Jessica Harris serves on TYDE’s Steering Committee and co-leads its Youth and Community Engagement Committee with Nancy Deutsch.
Jessica Harris is the Community Research Program Manager at the UVA Equity Center where she focuses on community-centered research and community-oriented projects. Jessica holds a Master’s in Educational Psychology from the University of Virginia where she earned an Interdisciplinary B.A in arts nonprofit management and education, and is pursuing a Doctorate of Education at the University of Pittsburgh focused on Out of School Learning.
She has been published in arts journal Arts Praxis and continues to engage in youth and equity-based research. Her work is situated at the intersection of community engagement, education, and arts and place-based praxis. Jessica is also the founder and Artistic Director of Empowered Players, an education nonprofit 501(c)3 dedicated to uplifting the human spirit through access to quality arts experiences, youth empowerment, and community service. She is currently the board president for the Descendants of Enslaved Communities.