Sunnyside Literacy Lab provides accessible, research-based educational services while nurturing community-based learning ecosystems.

Our guiding principles:

  • Everyone can learn.

  • Reading is a pleasure.

  • Literacy is a civil right.

  • Literacy instruction must be evidence-based.

  • Closing the opportunity gap involves play.

  • Families should be empowered as children’s first teachers.

  • Student progress is directly tied to educator investment.

Learn more about our theory of change.

Team

Anna Young

Founder + Educator

Hi! I’m Anna. I started my career with Teach for America and have worked in education for nine years. I have served as a humanities teacher, special educator, and academic interventionist. I currently supervise graduate students at CUNY Hunter College.

I earned a B.A. in Political Science from McGill University and an M.S. in Adolescent Special Education from CUNY Hunter College. I am certified in the Orton-Gillingham method, a structured literacy approach to reading instruction.

In my spare time, I enjoy exploring the outdoors, experiencing the diverse food cultures of Queens, and reading my preferred genre… detective novels.

Katherin D. Umana Galeano

Assistant

Hi! I’m Katherin. I am currently an immigration paralegal in New York City whose work advocating for immigrant families has uniquely shaped my path toward becoming an educator. Through navigating complex legal systems alongside families, I have seen how education serves as a powerful tool for stability, equity and opportunity.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Philosophy, Politics and Law (PPL) from SUNY Binghamton University, which ground my approach in child development, critical thinking, and social justice. I look forward to gaining meaningful experience through my work at the Sunnyside Literacy Lab and through my ongoing academic pursuit of a Masters Degree in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) at CUNY Hunter College.

Outside of work, you can usually find me on long walks with my Shorkie pup, Luna, or trying out new recipes in the kitchen!

Sherry Chowdhury

Community Coordinator

Hello! I'm Sherry, and I'm a psychotherapist who works primarily with queer youth and kids and teens of color! I have a B.A in Psychology from Bard College, and an M.A. in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness from New York University.

My practice strongly values curiosity, humor, and uncertainty in the therapeutic space. My goal is to co-create an authentic and affirming space for all! I'm so excited to join the Sunnyside Literacy Lab and contribute to furthering positive student outcomes through incorporating mindfulness techniques and building holistic foundations for learning.

Outside of work, you can often find me reading a fantasy novel, baking something new, or brainstorming other creative ventures.

Alumni Educators

Sunnyside Literacy Lab serves as a training space for classroom educators to become literacy practitioners. Read what our alumni educators say about working with us.

Anisa Lett

Special Education Teacher

Through my time at Sunnyside Literacy Lab, I learned how to support diverse learners with varying abilities and learning needs. I gained experience teaching students reading and writing skills by breaking tasks into manageable steps and focusing on specific strategies.

I learned the importance of helping students identify key ideas in a text through annotation and using those annotations to plan and organize their short responses. This experience showed me that students benefit from different approaches and levels of support, and that effective instruction requires flexibility, patience, and a focus on building skills gradually.

This framework, I believe, supports diverse learners and has helped me better understand how to meet students where they are and guide them toward greater confidence and independence in their literacy skills.

Jonah Wolfson

Special Education Teacher

It was helpful to be exposed to various techniques for teaching reading. The student-facing reading handbook is a great summary and points teachers towards the important elements to focus on with students. It was also very helpful to see how to break down the content of the readings and how to relate general reading comprehension skills to thinking about the specific content of a text.

The program is very systematic, meaning it's straightforward to use for teachers and learners alike. The framing of "exposing" students to various skills was helpful as a teacher for understanding the use of the method over the course of a year or multiple years.

The lessons' emphasis on helping students use context and background knowledge to support comprehension can help developing readers find an entry point for understanding more advanced texts.