Charleston, S.C., Aug. 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WINGS for Kids, an education nonprofit focused on social and emotional learning (SEL) in the afterschool space, is excited to announce the addition of two new programs managers to their team: Kamilah Staggers, who will be based in Atlanta, and Tristan Richardson, who will be based in Charleston. They will oversee WINGS’ afterschool programs focused on social and emotional learning in Atlanta and the Carolinas, respectively.
As regional programs managers, Staggers and Richardson will oversee the quality and implementation of programming and WINGS’ social-emotional curriculum in their regions. They will manage staff and program-related operations at each WINGS program site, leading all on-the-ground efforts from evaluating programming and overseeing staff and student recruitment to establishing community partnerships and coordinating ongoing and summer staff trainings.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kamilah and Tristan to the WINGS family,” said Bridget Laird, chief executive officer of WINGS for Kids. “Their experience in and passion for supporting youth, as well as their strength and expertise in working with partners, program staff, and kids, are truly assets to WINGS and our work. They will be invaluable to supporting WINGS’ efforts to help our most vulnerable kids in Atlanta, Charleston, and Charlotte soar.”
With a passion for positive youth development, Staggers has brought quality learning experiences to children and youth beyond the classroom for nearly a decade. In her former role as the interim director of BOOST Greenville at United Way of Greenville County, S.C., she developed partnerships with agencies, schools, business, and community-based organizations to create and advocate for high-quality expanded learning opportunities that impact youth academically, socially, and emotionally.
Richardson is a South Carolina native who was a WINGSLeader while an undergraduate student at the College of Charleston. In addition to bringing this unique perspective to her role as a programs manager, Richardson is a former public school teacher and worked to spread knowledge of culturally relevant pedagogy through her district’s design thinking program.
Staggers and Richardson join WINGS during an exciting year of growth and development for the Charleston, S.C.-based nonprofit organization. Earlier this month, WINGS announced the expansion of its partnership with Pomona Unified School District in California, which brings WINGS’ research-based SEL curriculum to afterschool programming throughout the district and is the first district-wide adoption of an SEL afterschool model in the state. WINGS will also release its randomized control trial (RCT) research study this fall, which highlights the proven and positive impact of WINGS’ programming on students’ classroom behavior.
WINGS serves more than 1,100 students from vulnerable communities in Atlanta, Charleston, and Charlotte through a direct-service afterschool program model of their research-based curriculum led by college students, known as WINGSLeaders. To learn more about WINGS for Kids and the positive impact of SEL in afterschool, please visit their website.
About WINGS for Kids
WINGS for Kids is a nonprofit dedicated to helping at-risk kids succeed school and life through high-quality social-emotional learning programs in schools and youth organizations serving elementary-aged kids. Founded in 1996, WINGS is the foremost social-emotional learning organization in the country. We transform the lives of children in low-income communities through afterschool programs. In Charleston, Atlanta, Charlotte, and through a network of national partners, we use an early and comprehensive approach grounded in the principles of positive youth development and social-emotional learning to foster the mindsets, skills, and confidence within each child to behave well, make good decisions, and build healthy relationships – skills necessary for success in school and life.
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