Our Founders

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“As a mother of four young children, I was interested in education. So I went door to door and asked the other mothers on my block what they thought was needed in the neighborhood. They said ‘a good pre-school for our children!’ Although we had no clue what we were doing or getting ourselves into, we had the passion and commitment to make our vision a reality.”

– Carmen Ward (1938 – 2019), Founder and Former Board Chair

East Harlem Block Nursery’s Founding Group (as East Harlem Block Schools)

  • Carmen Ward – initiated the discussion as an outgrowth of her involvement with another community organization, The Block Development Project (BDP).
  • Sonia Medina
  • Connie Arevalo
  • Rosie Gueits
  • Florence Ali
  • Marguerita Maristany
  • Romona Harvey
  • Lucy Vasquez
  • Antonia (Toni) Perez

Past East Harlem Block Nursery Executive Directors:

  • Tony WardDates of Service: 1965 to 1969 and 1981 to 1985
  • Dorothy StonemanDates of Service: 1969 to 1971
  • Judi MacaulayDates of Service: 1971 to 1981
  • Gardenia WhiteDates of Service: 1986 to 1991; 1995 to 2000; and 2003 to 2006
  • Dianne MoralesDates of Service: 2000 to 2002
East Harlem Block Nursery