K. Heather Harker

1992

K. Heather Harker

Selangor School for the Deaf

Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malaysia

Civil and Human Rights

The Bold Idea:

The organization works with already existing schools and organizations led by the Deaf in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, and Tawau, Malaysia to strengthen educational opportunities for Deaf youth and adults. These included English language programs, HIV/AIDS awareness, Youth Leadership Camp, and parent engagement. All programs and organizations are still operating.

Biography:

Heather Harker is currently Director of Consulting and Executive Transitions at Third Sector New England (www.tsne.org), where she supports capacity-building with nonprofits in the tristate area of MA, RI and CT. After her work in Malaysia as an Echoing Green Fellow, she returned to the U.S. to become Assistant Director of the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, focusing on statewide political and policy advocacy. During that time she was also selected as a fellow with the Kellogg International Leadership Program, which led to her current interest in supporting capacity-building in the nonprofit sector.

She holds degrees from the Kennedy School of Government (MA in Public Administration specializing in Leadership and Nonprofit Management), and Brown University (BA in International Relations).