Nayibe Capellan

Chief of Staff

Mrs. Nayibe Capellan most recently joined Project Ready as the Chief of Staff. Her new role allows her to serve as an advocate for education and social justice. She leads a series of community education campaigns, educational justice projects and advocacy initiatives designed to empower, inform and civically educate the community to overhaul systems and policies. She previously served as Special Assistant for Newark Public Schools (NPS), Office of Early Childhood. In this role, she managed the Family and Community Engagement programming for Newark Pre-Kindergarten and Head Start programs, serving over 80+ early childhood centers and approximately 7,000 families. Some of her accomplishments include increasing preschool enrollment by 10% and serving on the team that aided in securing $7 million in Head Start grant funding for Newark Public Schools. Prior to joining the Newark Public Schools, she served as the Assistant Director and Adjunct Professor for Public Policy at Saint Peter’s University. With over 15 years of professional experience, she has also held various roles in the private and non-profit sectors which include serving as a Family Worker, Family Worker Coordinator, Trainer, Probation Officer, Early Childhood Specialist and Assistant Director of a preschool program.

Her educational accomplishments include a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor in African-American Studies from Montclair State University, A Master’s Degree in Administrative Science with a Certificate in Non-Profit Organizational Development from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Master’s Degree in Education with a concentration in School Counseling from Saint Peter’s University. She also has a Supervisor in Education Certificate from Montclair State University. As a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and former Vice President of Public Policy for the New Jersey Association of Education for Young Children, Nayibe is committed to serving her community and advocating for education. She was recently awarded the 2018 Leaders and Legends in Early Childhood Award from Program for Parents. Her most significant accomplishment is becoming a mom. She is the proud mother of a 13-year-old boy.