Deirdre Hollman is an avid educator with over twenty years of experience engaging youth and teachers in the study of black history, art, and culture. She served as Director of Education and Exhibitions at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture for fifteen years where she engaged teachers and learners of all ages with the Schomburg’s collections through year-round programming for youth and teens; professional development workshops for teachers; school day programs for K-12 students; curriculum development partnerships with schools and community organizations; public lecture series for adults, and providing educational advisement for exhibitions.
A graduate of Princeton University with a bachelor’s degree in art history, Deirdre earned her master’s degree from Bank Street College where she specialized in museum education, middle school education and educational leadership. Currently, she is pursuing an advanced master’s and doctoral degree in education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests include historical and racial literacy, community education, critical and visual literacy, youth identity development, and the transformational power of arts education.
“Education is my activism because access to knowledge, to the complex truths and beauty of our humanity, is a social justice issue. My work aims to position youth as participants in and producers of our present and future realities. Teaching through the intersections of history, popular culture, politics, art, and literature is my engagement approach to enrich the curriculum and empower teachers and learners. ”
