Sam Wallis, a teacher by training and experience, has been the Executive Director of Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE) since July 2019.

Sam began his work in education after graduating from Tufts University by joining Teach for America (TFA). He was placed in a struggling rural Mississippi Delta high school where he taught history and government. Recognizing the need for more equitable access to a college education, Sam led a team of teachers that quadrupled the percentage of students enrolling in college after high school graduation.

Sam earned his master's degree in Public School Building Leadership from Columbia University Teachers College. Upon returning home to New York, he became part of the leadership team of the public charter school network Democracy Prep Public Schools.

Sam joined the YPIE team in 2015 as Chief Program Officer to continue his focus on college readiness and access in Yonkers, where he had attended elementary school. At YPIE, he helped to develop the YPIE Scholars, YPIE Fellows, and YPIE College Success programs, and to create a vibrant afterschool learning space, the YPIE College Zone.

Sam is a fan of the New York Yankees and Mississippi Blues and BBQ.

swallis@ypie.org

914-377-4882 x106