Dr. Tia Dolet
Director of Learning & Innovation
Dr. Tia Dolet is a DMV native and an education leader, researcher, and strategist with more than 15 years of experience across K–12 education, higher education, and youth-serving organizations. Her work focuses on advancing equitable educational systems, strengthening youth development initiatives, and supporting programs that expand opportunity for historically marginalized communities. She began her career in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area working directly with girls of color and their families to support academic success, identity development, and college and career pathways. Dr. Dolet’s journey into education began in an unexpected place—the arts.
She earned her undergraduate degree in Musical Theatre from American University and has always had a deep love for creative expression and storytelling. However, her first professional role after college introduced her to the world of education access and youth development, where she worked closely with students and families navigating pathways to college. That experience sparked a passion for expanding educational opportunity and ultimately led her to pursue a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Minority and Urban Education from the University of Maryland, College Park. Throughout her career, Dr. Dolet has partnered with schools, nonprofits, universities, and national organizations to design innovative programs, strengthen curriculum and learning experiences, and translate research into practice.
She has led initiatives focused on college access, workforce development, youth leadership, and program evaluation, helping organizations create learning environments where young people can thrive and imagine expansive futures. Dr. Dolet later earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (Urban Education) from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her research explores how culturally grounded learning environments can affirm identity, challenge inequities in education systems, and center the lived experiences of students from historically underserved communities. She is passionate about ensuring that research, data, and lived experiences inform programs that support student parents and their families in achieving educational success and long-term economic mobility.
Outside of her professional work, Dr. Dolet enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephew, exploring nature through hiking, and bringing people together through music and karaoke. She is deeply committed to this work because she believes every young person deserves access to opportunity and support as they pursue their dreams. She hopes the systems she helps strengthen today will ensure that her niblings—and all of the young people she has had the privilege to support and be a part of their village—grow up in a world where they have equitable access to higher education and where their biggest dreams can become their reality.
Quote:
“Without community there is no liberation.” — Audre Lorde
Why I chose this quote:
I believe we are nothing without the people around us. If we truly want to invest in a brighter future, it will take the collective care, commitment, and work of community. When we come together to support one another, we create the conditions where individuals and families can thrive and where opportunity becomes possible for everyone.