Who We Are – Youth Community Action Network

Executive Board

As a daydreaming kid who never quite fit the definition of “good student”, Tony Capozziello’s spark for entrepreneurial endeavors began in grade school when he organized a “carnival” in his driveway to raise money for a neighborhood friend who was suffering from Muscular Dystrophy and was the 8th grade winner of the market simulation in social studies. These led to an adult version of that mediocre student becoming an independent restaurateur for 13 years and creating 2 non-profit organizations in his personal life.

As a high school teacher of 18 years, he created a culinary arts program that involved major renovations of student space to create a student lounge (The Knight Spot) where students prepared all foods from scratch while others waited eagerly for the best school lunch they’d ever had. In addition, this concept moved to the public library where The Blender Cafe became a public partnership with private donors so students could learn the way a cafe operation runs.

Teaching Entrepreneurship and Personal Finance to high school students for most of the 18 years as an educator has has led to long lasting bonds with students who are permanently ignited to learn!

Richard Trotta has worked in public education as a teacher and an administrator. Before becoming an administrator, he taught secondary Social Studies. As the Director of Media, Technology, and Fine Arts for the Medford Public Schools., he supervised several district-wide programs: instructional technology, library services, media services, art, and music. In addition, he played an active role in curriculum development, professional development, school-to-career, and gifted and talented programs.

Richard has authored and managed numerous state and federal grants. In 1975, he was the Principal of an Alternative School Program. He has taught courses and workshops at Salem State College, Simmons College, Harvard University, American International College, area school districts, and professional conferences. He served on the Board of Directors for Youth Tech Entrepreneurs, a non-profit that provided school districts with a project-based curriculum incorporating technology and business skills.

In 2012, he created The Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility (CCSR), an after-school program that develops student leaders who work to make the world a better place. He authored and received over $750,000.00 in grants from the Cummings Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Crystal Campbell Community Fund (Boston Foundation) to fund the CCSR until 2030. He has served as the Director of the CCSR from its inception to the present. Richard received his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree from Northeastern University. He earned a CAGS certificate from Boston University and attended the University of Massachusetts in Lowell as a doctoral candidate

Kyle Wagner is the founder and [Co] Learning Experience Designer for Transform Educational Consulting Limited, an organization that empowers forward thinking schools and educators to create globally, socially and emotionally aware citizens through project-based experiences and 12 shifts for student-centered environments. Kyle fell in love with project-based learning as a teacher at High Tech High, where he witnessed students publish best-selling books, create their own social enterprises, and even influence policy change through real- world projects. He has taken this passion global, founding micro-schools, authoring 2 books, and helping over 1,000 educators develop 1000 + transformative learning experiences and the student-centered environments to support them.

Kyle is also the former co-founder of the innovative micro-school ‘Futures Academy’ at the International School of Beijing, a program that uses interdisciplinary project- based learning to connect students to their passions and the world outside of school. A published author, his book, “The power of SIMPLE,” documents this experience and shares how edu-visionaries can create their own vision for learner-centered spaces through simple, research based strategies. His new book, ‘Where is the Teacher? The 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments’ provides a roadmap for how teachers can make shifts in their own classrooms. Kyle holds a M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership with a thesis that focuses on developing democratic classrooms and distributed leadership models. When not writing or teaching, he is performing with his original band, participating in karaoke contests and traveling the world with his partner. He currently resides in Hong Kong where he spends time developing learner-centered schools of the future while helping other school leaders build theirs.

Selected by President Obama as the fifth Presidential Inaugural Poet in U.S. history, Richard Blanco was the youngest, the first Latinx, immigrant, and gay person to serve in that a role. In 2023, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal from the NEH by President Biden. Blanco was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and has received numerous honorary doctorates. He currently severs as the first-ever Education Ambassador for the Academy of American and was appointed the first-ever poet laureate of Miami Dade County. Blanco has taught at Georgetown University, American University, and Wesleyan University. He is currently an Associate Professor of English at Florida International University, his alma mater, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.

Blanco has received numerous awards, including the Agnes Starrett Poetry Prize, the PEN American Beyond Margins Award, the Patterson Prize, and a Lambda Prize for memoir. He was Woodrow Wilson Fellow and has received numerous honorary degrees. Currently, he serves as Education Ambassador for The Academy of American Poets and is an Associate Professor at Florida International University. In April 2022, Blanco was appointed the first-ever Poet Laureate of Miami-Dade County.

Simone Elias is an educator and scholar-practitioner with expertise in instructional technology and organizational leadership. She holds a Doctorate in Education from Northeastern University and advanced degrees from the University of Maine- Orono. Her research is published in peer-reviewed journals and focuses on leadership development, culturally responsive education, and technology integration. Simone has received awards for her contributions to education and is recognized for her innovative approaches and commitment to inclusivity in both K-12 and higher education settings. Outside of academia, Simone has gained valuable experience with leading technology companies.

Executive Board

Advisory Board