Davia Brown Franklyn

Computer Education '97

Receiving the DeWitt Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund scholarship meant an opportunity to be educated at a prestigious private institution that has a history and an opportunity to offer my diverse perspective as a woman of color and an urban NYC teacher.

Davia Brown Franklyn is the Senior Director of Partnerships on the School System Partnerships & Programs team at the Bank Street Education Center. She started her 20-year career in education as a third grade teacher in Brownsville, NY after graduating from Ithaca College. The following year, she transitioned to a high-needs 8th grade Humanities class in Brooklyn, NY where she began using the community as an extended learning experience for these students and their families, teaching math lessons at the local laundry facility and creating a community art show at the local McDonald’s restaurant.

As a Dewitt Wallace Scholar, she attained her master’s degree from Bank Street College and upon completion of her degree, transferred to NYC Lab School in Chelsea, NY, a school renowned for interdisciplinary curriculum and collaborative learning. Davia transitioned from the classroom to project Director of the Center for Middle School Practices at Bank Street College, coordinating professional development programs for teachers, community-based organization leaders and community college faculty. She blends her knowledge of educational theory with practice as the former Director of Teaching and Learning at Newark Educators Community Charter School serving a critical urban population in Newark, NJ.