Brenda Coleman will participate on our Youth Summit Parent Panel. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Atlanta CARES Mentoring Movement, an affiliate of the National CARES Mentoring Movement founded by Susan Taylor, editor in chief emeritus of Essence Magazine. The mission of Atlanta CARES is to secure and transform the lives of vulnerable children by inspiring, recruiting and mobilizing masses of caring men and women to mentor and nourish them. While leading this mentoring initiative, Brenda has been instrumental in establishing Atlanta CARES partnerships with over 30 corporate, community, and faith based organizations to serve as advocates for under resourced youth in Metro Atlanta.

In addition to leading the mentoring outreach, Brenda has also led the charge in developing the Atlanta CARES STEM CAMPAIGN to provide opportunities for youth to explore careers in the STEM fields and engage in STEM related activities. For the past four years, she has coordinated the annual Atlanta CARES STEMfest Conference for 350 middle and high school youth at Georgia Tech and the annual STEM EnRICH Summer Academy at Morehouse College.

Brenda has also spearheaded a STEA²M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Agriculture, Math) Seminar Series: Preparing the Next Generation for College and Careers to empower youth who are approaching post-secondary studies with access to recruitment, collegiate scholarships, and internship opportunities. The series is hosted on the campus of local colleges to familiarize youth with the higher institutions’ STEM career options, admissions process, funding sources, and leadership opportunities.

A retired teacher and literacy coach, Brenda’s educational career has spanned the course of more than 30 years. Her belief that “literacy is the single greatest predictor of success in one’s lifetime” led her to launch Landmark Literacy Consulting LLC. As the founder and CEO of Landmark Literacy, Brenda specializes in curriculum writing, educational programming, specialized workshops and trainings, and research-based instructional strategies.

Brenda earned her undergraduate degree from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and her Master’s Degree from Cardinal Stritch College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.