Lena Morreale Scott
Senior Faculty Specialist, University of Maryland College of Education

Lena Morreale Scott is a Senior Faculty Specialist, serving as the Professional Development School Co-coordinator for Secondary Social Studies Education. In this role, Lena oversees the internship experience for graduate students in our Curriculum and Instruction, Master of Education with Certification (MCERT) program. She helps to provide support to Social Studies mentors, supervisors, and partners in four partner school districts. Lena also teaches seminar courses designed to help graduate students integrate what they are learning in their field experiences with their coursework and current best practices and innovations in the teaching profession. In addition, Lena is leading an initiative to elevate civic education and civic engagement at the college, university, and across the state.

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Prior to joining the College of Education in 2018, Lena spent nearly 30 years in civic education as a classroom teacher in Montgomery County and in the nonprofit community. Most recently, she served as the Senior Director for Teacher Professional Development Programs & Curriculum at Street Law, Inc. Lena has trained hundreds of teachers, lawyers, social workers, and other youth-serving professionals in the United States and several other countries. She is the author and editor of numerous textbooks and curricula about practical law, social justice, and civic engagement. She has served on multiple national civic education coalitions and is currently on the steering committee for the Maryland Civic Education Coalition. Lena graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A in American Culture and holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard University.

Julie Ayers
Service-Learning Specialist, Maryland State Department of Education

Julie Ayers, service-learning specialist for the Maryland State Department of Education, oversees Maryland’s ground-breaking service-learning graduation requirement. She draws on her experience teaching in higher education settings and working in an anti-hunger nonprofit organization as she provides support to local school systems on issues critical for creating civically engaged youth and strong, healthy communities. She is the designee on the Maryland Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism for the State Superintendent of Schools.

Dr. Nia Imani Fields
Maryland 4-H Program Leader and Assistant Director of Extension, University of Maryland Extension

Dr. Nia Imani Fields joined the University of Maryland Extension, in 2006. Dr. Fields has a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Morgan State University and a M.S. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from the University of Delaware. Her doctorate is in Urban Educational Leadership. Some of her research focuses on 4-H's contribution to social capital and the implications for social justice. Throughout her educational and professional career, her focus has been to work towards the positive development of children, youth, families and communities. She has created and coordinated several youth and community programs and initiatives within New York, Delaware and Maryland while working with organizations such as Civic Works/Americorps and the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks. As the Maryland 4-H Program Leader, Dr. Fields provides leadership and direction for 4-H Youth Development programs, faculty and staff. In this role, she also serves on the University of Maryland Extension (UME) administrative team as the Assistant Director of UME.

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Her focus areas include:

• Statewide 4-H programmatic visioning, leadership and direction
• Statewide partnership with community stakeholders
• Faculty and staff professional development and evaluation
• Positive Youth Development and Research (Community Engagement, Social Capital & Social Justice)
• Community Development
• Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

She has also served as an ADVANCE professor for the University of Maryland Extension program.

Carmelli Leal
President, Maryland Association of Student Councils

Since starting her involvement in student government in sixth grade, Carmelli has fallen in love with cooperating with others to advocate for fellow students and the issues that they face. She is particularly passionate about women’s rights, climate change, racial justice, and mental health. She is currently attending Eastern Technical High School in Baltimore County as a senior. Outside of MASC, Carmelli loves to stay active in school and in her community. Throughout her high school career, she has served as the Class of 2021 VP for Eastern Tech’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter for the past few years, played alto saxophone in her school’s jazz band and wind ensemble, and been an active member of her Class of 2021 council. Outside of school, Carmelli can often be seen volunteering her time at the Baltimore Veteran Affairs Medical Center or to grassroots advocacy work pertaining to issues that she is passionate about. This year, Carmelli hopes to empower other students and to set an example for other student leaders by actively leading with love.

Kaitlyn E. Wright
English Educator, Wicomico High School, Wicomico County Public Schools

Kaitlyn has been teaching in Wicomico County for nine years, but she has been an educator and dedicated-learner since birth. Currently, she teaches 9th grade English at Wicomico High School where she invites her students to explore, analyze, read, write, and talk about text involving topics such as Identity, philosophy, and mental health. This past August, she graduated from Salisbury University with her Masters Degree in Educational Leadership, an accomplishment she hopes will allow her to pursue her passion for creating spaces where all children can and love to learn, and grow to become engaged members of their community. Kaitlyn strives to weave progressive theory into her pedagogy in the form of authentic, project-based learning and student centered dialogue, rooted in her affection for literature and language.

Dr. Sandra Rose
Social Studies Supervisor, K-12, Prince George's County Public Schools

Sandra Rose is the Instructional Supervisor for K-12 Social Studies for a large mid-atlantic public school district. Since earning her doctorate in Culturally Responsive Educational Leadership in Special Education, she has served as adjunct professor for undergraduate students at Howard University and the University of Maryland. Her area of research focuses on engaging teachers working with students transitioning from incarceration to use Web 2.0 tools to amplify civic education.

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Sandra Rose earned her B.S. in Secondary Social Studies Education from Long Island University C.W. Post Campus; a M.S. in Technology in Special Education including a Certificate of Administrative Leadership from The Johns Hopkins University and earned her Ed.D.Culturally Responsive Educational Leadership in Special Education at Bowie State University.

Sandra’s teaching interests include culturally responsive pedagogy, disciplinary literacy, integrating technology for differentiated instruction/transition, and developing enrichment programs for teachers and students. Specifically, she is interested in postsecondary readiness, the pedagogy of technology integration, and the intersectionality of curriculum and transitional services. Sandra resides in Maryland with her loving husband and three daughters. As an engaged community member, she and her family volunteer with local organizations to support efforts to help families.