ABOUT OUR FOUNDER
Natalie Collins
is an administrator, artist and art facilitator. She was born in England, grew up in Los Angeles and currently resides in Jamaica. She earned a Bachelor's in Art from Colby College and two Master's degrees- one in Social Work from Boston University and one in Leadership in Museum Education from Bank Street College of Education. She completed course work in child development with a focus primarily on preschool age children.
Natalie has served as a volunteer mediator for the Centinela Youth Services and Los Angeles City Attorney’s Dispute Resolution Program, coordinated the Youth Dispute Resolution program for the Western Justice Center Foundation in Pasadena, CA, and served as a National Head Start Fellow in 2005. Since 2006 she served as a consultant on-site grant reviewer for Head Start in mental health, family and community partnerships. She received commendations for her work in L.A. with the Leadership in Interethnic Relations (LDIR) and the city of Boston for her work providing direct services in the city councilman’s office. In 2009, she completed her thesis on the role of museums in community development.
Travel has been an important part of her life and development as both an artist and a professional. Natalie has travelled internationally to participate in cultural exchanges in England, Ghana and Jamaica focusing on the visual and performing arts. While in Los Angeles she facilitated art workshops for the Children's Museum of Los Angeles Art's to Go program. In Washington DC she worked with the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop to teach art classes at the HAP afterschool program. In 2007, she decided to move to Jamaica to intern at the National Gallery of Jamaica where she worked to develop programming for school age children and served as an onsite coordinator for the Summer Arts on the Waterfront program. She continues to explore her own art work through collage, painting and printmaking.
In addition, to continuing her own work as an artist, she will serve as Jeli Coconut's Program Director.
is an administrator, artist and art facilitator. She was born in England, grew up in Los Angeles and currently resides in Jamaica. She earned a Bachelor's in Art from Colby College and two Master's degrees- one in Social Work from Boston University and one in Leadership in Museum Education from Bank Street College of Education. She completed course work in child development with a focus primarily on preschool age children.
Natalie has served as a volunteer mediator for the Centinela Youth Services and Los Angeles City Attorney’s Dispute Resolution Program, coordinated the Youth Dispute Resolution program for the Western Justice Center Foundation in Pasadena, CA, and served as a National Head Start Fellow in 2005. Since 2006 she served as a consultant on-site grant reviewer for Head Start in mental health, family and community partnerships. She received commendations for her work in L.A. with the Leadership in Interethnic Relations (LDIR) and the city of Boston for her work providing direct services in the city councilman’s office. In 2009, she completed her thesis on the role of museums in community development.
Travel has been an important part of her life and development as both an artist and a professional. Natalie has travelled internationally to participate in cultural exchanges in England, Ghana and Jamaica focusing on the visual and performing arts. While in Los Angeles she facilitated art workshops for the Children's Museum of Los Angeles Art's to Go program. In Washington DC she worked with the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop to teach art classes at the HAP afterschool program. In 2007, she decided to move to Jamaica to intern at the National Gallery of Jamaica where she worked to develop programming for school age children and served as an onsite coordinator for the Summer Arts on the Waterfront program. She continues to explore her own art work through collage, painting and printmaking.
In addition, to continuing her own work as an artist, she will serve as Jeli Coconut's Program Director.
