As Director of Education at the Interactivity Foundation, Jes manages the Collaborative Discussion Project and Fellowship program, designs curriculum, delivers training, and nurtures partnerships to develop innovative educational programming to advance IF’s mission. She contributed activities to the original CDP Toolkit and has served as an IF Fellow as well.
Prior to joining the IF team, Jes was Assistant Professor and Director of Field Education in the Bachelor’s of Social Work Program at Carlow University in Pittsburgh. There she taught nearly 20 different courses over more than fifteen years, focusing on community engagement, cultural humility, and cultivating big picture, critical thinking skills in her students.
Jes is committed to connecting across cultures and has facilitated global community-based learning in Bolivia, Tanzania, Northern Ireland, Jamaica, the Navajo Nation, and Honduras. The lessons learned from those experiences were captured in her co-authored book, Community-Based Global Learning: The Theory and Practice of Ethical Engagement at Home and Abroad. She serves on the board for the Alliance for Refugee Youth Support and Education (ARYSE). She has also worked in non-profit leadership development, refugee resettlement, and in the philanthropic sector in Pittsburgh. She holds a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) and a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Pittsburgh.
