Before he found his way to The Literacy Lab, Ivan Douglas was empowering young men of color at Eastern High School in Washington, DC. Recently, Ivan joined The Literacy Lab team as Program Manager for the Leading Men Fellowship, where many of his former students are current fellows and alums. In this position, Ivan will provide support and professional development opportunities for the Fellows serving in Pre-K classrooms in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland.
Ivan shared a few thoughts about joining the Literacy Lab team and his love of being a mentor!
—
What were you doing before you joined the Literacy Lab team?
I led a male mentoring initiative as Program Director for Eastern High School’s Empowering Males of Color Initiative for primarily juniors and seniors to provide them with experiential travel and learning opportunities throughout the country and world, as well as mentoring support and guidance through the college and career development process.
What influenced you to apply for a position with The Literacy Lab?
My mentoring and leadership work with my mentoring group, the Eastern Men of Excellence, led me to The Literacy Lab. Many of my mentees went on to become Leading Men Fellows and as I worked to support my mentees, I developed a natural connection and respect for the Leading Men Fellowship staff. As I looked to deepen my mentoring and college and career planning work, it seemed only right to join the dynamic team at The Literacy Lab as the Leading Men Fellowship expands throughout the country!
What is one of your personal core values?
I value respect. I try my best to truly see every person as a human being first: a person with a voice that deserves to be respected and heard.
What’s your favorite children’s book?
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary!
—
As he prepares for the next school year, Ivan is excited to continue pushing his Leading Men Fellows to excel as educators and professionals. He looks forward to seeing the Fellows develop through the program in pursuit of new opportunities and greater potential. We welcome Ivan to The Literacy Lab team!
