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Bio & Books by Caroline Kennedy

A Patriot's Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love  Order Here

The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis  Order Here

In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action  Order Here

The Right to Privacy  Order Here

Profiles in Courage for Our Time  Order Here 

Photo by NY Times

           Our friend, Caroline Kennedy, is a distinguished public advocate and leader in the nonprofit community.  She has just been named Chief Executive of the new Office of Strategic Partnerships for the New York City School System. 

          Over the years, Caroline has been especially active in the following areas:

John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, President – where she worked to transform the historical archive into an active, inspirational, institution that conducts a variety of educational programs.

John F. Kennedy Library Corps – where she founded an after-school community service program for middle and high school students in underserved communities. 

Probono.net and Lawhelp.org, Founding Board Member – where she worked to increase the quality and delivery of legal services to underserved communities.  

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award – where she founded the award to recognize courageous leadership and encourage public service.  

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, as a Board Member. 

             Caroline Kennedy graduated from Harvard University, and later received her law degree from Columbia Law School.  

EDUCATION IN NEW YORK CITY

by Caroline Kennedy

          This is the most exciting opportunity I can imagine, and I am truly grateful for the chance to serve.

 Like everyone in New York , over the past year, I have thought more about how much this city means to me, how we all share the responsibility for its future.

 There is no more important job than how we raise our children.

 They need the skills necessary for work, or college, but they also need to acquire a curiosity that will stay with them throughout their lives, and the confidence to succeed in a changing world.

There are so many dedicated, talented and creative teachers, principals and superintendents working their hearts out to educate young New Yorkers.

I welcome the chance to support their efforts and to help give them the additional resources they need. 

What happens in the classroom is most important, but there are ways for all New Yorkers to help inspire students, strengthen teachers, and weave our community together in support of that goal.

The Office of Strategic Partnership represents that opportunity.

It will coordinate and bring together the many existing programs, as well as generating the community and financial resources for the Department’s educational priorities so that students and teachers will benefit in the most direct ways possible.

One of the most gratifying experiences I have had as an author has been to visit schools and libraries to discuss civil rights, poetry or public service and political courage.

Last fall when I visited schools to talk about poetry, I met 4^th graders whose own poems had opened windows into their lives, and connected them with each other. 

As President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, a public private partnership dedicated to public service and the study of history, the first major program we started was the Kennedy Library Corps, an after school program involving middle and high school students in the Library’s neighborhood. 

It worked to improve their community through a variety of projects such as creating gardens, visiting senior citizens, and studying history and giving tours at the Museum.

Like programs here in New York , it set many of the students on the path to higher education and civic engagement.

These experiences have been educational in a broad sense, and have made me want to become more directly involved in the educational process and the education system.

My father taught us all that we are never too young, or too old for public service. 

As I live and work here in New York , I am always meeting people who care about this city and its future, and about education.

They are looking for ways to help, to give back, to become involved.

The schools need their energy and commitment, and I believe I can help channel those efforts to benefit all the children of New York .

I am grateful to the Mayor for making education the highest priority of his Administration, to the Chancellor for reaching out to all New Yorkers to become more involved in the success of our schools, and for giving me the opportunity to help make that vision a reality.