Violeta Cerna-Prado is a 2018-19 Teach Plus Illinois Teaching Policy Fellow. Violeta teaches 9th grade multicultural studies at UIC College Prep in Chicago. Prior to teaching at the high school level, Violeta was a diverse learning teacher at Piccolo Elementary School. While at Piccolo, she started a young women’s self-empowerment club and led Piccolo’s 5th and 6th grade girls’ basketball team to win the city championship in their division. Violeta is a Chicago-Northwest Indiana Teach for America alum and serves on the Local School Council at Jungman Elementary School as a Community Representative. She is also an Academic Director for Holy Family Scholarship Fund, which serves as a financial point of access for low-income students interested in attending private high schools in the city of Chicago. Violeta earned a BA in Community Psychology from DePaul University and an MS in Special Education from Dominican University.
