The Your Story Matters Podcast Episode 46: Whitney “JP” Jean-Pierre & Dr. Dustin J. Krein

Send us Fan MailOur brains are hardwired for connection and stories. This podcast is all about amplifying both. Now more than ever our stories matter. On this episode of The Your Story Matters Podcast I am joined by Whitney “JP” Jean-Pierre and Dustin J. Krein. They share their stories as well as strategies for universities and K-12 serving organizations to start and maintain university-assisted community school partnerships.Whitney “JP” Jean-Pierre serves as the Community Programs Coordinator for the University-Assisted Community Schools in the Institute for School-Community Partnerships, Integrated Services, and Child Mental Health and Educational Policy. This role helps the community by connecting university and community resources to support the overall well-being and success of students, families, and teachers in school districts, while also facilitating training, data collection, and collaboration efforts for the continuous improvement of university-assisted community school initiatives. Prior to joining this project, Whitney worked as a Community Resource Teacher for Hillsborough County Schools. She earned her undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of South Florida and her graduate degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Tampa.Dustin J. Krein, Ed.D. is the Sustainability Director for University-Assisted Community Schools at the USF Institute for School-Community Partnerships, where he works to expand and strengthen community schools with Hillsborough County Public Schools. A four-time AmeriCorps member, his career is grounded in service to K–12 at-risk youth and advancing holistic, community-based approaches to education. Dustin holds his doctorate in educational program development from the University of South Florida. With more than a decade of experience across K–12 and higher education, Dr. Krein is passionate about student-centered innovation and building local, collaborative models that connect schools, communities, and real-world learning. I am so excited for you to get to know and learn from Whitney "JP" Jean-Pierre & Dr. Dustin J. Krein today.Dr. Dustin J. KreinWhitney “JP” Jean-Pierre Hillsborough County Public SchoolsUSF Institute for School-Community Partnerships