Social Justice Learning Institute
Derek Steele is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in leadership and engineering. As the Executive Director at the Social Justice Learning Institute since January 2011, Derek has been instrumental in developing the "100 Seeds of Change" food system initiative, focusing on urban agriculture, community education about healthy lifestyles, and access to nutritious options. In addition to this role, Derek has served as a consultant for Raise The Standards Consulting Group since July 2016, delivering innovative business solutions that enhance organizational culture and talent acquisition. Derek's engineering background includes work as a Materials Test and Processing Engineer at Northrop Grumman Corporation, and contributions to NASA projects, including the NRFADC research project and an internship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Derek holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Liberal Studies with concentrations in Non-Profit Management and Engineering from Morgan State University, completed in 2018.
This person is not in any teams
Social Justice Learning Institute
Our Mission At the Social Justice Learning Institute, we are dedicated to improving the education, health, and well being of youth and communities of color by empowering them to enact social change through research, training, and community mobilization. We envision communities where individuals use their agency to improve each other’s lives. SJLI Core Values - We privilege the ideas, voice and leadership of our youth and community members. - Everyone must be afforded equal opportunity in order to achieve equitable treatment. - We do all things in love. - No one is hopeless. Our Goals Our goals are simple. We work to: - build capacity for individuals and communities to advocate for their needs; - train and build leaders; - educate and empower youth and community members to identify and rectify injustice; and to - deliver effective programs, resources and support that help advance our mission. To meet these goals, we work with youth, residents, local schools, districts and city officials to increase educational opportunities through innovative programs and sustainable practices. We also develop and manage programs that advance academic, food and environmental justice.