Carrie Finkelstein
Program Director, Cherry Hill Education Initiative
Baltimore City Public Schools
Carrie is a non-profit professional, coalition builder, and social worker. She has spent the last decade working on initiatives that center educational equity.
Currently she serves as the Program Director of the Cherry Hill Education Initiative at Baltimore City Public Schools. In this position, she works closely with schools, community leaders, and non-profit organizations to increase educational outcomes in Cherry Hill.
Prior to this, Carrie worked as Manager of Strategic Projects in the Office of Engagement and Community Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, where she led K-12 initiatives through Pitt’s Community Engagement Center, including the development and implementation of a tutoring program for 1st-4th graders.
She began her career in Baltimore, at the Fund for Educational Excellence, where she served as an AmeriCorps Vista, Program Associate, and finally, Program Manager for the Baltimore Campaign for Grade Level Reading, a collective impact campaign to improve literacy rates for children 0-8.
She is a proud graduate of both the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work, where she received her Master of Social Work and graduated on the Dean’s List, and of Goucher College, where she graduated with her BA in English.
10:15 am - 11:30 am ET
Community of Practice Workshops I-VI: Small Group Breakouts @ 2nd Floor
Reimagining K–12 School Partnerships: Bold Innovations That Drive Student Success
Room: Grand 7
This workshop will showcase three innovative partnerships with local schools designed to improve student outcomes across the cradle-to-college journey. Cherry Hill Strong will share how they established a dedicated, school-based role to ensure strong strategic implementation at the campus level. Lift Orlando will discuss how they collaborated with their district to launch a comprehensive school redesign initiative aimed at driving long-term student success. A team from Drew Charter School will present a recent case study around the approach and impact of their college and career office.
Participants will have time to speak in small groups conversations for honest, practical discussion about implementation, partnerships, and lessons learned.
