Meet Our Newest Staff Member

The Hope Institute is lucky to have gained a new staff member this summer! We are proud to introduce Program Coordinator Lydia Barnett.

Lydia has 13 years of classroom teaching experience, starting with Teach for America in Memphis, Tennessee and including public and charter school classrooms in four states. She earned her undergrad degree in Elementary Education from Auburn and her M.Ed in Administration at Samford University in 2013.

In the role of Program Coordinator, Lydia will be supporting the Director of Programs to plan and execute the Hope Leadership Academy sessions as well as other Hope Institute events. You can find her smiling face at all our sessions! Lydia is excited to work closely with our Hope Leadership Academy participant school teams as they shape the next generation of community leaders and shared her responses to a few questions below:

What drew you to this work?

I was drawn towards working with The Hope Institute because of the amazing people already working here. The character values that are the central part of The Hope Institute message truly shines in the people I have met that work here. I have always wanted to work for an organization that truly embodies their practice, and The Hope Institute is that organization.

What sets a school with character built into the culture apart from other schools?

It is the difference between a school that I want to send my children to and one I do not. A school with character does not see my child as a statistic or dollar sign walking through the door, but as the key to our future that needs their help to find the tools to succeed. A school of character does not only teach how to read, write, and solve math problems. They instill the virtues that teach hard work and lead to success in those same reading, writing, and solving math problem skills. A school with character paves the way for children to succeed far beyond the grade they are currently trying to pass.