matthew goodman
writer/educator

Passionate about building bridges, learning, and possibility, matthew goodman's novel, Hold Love Strong was a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers selection and nominated for an Alex Award by the American Library Association. matthew has taught in the English Departments of private, international, and public institutions, including Hunter College, the University of San Diego, Colegio Nido de Aguilas (Santiago, Chile), and High Tech High (San Diego, CA) .

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While serving as the Community Liaison for The Doe Fund, matthew co-created and co-led The Leadership Alliance, a mentorship/leadership program that united formerly incarcerated men and women with community volunteers in dialogue and actions of positive community change.

 

While directing the New York Juvenile Justice Initiative, matthew created the first NYJJI Youth Council comprised solely of young people on the spectrum of the criminal justice system. Together they focused the attention of 40+ philanthropic foundations to youth-centered impactful community based organizations and advocated for the expansion of their criminal justice reform funding.

 

While living in Chile, matthew received a grant from the United States Embassy Cultural Affairs Department and La Corporación Educacional de la Sociedad Nacional de Agricultura to support teachers in agricultural communities throughout Chile. Unfortunately, he was not able to fullfill this grant due to a family emergency.

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While teaching at Avenues the World School (NYC), matthew designed and led The Storytelling Laboratory, a reciprocal learning experience aimed at empowering individuals and communities to transform conflict and strengthen cultures of peace and sustainability.The collaborative project united Avenues: The World School, the Adaptive Design Association and PS 33 in an effort to bridge the gap between public and private schools and able bodied students with students with unique physical challenges in New York City. 

 

In 2023, matthew was a Rose F. Kennedy LEND Fellow at Montefiore Hospital's Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center. He is on the board of You're With Us, an innovative non-profit organization that seeks to create better communities by harnessing the benefits of inclusion for individuals with disabilities.