Sydney Holman

Sydney Holman is a Program Coordinator at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, focusing on initiatives that enhance community engagement and support educational equity. She has a background as an engagement practitioner in the non-profit and philanthropy sectors, emphasizing systems-level change through community involvement and cultural wealth.

Professional Background

• Current Role: Associate Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation since October 2023, where she supports the Washington State Initiative team. Her work involves integrating strategies that prioritize student and community voices to improve direct enrollment from high school to postsecondary education.1

• Previous Experience:

  • Principal Consultant at Sydney Holman Consulting, where she has been involved in developing authentic engagement practices in education since August 2022. Her current project focuses on co-designing for educational justice, drawing from design-based research and indigenous methodologies.1
  • Family Engagement Program Manager at Seattle Public Schools from September 2021 to September 2022, where she managed systems development to enhance family and community engagement.1

Education

Sydney Holman is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, which underlines her commitment to educational equity and community engagement.1

Philosophy and Approach

Holman believes that meaningful change in systems can only occur by centering the expertise of communities. She advocates for trust and reciprocity in partnerships, aiming to challenge institutional dynamics of power and inequity.1