Sea Islands Heritage Academy Founder & Executive Director, Alana finds her heritage in Gullah culture. The proverb “mus tek cyear a de root fa heal de tree,” roughly translates to “you must take care of the root in order to heal the tree.” As an experienced educator, Alana knows that students’ “roots” must be firmly planted in order for them to exercise agency and access the opportunities available to them. Alana holds fast to the belief that community-centered schools are the cornerstone to achieving educational equity.

Previously, Alana worked at Coney Island Prep in Brooklyn, NY, where she served as dean of students and as vice principal, managing teacher and curricular development. Prior to this, Alana spent a number of years as a classroom reading and writing teacher at high-performing public charter schools across New York. Alana received her master’s in teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education and holds a bachelor’s in English literature from Middlebury College. She is a wife, a mother, a consultant, a community champion. Get connected with Alana and the Sea Islands Heritage Academy at these links:

https://www.seaislandsacademy.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alana-jenkins-marchel-47134469/