John Lee

Dixwell Site Coordinator

jlee@leapforkids.org

John (he/him/his)

I'm LEAP's site coordinator for New Haven's Dixwell and Newhallville neighborhoods. I joined LEAP in June of 2019, and it's been a privilege to grow our Dixwell family alongside counselors and families since then. While I graduated from Yale ('18) as a biomedical engineering major, much of my undergraduate experience was the slow realization of a passion for community-grounded and community-expanding education, primarily as a chess teacher at the New Haven Free Public Library's five wonderful branches and a GED tutor at 830 Grand Ave's Project MORE. In my role at LEAP, I've felt challenged to build people power and expand conceptions of family while combatting discrimination--through building partnerships with groups including New Haven Rising, Sunrise Movement, and Citywide Youth Coalition, organizing, learning our city's vibrant local history, sharing stories, creating art, and centering future visions of our New Haven neighborhoods around the ideas, needs, and dreams of our children. My children and their families have been my most constant motivator and source of joy since deciding to live in New Haven after graduation. My counselor team has cared for me and constantly grown my understanding of the community. I mean it when I say it's an honor to be a part of our DX family.