Andrew King
University of Massachusetts BostonAndrew King is a public policy doctoral student in the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. He serves as project coordinator for a community-based research practicum where students conduct collaborative action-based research with Boston youth organizations on young people's experience in organizing and leadership. Andrew is deeply committed to social and racial justice and has extensive experience advocating for historically disenfranchised communities from a research and community-organizing standpoint. These include serving as Director of Community Affairs in the New York City Council, where he directed youth and education policy and coordinated the office's groundbreaking Participatory Budgeting program in which residents were given direct decision-making to develop neighborhood projects and vote on how public money is spent. Through this process Andrew developed and managed community partnerships; engaged marginalized populations such as formerly incarcerated individuals, public housing residents and local teens, and helped the community obtain millions of dollars in funds for new school computer labs, playgrounds, and community improvements. Andrew's educational background in urban policy analysis along with his on-the-ground community organizing expertise allows him to energetically engage and bridge a diverse range of constituencies to affect social change.
Personal Statement
Having grown up in an activist family in Cambridge, I have always been committed to the fight for social justice and equality. My academic and professional work has revolved around identifying the root causes of problems, meaningful community engagement, and empowering historically disenfranchised communities. I am currently a public policy doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Boston and serve as project coordinator for Professor Mark Warren's community-based research practicum where students conduct collaborative action-based research with Boston youth organizations on young people's experience in organizing and leadership. I formerly worked with the New York City Council directing initiatives for racial and economic justice and youth violence prevention. I coordinated the Participatory Budgeting program in East Harlem and the south Bronx in which residents were given direct decision-making to develop neighborhood projects and vote on how public money is spent. Through this process I developed and managed community partnerships and empowered marginalized groups such as formerly incarcerated individuals, public housing residents and local teens. My educational background in urban policy analysis along with my community organizing experience allows me to energetically engage a diverse range of constituencies to affect social change.