Gabriel Diaz is the new director of two Sara Holbrook Community Center programs. Diaz will lead the Center’s before and after school enrichment program at Lyman C Hunt Middle School, which serves over 350 students annually. Tuition-free courses and workshops in areas such as STEM, the arts, agriculture, community service, and music are offered every five to seven weeks. Diaz will also direct the Burlington-Winooski Middle School Summer Program, offering enrichment activities for over 285 middle school-aged youth from the cities of Burlington and Winooski. Running for up to six weeks, sessions explore new skills and hobbies while insuring that academic needs are met.
“I'm delighted that Gabe Diaz accepted the role of Director of Middle School Out-of-School Time. This position is based at Hunt Middle School, and Gabe has a long history of service to the Hunt community, both in his previous role there as a Para-educator and in his time as the Teen Director for the Sara Holbrook Teen Center,” Executive Director Leisa Pollander said.
Diaz earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the United States Naval Academy, majoring in Political Science. He has worked as the Training Director and Support Services Manager in Special Olympics in Illinois and New Jersey. He was employed by the Burlington School District for over five years as a middle school Special Education Para-educator. He also worked for the Burlington Parks & Recreation Department for six years, serving the agency as a Recreation Coordinator, Program Counselor for CityKids Afterschool Program, and as the Site Coordinator at Barnes Summer World Academy. His most recent positions before becoming the director of the Sara Holbrook Teen Center in 2015 were in Special Education and Child Protection Services.
“I was very fortunate to have afterschool opportunities when I was younger,” said Diaz. “I know how important those experiences were in helping me develop into the individual that I am. I want to ensure that as many youth as possible have the same kinds of opportunities to learn, have fun, and become productive, successful members of society and our community.”
For more information about the Sara Holbrook Community Center, please contact Leisa Pollander or visit the Center’s website at www.saraholbrookcc.org.