Joyce L. Epstein is director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships principal research scientist in the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), and professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University. She has over 100 publications on the organization and effects of school, classroom, family and peer environments, with many focused on school, family and community connections. In 1995, she established the National Network of Partnership Schools to demonstrate the important intersections of research, policy, and practice for school
Jarah Botello brings more than 14 years of education experience to her role as a teaching and learning specialist for Teaching Tolerance. After earning her B.A. in English and theater from Howard Payne University, Botello began her career as an actress and theater instructor in Denver. She moved to Selma, Alabama, in 2007, where she taught high school and college English and drama for eight years. In Selma, she also co-founded New Expressions, an art program for students of all ages that centers on community service, activism and self-expression. Botello loves all things creative and enjoys