Alicia Fitzpatrick

After studying at CIE Alicia joined the International Rescue Committee in what would become a career of 10 years with them, mostly based in Sierra Leone.   She began as a Distance Education Specialist, then moved up to being the Child and Youth Protection and Development Coordinator, and then the Education Consortium Coordinator.

 

In 2014 she became the Deputy Director for Consortia Programs with IRC Sierra Leone and then in 2017 Deputy Director, Programs. In this role, Alicia was responsible for leading IRC’s annual planning for Sierra Leone, along with implementation of the area’s five-year strategic action plan. She also led core programming related to education; youth development; reproductive, maternal, and child health; and women and girls protection and empowerment. 

 

In spring of 2020 she joined Cargill Philanthropies as Program Director, Animal Welfare and Quality of Life.  In this role she has responsibility for the organization’s Animal Welfare domain and the International Health program within the Quality of Life domain. [4-20]

 

Before coming to CIE Alicia was a science teacher in The Gambia with Peace Corps. While teaching, I also collaborated with the Ministry of Education in Girls’ Education programs and conducted teacher training on classroom management.

 

After Peace Corps she worked as a teacher with the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico. Teaching in The Gambia and in Zuni offered a series of unique and common challenges.   She commented on her experience in those two settings.  I witnessed the disconnect between my students’ identities and the educational system, primarily within the context of the national standards. I felt it was my responsibility to develop curricula that respected and honored the identities of those with whom I worked in order to guide students in a meaningful learning experience. 

 

During my time as a high school science teacher in Zuni, I earned a MAT-Secondary Education from Western New Mexico University and a M.S. in International Community Economic Development as a Peace Corps Fellow at Southern New Hampshire University. [4-20]

 

Email:  pcvalicia@gmail.com

 

 

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