Carissa Kolakauskas

Carissa Kolakauskas is the Director of the Aurora Program for Crescent City Schools, a program that focuses on increasing student achievement for students who require more intensive academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support. Prior to her position at the Aurora Program, Carissa served as the Director of Student Support at Harriet Tubman Charter School, directly supporting the intervention, mental health, and discipline teams.

Carissa earned her bachelor’s degree from Tulane University, with a major in Psychology and minors in Spanish and Urban Sociology. It was during her years at Tulane that Carissa grew connected to the city of New Orleans and formed a strong commitment to community service. Carissa chose to develop her passion for social justice and educational equality by completing her Master’s Degree in Social Work at Tulane University, with a concentration on child and adolescent development. She has a number of years of experience as a clinician with the Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court and Jefferson Parish Public School System. She was a founding staff member for New Orleans College Prep, where she built the mental health, social-emotional learning, and family support programs while establishing strong connections with community organizations and stakeholders. As a member of the Crescent City Schools leadership team and adjunct faculty at Tulane University, Carissa has a passion for supporting professionals to more effectively change the lives of youth through the educational and social systems of New Orleans.