Senior Director, Program & Impact
njohnston@readahead.org
Nicole is a nonprofit leader with 15+ years of experience in youth development and education. She is passionate about creating opportunities for young people, incorporating youth voice and data into program design, strengthening programs, and building relationships with families and communities.
Prior to joining Read Ahead, Nicole spent a decade at The Fresh Air Fund, where she led out-of-school-time and residential programs and focused on program design and implementation, quality improvement, and volunteer management. Before her time at The Fresh Air Fund, Nicole taught kindergarten in a public charter school through Teach for America and worked as a Research Associate at edCount, LLC, both in Washington, DC.
Nicole holds a BA in International Relations with a minor in Hispanic Studies from The College of William & Mary and an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University. She also completed the Coro Leadership New York program. Originally from Long Island, Nicole lives in Manhattan and is always happy to share NYC and book recommendations.