Marina Rodriguez

Marina Rodriguez was born in Puerto Rico. The youngest of four, she was raised by a single mother who paused her life to raise her children. At the young age of twelve, Marina arrived in New Haven, CT with her mom. Marina grew up and has spent all of her adult life in New Haven, CT. Marina was raised in a family of strong women who all cared for each other and each other’s children. Thus, supporting women to realize their full potential is one of her passions that stems from an organic place. A true advocate for women and children, Marina works purposefully to support adults, primarily women, who work with children to provide rich, responsive, culturally and child centered developmentally appropriate practices and spaces for children. And, she does this all while honoring the adult’s experiences and expertise. Her journey in early childhood education began when she was an 18-year old volunteer in her son’s Head Start classroom. As an adult, Marina continued her education and went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Education with a specialization in Early Childhood and has been in the field of education for over 25 years. Marina has seen many sides of the educational system and has a deep understanding of the detriments that systematic racism has on communities like her very own. Through her lived experiences as a young person of color growing up in lower socio-economic communities to her professional experience working in the same communities, Marina has developed a profound respect for the voice of the community and for the educators and families who are true experts in their lived experiences and context. Marina makes it her mission to lift the voices of the community and to look for platforms that lend themselves for the same.