OUR BOARD
All of our board members are trained professionals with a deep passion for education. Many of our educators have specialized training in elementary education, adult education, instructional/teacher support coaching, and childcare. Our volunteers may have a focus in other disciplines in order to support the organization, but they love education too!
Autumn-Joi T. Wilson
Founder & Executive Director
Autumn-Joi is an author, Georgia and Texas state-certified elementary educator, and a mentor teacher. She is passionate about helping staff, parents, and students receive the help they need in E.L.A.R. and Writing.
Her specialties include cultivating positive classroom cultures and moving students forward in Reading Comprehension and Writing interventions. Teachers who need additional support can also contact her for a personalized plan to accelerate their professional growth and overcome challenges.
Autumn-Joi received a B.A. in English Literature from Georgia State University, an M.A. in Religious Studies from Liberty University, and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University. She is also the dyslexia teacher at a K-8 school in Fort Worth, TX.
Apply as a Working Board Member
We are accepting applications for a leadership position as a secretary. You do not need a background in education, but you should be passionate about the mission and vision and actively desire to contribute to the success of children and the organization. We are currently a working board and not a governing board. Please have a minimum of 4 hours a month that you can volunteer. How you volunteer will depend on your role. You must be able to pass a background check, actively share about the organization, contribute through annual dues, and help us grow by sharing your professional network.
Yolanda Pack
Treasurer
Yolanda Pack is an accounting and finance professional with over 10 years of experience. She brings a wealth of knowledge from working as an accountant for various non-profit organizations and traditional business entities.
Yolanda was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She attended Thiel College in Pennsylvania. She is passionate about supporting women’s empowerment and children’s advocacy programs, especially those that promote their well-being and safety in the community.
Currently, she serves her community through foster care and children's ministry at her local church. Her heart is to see children in her community thrive through education, literacy programs, and creative arts.
Nia Nicole
Member
Nia Nicole is an educator, author, and founder. Certified in education since 2005, she shares her educational journey in her book, "Pressing Through to My Purpose."
Born and raised in Chicago, she earned her Bachelor's in Clothing & Textiles from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and her Master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Loyola University Chicago.
She is the founder of We Build Up, Inc., a non-profit empowering K-12 students through social-emotional learning, service projects, cultural exposure, and etiquette. Her life advice is inspired by Lemony Snicket, "If we wait until we’re ready, we will be waiting for the rest of our lives."
Apply to be a Working Board Member
We are accepting new board members! You do not need a background in education, but you should be passionate about the mission and vision and actively desire to contribute to the success of children and the organization. We are currently a working board and not a governing board. Please have a minimum of 4 hours a month that you can volunteer. How you volunteer will depend on your role. You must be able to pass a background check, actively share about the organization, contribute through annual dues, and help us grow by sharing your professional network.
Apply to be a Working Board Member
We are accepting new board members! You do not need a background in education, but you should be passionate about the mission and vision and actively desire to contribute to the success of children and the organization. We are currently a working board and not a governing board. Please have a minimum of 4 hours a month that you can volunteer. How you volunteer will depend on your role. You must be able to pass a background check, actively share about the organization, contribute through annual dues, and help us grow by sharing your professional network.
Advisory Board
Dr. LaShanta Eberhardt
Community Health Education
LaShanta is an advocate for education as well as community health, she has taught secondary level students as well as adults as an adjunct professor. She desires to bring change to impoverished communities as an accomplished behavioral scientist.
She has earned her BA in Biology from Talladega College, an MpH degree in Socio-Health Sciences from the University of South Florida, and a PhD in Health Promotion Education and Behavior from the University of South Carolina. She also provides business services through her company Synergy Empowerment Solutions.
Advisory Board
LaToya Rice
Education and Psychology
LaToya Rice is a former special education teacher and Children's Ministry Director. She has a heart to see children grow, while holding a special ability to understand the mind.
She received her B.S. degree in Special Education (K-6 Collaborative) from Alabama State University, and a M.S. in Psychology from Regents University. LaToya currently works as a director who provides care and educational resources to children whose mothers are in recovery.
Advisory Board
Dr. Ian Parker
Education Policy
Ian is an educator that advocates for equitable access to high quality child care and education for low-income, Black and Brown communities. He is a mentor, research consultant in the Public Sector, and a published children's book author.
He is also the founder and executive director of Black Star Foundation for Early Childhood Education and Development, an organization that sponsors students in Mpeasem, Ghana.
Ian holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Morehouse College, a Master of Arts in Teaching Early Childhood Education from Mercer University, a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership, and a Ph.D. in Education Administration and Policy from the University of Georgia.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Literacy is essential, and the burden of teaching it should be shared.
Read well, write well, think well. In order to grow a community of successful children, it takes a village. We must come together as a village community, to help children succeed. Having a village mindset while providing focused enrichment instruction, with family supports, builds up communities. Together, we can achieve a better future for our children.
REACHING THE COMMUNITY
Our O.S.T. program provides children with additional help in Reading and Writing; however, children also thrive when their families are doing well and they are fed. We have a heart to serve the whole family by providing resources to the parents/guardians of the children that we serve. A village grows together. Our vision includes offering the following, in addition to our student services:
- Food pantry
- Adult literacy
- Resume services
- ESL Support Partnership
- Educational Consulting and Professional Development
