Leyla Bravo-Willey
Leyla Bravo-Willey, born in Nicaragua, grew up in Miami and is thrilled to return to her home community. Previous to KIPP, she was a bilingual teacher at P.S. 70 for Teach For America and taught 3rd, 4th and 5th grade.
For the last 9 years, Leyla has worked at KIPP Infinity Middle School in Harlem, NY. Currently, she serves as the Director of Lower School and has served as the Dean, 5th Grade Nonfiction Studies teacher, and school lead for character education.
Leyla has coached a variety of teachers, including nonfiction studies, writing, and specials teachers. In 2015, she received the Innovation Award from KIPP NYC for her work with character education and KIPP Circles across the region.
Leyla has been featured on NBC, PBS, The New York Times, The New Republic, and various international media outlets for her work with character education and has worked closely with the Character Lab. She has also done a TEDx talk on positive peer pressure and how it can transform school discipline.
Outside of her workday, Leyla enjoys salsa dancing/performing and spending time with her husband, Ian, and daughter, Soraya.