Puksta Program Staff

Coordinator:

Ana Contreras

Ana.Contreras@Colorado.EDU

303-492-655

Ana is Puksta Scholar Coordinator and Assistant Teaching Professor at CU Engage in the School of Education. Ana brings to this role rich experiences and knowledge from her ethnographic and participatory study of parent and community engagement in a diverse high school seeking to heal from fragmentation from racialized divisions, gentrification, and school closures in this urban neighborhood. In addition to her role as Puksta Coordinator, Ana is an instructor for the Leadership and Community Engagement major at CU Engage. Prior to these current roles, Ana worked as an elementary school teacher and community liaison where she developed school-community partnerships and a curriculum based on community engagement. She was also a community engagement specialist and instructor for teachers obtaining CLD and Special Education licensures. Ana holds a PhD in Educational Foundations, Policy, and Practice from CU Boulder’s School of Education and a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology from Hendrix College.