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Introducing Our New WBL Academy Director

We are excited to announce our new Academy Director, Hailey M. Tran! With a wealth of knowledge and experience we look forward to the vision and guidance they will bring to the position.


We are thrilled to welcome Hailey M. Tran as the new Academy Director! Hailey brings a unique blend of creativity, academic expertise, and a deep commitment to empowering students through the transformative power of storytelling and art.

Lowell raised and now based in DC, Hailey identifies as a queer Asian American Latina spoken word and performance poet. With a BA in Political Science and Social Work from Simmons University, Hailey combines a strong academic foundation with a lifelong dedication to social justice and community engagement.

Hailey’s approach to education is rooted in helping students reconnect with their ancestral memories and interrogate the structures of violence that shape our world. By weaving creative expression into their pedagogy, Hailey inspires students to explore their identities, including racial, gendered, and queer intersections, and to forge meaningful connections within their communities.

Hailey’s accomplishments include competing in "MassLEAP’s Louder Than a Bomb with FreeVerse!" and advancing to the final stage of the "2018 Brave New Voices Festival." They’ve also made a significant impact as the Program Manager for the 2021 Youth Spoken Word Leader cohorts. Looking ahead, Hailey’s debut poetry collection, “an everyday occurrence,” will be published by Button Poetry.

Under Hailey’s leadership, our academy is poised to become a space where art and education collide to spark growth, understanding, and transformation for all students.

Join Our Academy Today!

We invite you to be part of this exciting journey with Hailey M. Tran at the helm. Students ages 8 to 22 can enroll in our academy to explore their creative potential, engage with dynamic learning opportunities and discover how art can help transform individuals and communities.