.