Director of Secondary Schools Partnerships

Cynthia Smith is an educator/artist with over 30 years of experience working with students of all ages, teachers, families and communities. Growing up and beginning her career in New York City public schools and social service agencies, she is inspired by the perspectives, creativity, and voices of individuals and communities. She loves painting, making books and paper, baking (Mississippi Mud Cake & Blueberry Scones are crowd favorites), and immersing herself in picture books and young adult novels.

Cynthia joined the team at TLA in 1997 when it was the Center for Applied Child Development at Tufts University. Since then, she has worked in collaboration with elementary, middle and high school teachers, students and school leaders, coaching them in practices that support the intersectionality of the various “literacies” necessary to think, understand, engage and respond to creating a just and equitable society.

Cynthia earned a B.A. in Education and Fine Arts from Queens College, C.U.N.Y and an M.A. from New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. She also is a part-time faculty member at Tufts University, Eliot Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development. When needed, she serves as the “in-house artist” for graphic needs at TLA.