Mariposa Child Success Programs


Parents	Professionals	Community	Who We Are

Accreditations &
Affiliations

Our Staff

President and Chief Academic Officer
Anne Townsend, Ph.D.. is the President and Chief Academic Officer of the Mariposa Child Success Programs. Dr. Townsend's doctorate is in Family Science, and she also holds an M.S. in Psychology. She has more than 12 years of experience working with parents, teachers, and therapists in Maryland and has taught classes at the University of Maryland and Baltimore City Community College. Her research focuses on the impact that parents and teachers have on child success outcomes such as academic achievements, social competencies, and physical health. Dr. Townsend has created and implemented all of the programs at MCSP.

Director of Community Outreach and Lead Instructor
Harriette E. Wimms, Ph.D., is a faculty member in the Division of Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital and provides therapeutic services and training to children, families, and professionals. For more than 15 years she has worked with children, families, schools, and community agencies throughout Baltimore City in order to improve the interpersonal, emotional, and academic outcomes for children living in impoverished communities. A former Graduate Meyerhoff Scholar, Dr. Wimms holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and has received specialty training in the areas of Child Clinical Psychology and Community/Social Psychology. She also holds an M.S. in Developmental Psychology from Johns Hopkins University. Committed to improving educational outcomes for Baltimore City children, she is a founder of the Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School and has served on the board of the Children of the World.

Evaluation and Assessment Consultant
Shannon Gwin Mitchell, Ph.D., is a community psychologist with extensive evaluation experience. She is a Research Scientist at Friends Research Institute and has worked as a private consultant both in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Since 1995, Dr. Mitchell has worked with high-risk Baltimore City residents in a variety of settings. Her research has focused on individuals as well as the social and physical environments in which they work and live. Dr. Mitchell has authored nearly 20 peer-reviewed publications and has experience in all aspects of the research/evaluation process, including formative, process, and outcome evaluations. She is a member of the American Public Health Association, the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA, Division 27 of APA), and the Society for Applied Anthropology.

Internship Program
MCSP has created partnerships with local universities to provide undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to become a part of the organization. Duties are assigned based on individual interest, strengths, and academic programs. Universities currently contributing interns to the program are:

• University of Baltimore
• Towson University
• Loyola University Maryland

Instructors:

Harriette E. Wimms, Ph.D., is a faculty member in the Division of Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital and provides therapeutic services and training to children, families, and professionals. For more than 15 years she has worked with children, families, schools, and community agencies throughout Baltimore City in order to improve the interpersonal, emotional, and academic outcomes for children living in impoverished communities. A former Graduate Meyerhoff Scholar, Dr. Wimms holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and has received specialty training in the areas of Child Clinical Psychology and Community/Social Psychology. She also holds an M.S. in Developmental Psychology from Johns Hopkins University. Committed to improving educational outcomes for Baltimore City children, she is a founder of the Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School and has served on the board of the Children of the World.

George Leary, Ph.D. is a mental health therapist at Total Health Care, Inc. and has 13 years of applied experience with children and families. As an adjunct faculty member at multiple universities, he also has 10 years of teaching experience. Dr. Leary's doctorate is in Human Services Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County where he was selected as a Meyerhoff Graduate Fellow. Dr. Leary also holds an M.S. in Clinical Child Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University. He is dedicated to contributing to disadvantaged communities through close work with organizations promoting prevention, public health, and public policy.

Demetria Nicholas, M.A., is the Facilitator of the Family Institute in the Family and Community Engagement Department of Baltimore City Public Schools. She is also an educational consultant through a self-run business, Demetria Nicholas Enterprises. Ms. Nicholas develops and implements programs aimed at improving student success and community-school relations. As a former program coordinator, she was responsible for leading Morgan State University's participation in the East Baltimore educational initiative. Ms. Nicholas holds an M.A. in Instructional Systems Development from University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Who's on the Board of Directors? >>>

Transforming the way communities raise their children -
because a child's path to success isn't in a manual.