KIPP DC recently hosted its first Ambassador Board meeting of the 2018-19 school year, and we’re excited to highlight this committed group of individuals. They strive to make a difference in the lives of students and families in the community through advocacy and outreach work. We caught up with three different board members during the first of four meetings this year to get their unique perspectives on the Ambassador Board’s impact.
Dr. Constance Lindsey has been a member of the Ambassador Board for three years and is a native Washingtonian. As a current educational policy researcher for the Urban Institute, she enjoys the opportunity the board extends to connect with students. “I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer for events where we work directly with students and I really enjoy that. I’m someone who works in education but not directly with students, so it’s good to have that opportunity.”
Rohit Setty has taught in Virginia, Japan, and New Zealand as an educator and was connected to the board by a current member who recognized his desire to do more. “I love using the connections I have to bring other people into the fold and introducing them to the good work KIPP DC does,” he said. “For my wife and I’s birthday’s we organized a group of 40 volunteers to work at the Douglass Campus and clean up a bunch of classrooms and something like that couldn’t have happened if I wasn’t connected to the Ambassador Board.”
Phyllis Hedlund is the chief academic officer at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School and has maintained a relationship with KIPP DC for 12 years dating back to her time as consultant for AIM, WILL, and KEY academies. She has served on the Ambassador Board for five years and remains as passionate as ever about the board’s vision. “I’m here because I really believe in the work and I don’t think anyone in the District does it better.”
Members of the KIPP DC Ambassador Board commit their energy towards three primary responsibilities over the course of their term: activation, commitment, and investment. They help fuel KIPP DC’s role as a model school system and leader in the D.C. and national education communities. Visit the KIPP DC Ambassador Board’s website for more information.
