Citizen Schools

As we move into the holiday season, we continue to reflect on the amazing people who helped bring us to this 30th anniversary milestone. We want to share two recent spotlights of incredible alum who continue to dedicate their careers to innovating the future of learning for all.

First, a true champion for educational equity, Dr. Jaynemarie Enyonam Angbah. Jaynemarie has dedicated her inspiring career to transforming outcomes for marginalized youth. Dr. Angbah firmly believes that being an educator is not just a passion, it's a calling. Her influence as a leader in the education space offers invaluable lessons for all of us.

https://citizen-schools-community-2.us.hivebrite.com/news/1520399

Liza Littenberg-Tobias, Assistant Director of Experiential Partnerships at Northeastern University, in our November Expert Spotlight! Her commitment to educational equity ensures Experiential Learning is accessible to all students, a mission driven by the belief that early, hands-on job experience is the best step toward advancing the future of learning. Her work is key to advancing Experiential Learning by recruiting industry partners to develop authentic project opportunities for students.

To learn more about partnering with Liza and the Experiential Partnerships team at Northeastern to build transformative projects, reach out to her today!
https://citizen-schools-community-2.us.hivebrite.com/news/11431060

Dr. Jaynemarie Enyonam Angbah Welcome to this month’s Expert Spotlight! We're thrilled to feature an esteemed alumni, Dr. Jaynemarie Enyonam Angbah a true champion for educational equity with an inspiring 20-year career dedicated to transforming outcomes for marginalized youth. Jaynemarie is a visionary force, proven in leadin...

So excited to share our latest monthly newsletter, featuring an interview with one of our amazing alumni, Max Fripp! Max is now the Executive Director at Playworks, an organization that believes in the power of play to help kids learn and grow—a mission we absolutely love.

He also shares how some of our very own leaders were key mentors in his life, proving that mentorship is something we truly believe in and practice.

Calling all alumni! Are you doing something amazing? We want to hear from you and share your story! Reach out to us at [email protected] to be featured in a future spotlight.

Ready to be inspired? Check out Max's story and see the awesome work he's doing!

Max Fripp Expert Spotlight We are excited to share this edition of the Expert Spotlight where we're featuring one of our very own, an inspiring alumnus who has taken the lessons of play and applied them in a big way. We’re thrilled to spotlight Max Fripp, who is making waves with his work at Playworks, an organization dedic...

🎉 30 years strong—and we’re just getting started! 💡 Join us as Citizen Schools continues helping students thrive through hands-on, community-connected learning. Learn more about what we’re doing here: https://www.citizenschools.org/30years

Citizen Schools | Equity Begins with Opportunity Citizen Schools empowers schools, districts, and communities to work together to create and sustain authentic experience-based learning opportunities. Join Citizen Schools in taking the next step to drive systemic change in education.

We're excited to introduce you to this month's Expert Spotlight: the phenomenal Dr. Rudy Ruiz! As the visionary behind Edifying Teachers, Dr. Ruiz is doing groundbreaking work to support and retain educators across the country, all while "rehumanizing education through the power of connection." We are incredibly grateful to highlight his impactful story and how he's building a global network of diverse teacher mentors. You won't want to miss this read!

Dr. Rudy Ruiz Expert Spotlight Welcome to our monthly Expert Spotlight, where we celebrate the remarkable individuals shaping the future of education! This month, we are thrilled to feature Dr. Rudy Ruiz, a true visionary and the driving force behind Edifying Teachers. As the founder and CEO of this groundbreaking organization, a...

When Mal Davis joined Citizen Schools, he didn’t just find a job—he discovered a calling. One moment sealed it: leading a fitness program with students he coached in basketball and baseball. When they stepped into a real gym for the first time, their eyes lit up.

“They were so excited,” he recalls. “To see them do what they do best—but in the right environment—was powerful. The joy and energy were unforgettable.”

From classroom to community, Mal’s story shows the impact of creating spaces where students can truly thrive.

✨ Read the full story → https://bit.ly/43v5RTO

For 30 years, Citizen Schools has partnered with changemakers to turn classrooms into launchpads!

Google sparked STEM dreams through hands-on projects.
Bank of America growth with $1M+ in support.
Morgan Stanley —our 2024–2025 top partner—brought real-world learning to life with mentorship and leadership training.

� Want to see how these WOW! moments came to life? Read the full story here —> https://bit.ly/4mDCnfc

At Citizen Schools, learning by doing is just the beginning—real growth happens when students reflect, create, and teach back what they’ve learned. That’s the heart of WOW!

From student showcases to alumni reunions, this school year gave us countless reasons to say WOW!

✨ Revisit our unforgettable WOW! moments from the 2024-2025 school year and join us in celebrating a year of powerful learning and reflection as we mark 30 years of impact: https://bit.ly/4jmLI8t

Jessica Lander’s story began at a crowded office table in Charlestown, where her Citizen Schools team gathered each morning to support each other and their students.

That spirit of collaboration fueled Jessica’s growth as an educator—and inspired her lifelong commitment to immigrant education. Now an author and national advocate, she’s proving that when we center community, educators thrive—and so do students.

✨ Discover how her journey with Citizen Schools shaped her impact: https://bit.ly/4jr3DuF
👉 Help us celebrate teachers like Jessica. Make your Teacher Appreciation gift to Citizen Schools today: citizenschools.org/donate

This week is our Virtual Alumni Gathering! We're so excited to see many of you there on May 29 at 4:30pm EST. This is your last chance to register and reconnect with your fellow alumni!

Take a scroll through these memories and tag a friend or two who you know would love to be there. Let's make sure everyone gets the memo!

Don't miss out! Register today: https://bit.ly/3ShPhBw

Before she was National Teacher of the Year, Sydney Chaffee was a Citizen Schools Teaching Fellow learning the power of joyful, rigorous education—and community-centered teaching.

“Working at Citizen Schools showed me how important community is to fostering an educational environment where kids can learn and grow and, if we’re lucky, change the world.”

This Teacher Appreciation Month, we celebrate Sydney and all the educators who transform lives through love, leadership, and learning.

Your gift to Citizen Schools helps us support educators like Sydney—and inspire the next generation of students to dream big, give back, and transform the world around them. Let’s honor teachers not just with thanks, but with action.

Full story → https://bit.ly/3HkdViD
Donate today → citizenschools.org/donate