Krystal Cason
Director of Impact & Innovation
ABOUT KRYSTAL
Krystal is a passionate youth development practitioner and non-profit leader with fifteen years of successful experience working in community-based organizations and the government sector. Krystal whole-heartedly believes when children are provided safe spaces, access to positive role models, and unique experiences, all children can thrive. It is this same belief that has guided her work as a non-profit leader, where she developed and directed gender-specific programs for girls, launched middle school and high school after-school programs that focused on social-emotional skill-building, and directed outreach efforts for a national girls organization.
Krystal has a passion and eye for program design, utilizing creative approaches, and human-centered design strategies to develop intentional youth programming. Krystal has expertise in social-emotional learning, restorative practices, positive youth development, cultural competence, and youth leadership development. In her role as Eye to Eye’s Director of Impact and Innovation, Krystal collaborates with the team to evaluate, create, design, and launch innovative programming that meets the unique needs of Eye to Eye’s participants.
Before joining Eye to Eye, Krystal served as the Deputy Director of Program Quality and Innovation for the Department of Youth & Community Development - Comprehensive After School System(COMPASS) the largest municipally funded after school system in the country. During her four years at DYCD Krystal was instrumental in transforming the program evaluation process, created professional development tracks and workshops for various community-based staffing levels, launched the agencies first-ever restorative practices initiative and the agency-wide civic engagement framework. Krystal not only creates innovative projects but ensures each project is sustainable and has a lasting positive impact on the participants and the organization.
Krystal is a “Brooklyn girl” born and raised and attributes her life’s work to the values and beliefs instilled in her by her family. Krystal attended Hunter College in New York City where she studied sociology. Krystal lives and breathes youth and community advocacy, and you can find her volunteering with various youth organizations and working as a cabinet member for the DOE’s Community Education Council.
FAVORITE QUOTE
"Ask the young. They know everything."
—Joseph Joubert
WHY THIS WORK IS IMPORTANT TO ME
Education and access to quality education present limitless opportunities for our children. Raising a child requires all supporters, advocates, and families to come together, rely on each other’s expertise and perspective to ensure that children have opportunities to thrive and become their best selves- this is especially important when children learn differently. As an advocate for all children, we must disrupt and breakdown the stereotypes associated with LD’s and children with ADHD. All children are robust, smart, and resilient- when given the resources, skills, and positive support, they can be successful. My goal is to create a world where my son is viewed and respected, not by how he learns, but the content of his heart, values, and intelligence.
FAVORITE PART OF MY JOB
Everything! My favorite part of my job is being able to impact so many young people within the LD community! I come to work every day thrilled at the limitless possibilities that exist for the LD community and I make sure to take that energy with me as I create and design amazing programming and experiences for Eye to Eye participants.