By TAPINTO EAST ORANGE/ORANGE STAFF
(EAST ORANGE, NJ) – The East Orange School District has selected Christina N. Jaquez ED.M, a former Campus Student, English Teacher, and English Department Chair to be Assistant Principal of East Orange Campus High School.
Christina N. Jaquez ED.M is also the founder and president of Circles for Healing. Her biography as detailed on the Circles for Healing website is as follows:
Earning two Master degrees, one in Reading Specialization and another in Urban Education Administration, which were both earned with a 4.0 GPA, Christina has dedicated her life to serving her community, educating people using culturally responsive strategies, leading social justice projects at home and abroad, fighting for equity, encouraging the unheard to speak louder, and empowering those who have been historically marginalized. One of the social justice projects that Christina leads, in collaboration with the City of East Orange, NJ and the 3rd Ward, is Project Free Libraries Our Way, also known as Project F.L.O.W. Project F.L.O.W is a mobile library that was built by the hands of local high school students, collaborating with Environmental Science college students in Senegal and their East Orange community members. After hosting a city-wide book drive, and collecting over 7000 books which were then recirculated and provided to the community for free via numerous pop-up library dates throughout the city of East Orange, Project F.L.OW was able to administer free literacy to community members of all ages . Project F.L.O.W has also shipped over 500 books to South Africa to help stock a school library in Soweto.Sign Up for East Orange/Orange NewsletterOur newsletter delivers the local news that you can trust.
Furthermore, while participating in a 3 month Fulbright funded research expedition in Senegal and The Gambia, Christina also researched cultural narratives and studied the art of storytelling and culturally responsive education. Her unique travels, love for community, and visionary way of thinking pushes her to fight for equity, education, health and wellness, and literacy every day without ceasing. Additionally, as the Language Arts Department Chairperson at East Orange Campus High School, Christina actively uses her love of research based strategies, data-driven initiatives, servant leadership, and culturally responsive education to lead her department and raise literacy scores.
Additionally, Christina is also the Liaison for the Americas for the Global Initiative for the advancement of Africa. In her role as the Liaison for the Americas, she is responsible for connecting countries throughout the diaspora together in effort to build strategic global partnerships that will aid in the advancement of people all across the African Diaspora, ensuring they have their rightful seat at the table.
Moreover, Christina has spoken at numerous conferences, organized numerous successful events, delivered keynote speeches that inspired countless individuals and groups, and provided a myriad of culturally responsive workshops in communities, schools, and organizations. She is the founder and president of Circles for Healing, a dual branched company and organization. The ultimate goal for both branches of Circles for Healing is to educate, uplift, and empower the next generation of community and world leaders. Her love for social-justice work and activism is what birthed Circles for Healing Consulting LLC and Circles for Healing Nonprofit, which is a 501(c)3 organization. Community, Inspiration, Revelation, Culture, Love, Elevation, and Strength are the founding principles of Circles for Healing, and Christina and her team work diligently to ensure that the voices of all people, in all groups, are heard and empowered in the name of equity.
