Leadership Team
With their diverse expertise and shared commitment to excellence, our leadership team drives our organization's vision and mission while fostering joy and success.
Director of After-School
Brittany Mejia
Director of Middle School After-School Programs
Brittany has been involved in youth development in the Downtown Manhattan community in many different capacities since she was fifteen years old. She grew up in Brooklyn and moved to Battery Park City during middle school. She obtained her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biomedical Engineering. Upon graduating, she began working at Manhattan Youth as a teaching assistant in 2015. Brittany has also been Assistant Director and Program Director before becoming an Education Director. As the Program Director for City Knoll Middle School, her proudest accomplishment was taking her Lego Robotics team to compete at the University of Arkansas against 72 other teams, nine of which were from different countries. Brittany loves to learn new things and would be a full-time student if she could. She recently got married and enjoys traveling, cooking and dancing in her spare time.
Programs:
75 Morton Street School
City Knoll Middle School
West End Secondary School
School of the Future
Education Directors
Adam Shea
Multi-Site Supervisor
Adam grew up in Connecticut and spent his teenage and early adult years working as a counselor at an overnight summer camp, where he eventually became camp director. He later moved to New York City to pursue a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. Adam has worked as a Middle School After-School Director in New York City for over four years. At Salk, Adam strives to provide a well-balanced program that provides students opportunities to explore artistic and creative experiences. Adam also loves to volunteer, watch films, and experience nature on one of the many hiking trails outside of the city.
×Moyo Afolabi
Multi-Site Supervisor
Moyo started youth work as a camp counselor and youth sports coach when he was a teenager. As a student at Wheaton College, several of the child development courses he took in addition to his economics major helped him realize that youth development was the best way to give back to his community. At City Knoll, Moyo helped foster an award-winning Lego Robotics team, which competed at the First Lego League Razorback Invitational at the Universtiy of Arkansas in 2018. Moyo also loves sports, which teaches the communication, dedication, and teamwork essential to his current role.
×
Donnie Martino
Multi-Site Supervisor
Donnie Martino has been working in youth development for over a decade. A social studies teacher by trade, they left the classroom after four years to dive into the exciting world after-school programming. They served a year as an assistant director at Baruch for a year before they were given the opportunity to work with the vibrant community of School of the Future. Their favorite part of their position is that they get to share their passions with students, such as creative writing, anime, and video games. They strive to create a world that embraces weirdness and kindness in equal amounts.
×Middle School Program Directors
Kim Arango
Program Director
Battery Park City School
Kim has a total of nine years of professional experience working with youth and children. She started out teaching English in South Korea and has been a program director, college counselor, and director of operations for various youth organizations in New York City. She holds a Master's Degree in Psychology from Columbia University and a Bachelor's Degree in Communications from SUNY New Paltz. Kim is also in part-time real eastate and works on passion projects, including motherhood and newborn photography.
×Lorisse Bentine
Program Director
NYC Charter School of the Arts
Lorisse has worked with youth for 20 years. She started out as a Certified Water Safety Instructor, Lifeguard, Art Instructor, and Camp Counselor at MMCC in 1999, where she grew up as a camper herself. She moved on to education in the after-school sector in 2012, and has been an educational artist and mentor ever since. Before joining Manhattan Youth in 2018, Lorisse worked for six years as a ChapterLeader and Environmental Co-Facilitator in Harlem. At City School of the Arts, Lorisse works hard to provide safe, creative, and inclusive spaces for youth via needs-based programming. Lorisse is also part of the Inbeon Studios core team as an artist and writer, and is in the process of creating a graphic novel based on her 2018 award-nominated play, Broken Dolls and Robotic Hearts. She graduated on the Dean's List from SUNY Purchase College with a major in Theater and a minor in Spanish.
×Adler Bruno
Program Director
The Center School
Adler was born and raised Brooklyn, New York and is a passionate basketball junkie. A sociology graduate, he has worked with youth development at all levels including elementary and high school. As a former dual sport high school athlete, Adler felt driven to not only lead youth development from an academic standpoint, but at a competitive level athletically. Before becoming director at The Center School, Adler was the Athletic Director and proud championship coach at Simon Baruch middle school. At Center, he strives to foster a healthy and productive relationships between staff and students. His long list of hobbies includes watching movies, working out, and sadly rooting for the New York Knicks.
×Shanna Crowder
Program Director
City Knoll Middle School
In the past two decades, Shanna Crowder has dedicated her time to serving the non-profit sector in a variety of roles. Beginning as a tutor in a literacy program, she earned her undergraduate degree and was then offered a full-time position as an adult services coordinator, providing the community with a range of programs and educational opportunities. With experience as a director in Middle School Programs and positions as a Data Manager at both Promise Academy II and the Geoffrey Canada Community Center, Shanna has a deep passion for working with young people and is now back in youth development with Manhattan Youth. Her goal, she says, is to pay it forward and support the next generation in the same way that her own mentors and program staff have supported her. ×
Cynthia De Leon
Program Director
75 Morton
Cynthia found a passion working with young people at 15 when she worked at a day camp for underserved communities in Coney Island. She has a degree in business adminsitration as well as an MBA with a minor in Technology Management and Marketing. Cynthia oversaw the program at 75 Morton in their first year in their new school building, and was thrilled to see her cheerleaders win first place at the annual Manhattan Youth Cheer Competition. Cynthia loves sports, reading, and watching cooking shows, especially the Great British Bake-Off.
×
Sean Hopkins
Program Director
Computer School
With a degree in Theater Education, Sean directed and oversaw multiple theater productions at Manhattan Youth before becoming a program director in 2016. He is also the Director of Theater Arts at Camp Lohikan, a summer residential camp for 6-15 year olds in the Poconos. During his tenure at Manhattan Youth, Sean has worked to grow the program at The Computer School by listening to the needs of the students and adding classes and activities that cater to the wide variety of interests in the community.
×Mike Jones
Program Director
Simon Baruch
Mike has worked in youth developmet for over fifteen years. He was at Good Shepherd Servcies and The Fresh Air Fund before coming to Manhattan Youth in 2015. MIke helped start the Manhattan Youth after-school program at Simon Baruch, where he served as Assistant Director for two years before becoming program director in 2017. As program director, Mike is passionate about building an environment where all students are able to create meaningful experiences and relationships with other students and teachers they might not know.
×Tiffany Keitt
Program Director
Quest To Learn
Tiffany has a Bachelors of Arts degree in Theater and a minor in African and African American Studies. Since she was fifteen years old, she has worked in youth development at all levels, from Counselor-in-Training to Program Director. Prior to coming to Manhattan Youth, Tiffany was Program Director for the YWCA of the City of New York in Coney Island. At American Sign Language School, Tiffany is most proud of the family environment she has cultivated between the staff and families. In her free time, Tiffany loves to watch movies and write screenplays and stageplays.
×
Judah Levenson
Program Director
NYC Lab Middle School for Collaborative Studies
Judah has been working in camps, schools, and youth programs since he was a teenager. At Manhattan Youth, he has served as a team leader, activity specialist, assistant director, and now as the Program Director at Lab Middle School. Judah is passionate about creating an inclusive community in which every participant feels a special sense of belonging. In his free time, Judah loves to play guitar, swim, and go hiking.
×Marylyne Myrthil
Program Director
Wagner Middle School
Born and raised in Brooklyn by Haitian immigrant parents, Marylyne holds a B.A. in Mass Communications and a minor in English Studies from Iona College. She joined Manhattan Youth in 2016 as a Teaching Assistant at Lab Middle School before being promoted to Assistant Director at Simon Baruch. In 2018, Marylyne was tasked with starting the Manhattan Youth After-School program at Wagner. There, she strives to create a unique after-school experience, combining Manhattan Youth's core beliefs while serving her school's community. Marylyne loves to read, sing, travel, and root for the Yankees.
×Noelle Safar
Program Director
Spruce Street School
Noelle holds her Master's Degree in Elementary Education and comes to us with years of experience being the Educational Director of The Barclay Street School in Tribeca and at The Ivy League Early Learning Academy in Chelsea. Before working in education, she co-owned a hair salon with her sister in South Beach, Miami. During her spare time, Noelle enjoys playing sports, traveling, and spending time with her family.
×Rodney Sanders
Program Director
Lower Manhattan Community Middle School
Rodney attended Middlebury College in Vermont for his undergraduate degree and completed graduate work at Ohio University. While there, he worked in college athletics, and a transition into middle school youth development was a natural transition. As Program Director at LMC, Rodney loves thinking outside the box to bring new activities to his students. He also oversees many collaborative projects within his program, such as when the 3D Printing and Candlemaking classes worked together to print candle molds. Rodney enjoys tutoring students in his spare time, and is also an avid reader, sports enthusiast, and movie lover.
×Assistant Program Directors
Joseph Horowitz
Assistant Director
75 Morton
Joseph Horowitz
Assistant Director
75 Morton
×
Antoine Love
Assistant Director
75 Morton
Antoine Love
Assistant Director
75 Morton
×
Olivia Doggett
Assistant Director
Simon Baruch Middle School
Olivia Doggett
Assistant Director
Simon Baruch Middle School
×
Ashaby Tejada
Assistant Director
Simon Baruch Middle School
Ashaby Tejada
Assistant Director
Simon Baruch Middle School
×
Media & Media Programs
Middle School Athletic League
Curriculum Development
Matt Grant
Curriculum Coordinator
Matt has been involved in youth development and education at one level or another since he was sixteen years old. Originally from Illinois, Matt studied film in St. Louis before heading east. Since joining Manhattan Youth in 2010, Matt has served as a swim instructor, lifeguard, camp counselor, after-school group leader, and program director before becoming an education director. He was also a curriculum coordinator at Harlem Children’s Zone, where he designed and taught literacy workshops to middle and high school students. He and his wife are now proud Brooklynites, and Matt fills his spare time with writing, reading, and teaching himself guitar.
Programs:
Robert F. Wagner School
The Clinton School
NYC Lab Middle School for Collaborative Studies
The Center School
