Juantia Orengo-Rodriguez has been a community activist in Brooklyn for 28 years. She is a member of the National Congress of Neighborhood Women (NCNW), the Neighborhood Women of Williamsburg-Greenpoint (NWWG), GROOTS International, and the Huairou Commission. As a community organizer, she has worked to better the school systems in her community through collective action including the Eastern District High School Boycott and serving as Principal and Executive Director of the You Can Community School for 10 years. She has received many awards from city council members and other government officials for her dedication to improving the public school system in New York City. Juanita graduated from the National Congress of Neighborhood Women College Program through Long Island University and received an AA in Social Work, BA in Education, and MA in Public Administration. She also has a degree in Fashion Design from Manhattan 7th Ave and was trained as a hair stylist in Puerto Rico- two passions she continues today. She is currently the Office and Administrative Manager of NCNW, NWWG, GROOTS and Huairou Commission, where her work is informed by her passion to encourage and support young women to be leaders in their communities.

A Mother Teaches School Board a Lesson
By Raymond Hernandez, The New York Times, October 11, 1992.

As Parents’ Hopes Rise, So Do a High School’s Tensions
By Alison Mitchell, The New York Times, October 08, 1992.