Mission Impact Series: Education (Nov. 12)

Join Us For A Live Discussion!

Thursday, November 12 | 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Join us for our first Mission Impact Series virtual event, Building an Education Ecosystem for Evanston’s Youngest Learners, on Thursday, November 12, at 4:30 p.m. Learn more about the McGaw YMCA’s work to support the out of school learning needs and opportunities of Evanston’s youngest learners and their families, ranging from early childhood through middle school.

This live panel conversation will be hosted in a virtual format and will feature the following inspirational leaders:

Panelists

• Dr. Devon Horton – Superintendent, Evanston/Skokie School District 65
• Dr. Nichole Pinkard – Associate Professor, Learning Sciences, Faculty Director of the Office of Community Education Partnerships at Northwestern University
• Monique Parsons – CEO/President, McGaw YMCA
• Nicole Woodard – Chief Operating Officer, McGaw YMCA

Registration is required to attend this free event. Upon registration, you will receive a Zoom link that is unique to your email address.

Click here to register!

Audience  

This event is open to Evanston community members, education leaders, and those who are interested in supporting our community’s youngest learners or raising funds to support this work.

Format             

Panel discussion with an opportunity for engaged Q&A with the speakers. Participation is encouraged.

Sponsor

The Lead Sponsors for the Mission Impact Series are the Lewis-Sebring Family Foundation and Northwestern University. Series sponsorship is ongoing.

To learn more about the McGaw YMCA’s Mission Impact Series, to become a sponsor, or to donate items or funds to the programs that are featured, please contact Jodi Wickersheimer, Chief Development Officer, at jodiw@mcgawymca.org.

About the Panelists

Dr. Devon Horton	Devon Horton is the Superintendent at Evanston/Skokie School District 65. Prior to joining the District 65 team, Dr. Horton served as the Chief of Schools for the Jefferson County Public School System in Louisville, KY. He began his career in Chicago Public Schools, where he was a middle school teacher for 10 years before moving into building administration. He transitioned into a central office role in 2014 in East St. Louis, where he served as the Deputy Superintendent of Achievement and Administration, before heading to Jefferson County Public Schools in 2018. Read full bio.
Dr. Nichole Pinkard	Nichole Pinkard is an Associate Professor in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University and Faculty Director of the Office Community Education Partnerships. She is the founder of Digital Youth Network and L3, a social learning platform that connects youth’s learning opportunities across the school, home, community, and beyond. Through collaborations with city agencies (e.g. YOUmedia with the Chicago Public Library, and City of Learning with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel), Pinkard and DYN’s work has ignited new models for reimagining, visualizing, and documenting learning across spaces through the creation of existence proofs in urban contexts. She holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University, an M.S. in Computer Science from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University. Read full bio.
Monique Parsons	Monique Parsons is the President and CEO at the McGaw YMCA. Throughout her life, Monique has always felt connected to youth. She has built a career that mirrors this connection, working tirelessly for young people in her community. From her early start in juvenile justice to her tenure at McGaw YMCA, she is passionately committed to helping youth reach their full potential. In 2005, Monique joined the McGaw YMCA, spent seven years as vice president of programs, then Chief Operating Officer before taking the role of President/CEO in 2018. Results of her vision for programs include the launch of youth literacy programs to address the achievement gap, revitalization of the youth lobby with the creation of MetaMedia, and the addition of wraparound services for the Men’s Residence Program.
Nicole Woodard	Nicole Woodard is the Chief Operating Officer at the McGaw YMCA. She holds a master’s degree from the Stanford University School of Graduate Education. Nicole has over 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, administrator, and Executive Director. Nicole was the Executive Director of Garfield Charter School in Redwood City, California, a community school serving grades PreK -8th, before returning to Evanston. She is also the founding Director of the University of Chicago Charter School, Donoghue Campus, a Prek-5th grade school focused on creating educational equity.