Laura Sikes

Director, Content Design

As Director of Content Design, Laura Sikes is responsible for ensuring that Turnaround for Children’s library of tools are accessible to practitioners and Turnaround’s staff. She collaborates with internal teams and external networks of scientists, educators and researchers to infuse developmental science into all aspects of the organization and maximize impact with schools and students. Laura joined Turnaround for Children in 2017 as Manager, Applied Science and as also acted as a Director on the Applied Science Team.

Before joining Turnaround, Laura was an elementary school teacher at Success Academy Charter School in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. She also worked with the PEAR Institute: Partnerships in Education and Resilience, where she collaborated on the design of social-emotional learning groups in Boston-area schools.

Laura holds an M.Ed. in mind, brain and education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in elementary education and studio art from Boston College.

What three words would you use to describe your work at Turnaround?

Research, translation and resilience. My role is to bridge the work of scientists and practitioners, so that we can create contexts where students thrive.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My greatest feeling of achievement always arrived on the last day of school. As a teacher of second, third and fourth-graders, there is no better sense of accomplishment than reflecting upon the growth your students have made in a year and watching them leave your classroom ready to take on a new set of challenges.