Ana Barros is a first-generation immigrant from Brazil, having spent a majority of her childhood living in Venezuela before coming to the United States at 14. She is the oldest of three children, and her mother and younger sister live in Brazil while her brother lives and works in Ithaca, NY as a mechanical engineer.
She comes to ImpactTulsa as the Director of Collaboration and Partnerships after teaching middle school Social Studies, Geography, and US History for the last six years. Her years as a teacher showed her that there is no work more important and essential than that of educators. Her time in the classroom fundamentally changed her understanding of herself and of community, and pushed her to join and develop community organizing efforts across Tulsa to address systemic issues that were impacting her students’ abilities to fully realize their potential.
Over the course of so many years of this work, the following has always been true in the way she builds her partnerships:
- Having a deep belief in the wisdom and expertise of the community.
- Co-creating goals and benchmarks, with high standards for action (let’s get aligned, then roll up our sleeves and get to work!).
- Owning, modeling, and encouraging continuous improvement and self-reflection.
She looks forward to propelling the work to make Tulsa a place where any student, regardless of zip code, can access an education system that is built for their success and humanity.