No-Cost Early Head Start. Enroll Now
Contact Us
Donate
  • Past Offerings

Leadership Lounge for Pandemic Woes

Who: Principals, Directors

What: Want help addressing the challenges school leaders are facing through the pandemic? Want to collaborate with others in your position? Join our Leadership Lounge to explore solutions to the following topics: leading through unprecedented challenges, delegating Covid-19 logistics, bringing instruction back to the forefront, and addressing staff burn-out. You and role-alike leaders drive the topics and work together to share applicable strategies and solutions that can be implemented the next day!

Participants Will Walk Away With:

  • Developed skills to effectively lead through unprecedented challenges
  • Increased awareness of what additional skills each leader needs (individually) to increase change management

Participants Will:

  • Develop and implement a reflective protocol that can be used outside / beyond this Community of Practice
  • Develop executive function skills to negotiate change management and strategic planning
  • Identify their areas of strength and opportunity to convey their strengths onto others as well as identify who they can leverage to support and build their areas of opportunity

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Support the holistic, diapers-to-diplomas approach to liberatory education.
Volunteer
Collaborate With Us
Donate

LaCora Stephens

Marketing and Communications

LaCora is a seasoned communications professional with a passion for using multimedia storytelling to empower movements for social justice and equality. For over 13 years, she has honed her skills as a versatile multimedia director, overseeing media operations across diverse organizations, including the NAACP Beverly Hills-Hollywood Branch and The Shirley Chisholm Education Foundation. Her deep understanding of the education and equity landscape fuels her creative vision, allowing her to craft impactful narratives that resonate with audiences.

With strategic communication​ and collaboration, LaCora excels in developing and executing compelling​ multimedia campaigns that not only raise​ awareness of critical issues but also​ inspire action and drive meaningful change. Her proficiency in concept​ development, production execution, and​ team leadership ensures projects are​ delivered with exceptional quality. Furthermore, LaCora fosters strong​ relationships with internal and external​ stakeholders, cultivating partnerships​ that maximize campaign reach and impact.

LaCora's educational foundation began with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Education from Florida A&M University. She then pursued a master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Alliant University of San Diego. This passion for storytelling, fueled by her background in education, translates to her belief in the power of shared narratives. Her work in this area was recognized through her selection as a Women in Film Mentee and film director for Viola Davis’ sponsored film showcase, Diversity in Cannes. Now, LaCora leverages her love of storytelling and commitment to educational equity in her role leading marketing and communications for Los Angeles Education Partnership, while also serving on the board of the Pasadena African American Film Foundation.

Eric Barela, Ph.D.

Senior Consultant, Raya Cooper Impact Consulting

Dr. Eric Barela has worked as a measurement & evaluation professional for over 2 decades, helping organizations to better understand and act on their social impact. He’s currently a Senior Consultant with Raya Cooper Impact Consulting and previously worked at Salesforce, where he led efforts to measure the social impact of the company’s work with nonprofits and educational institutions across the globe. He began his career working with the Los Angeles Unified School District and with the nonprofit, Partners in School Innovation. Eric previously served on the Board of the American Evaluation Association and currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Journal of Evaluation.

Eric grew up in East LA and was educated in the Montebello Unified School District. He holds a Ph.D. in education from UCLA. He loves a good road trip, with his husband serving as trusty navigator.