Sharon Flake is the author of five books, The Skin I'm In (1998), Money Hungry (2002), Begging for Change (2003), Who Am I Without Him? Short Stories About Boys and the Girls in Their Lives (2004), Bang! (Sept. 2005), and her latest novel The Broken Bike Boy and the Queen of 33rd Street (2007).

Her work is used in public and private schools around the nation, from elementary to high school, and is often required reading in colleges for students in education, child development, children's literature and English writing programs. Beyond that, her work is also a favorite among adults and adult book club readers.

Flake and her work have won numerous awards and recognitions including: Best Books for Young Adult Readers; Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers; the New York Public Library Top Ten Books for the Teen Age; 2005 featured author in the Ninth Book of Junior Authors & Illustrators; 2005 Capitol Choices; Noteworthy Books for Children; 2004 Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Book; 2004 Texas Lone Star Award for Top Ten Books; 2002, 2004 Coretta Scott King Honor Award; Pennsylvania Council of the Arts Grant; 2004 Bank Street Best of the Year; 2004 Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book; 2004 CCBC Choices; Booklist Top Ten Fantasy Book; 2004 Booklist Top Ten Romance Novels for Youth; 2004 Booklist Editor's Choice Award; 2003 Detroit Free Library Author of the Year; 1999 YWCA Racial Justice Award; 1999 Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award and more.

Flake's work appears on the Anti-Defamation League's website which stresses the use of children's literature to help educators address the problem of bullying in schools.

Flake was born in Philadelphia, PA, but has resided in Pittsburgh, PA with her daughter for many years. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in English. For several years she was a youth counselor for a foster care agency, after which she spent 18 years working at the University of Pittsburgh in public relations. She has written numerous articles for national publications. Prior to having her first book published, she wrote for approximately 15 years.

Dr. Claire Crane has been principal of the Robert L. Ford K-8 School, in Lynn, Massachusetts, since 1989. She has created a nationally recognized full service community school which is a comprehensive center for learning, social and family services, and recreation for the neighborhood it serves. As Ford School has grown over the years, Dr. Crane has faced many successes and challenges. She finds herself constantly re-evaluating how she can best serve the Ford's population of students. She continues to imagine how she can do things differently and better.

Her accomplishments are extensive and her awards are many. She is an adjunct professor at Salem State and North Shore Community Colleges. In 2002, Salem State College invited Ford School to become a Laboratory School for student teaching. Through programs initiated by Dr. Crane, the Ford School offers parents a myriad of evening classes and professional opportunities including ESL, GED, and Citizenship classes. The Department of Mental Health honored her as "Outstanding Citizen of the Year" in 1996 and in that same year, Ford School was visited by First Lady Hillary Clinton in recognition of the "Village School Concept", modeled at Ford. Salem State College named her "Educator of the Year" in 1997. Shoe City Lions designated Dr. Crane "Woman of the Year" in 2000. Under her direction, Ford School has become a NASA Explorer School. The award of this three year grant has brought together Ford educators, administrators, students, and families in sustained involvement with NASA's education programs.

Dr. Crane dares to dream of a world in which all families will see the school as the center of the community, a resource for life long learning and a place where any parent, student or neighbor can turn to find a helping hand and a sympathetic ear.

David Banks is a graduate of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey and received his law degree from St. John's University, School of Law. He earned his Educational Administration and Supervision certification in the Spring of 1995 by attending three colleges; Brooklyn College, City College and Baruch College.

David began his career as a teacher with the New York City Department of Education at Public School 167 in 1986. While teaching, he simultaneously attended St. John's University School of Law. He left the Department of Education in 1992 to pursue his law career. He worked at the New York City Law Department, Office of the Corporation Counsel and the New York State Law Department, Office of the Attorney General. He was appointed Deputy Director of Public Liaison while with the Attorney General's office. His undying passion for children called him back to the Department of Education in 1995 where he served as an Assistant Principal at P.S. 191 in Crown Heights.

David was selected to be the founding Principal of The Bronx School for Law, Government & Justice in 1997. Bronx Law provided a unique opportunity for David to combine his law and education background. The school building is a $75 million, state of the art facility, which includes a courtroom/video conferencing center, crime lab and forensics science lab. This facility represents an unprecedented partnership between the criminal justice community and an inner city high school.

Moreover, David recently accepted a new principalship to be the founding administrator of The Eagle Academy for Young Men, the first all-boys public high school in New York City in over 30 years. The Eagle Academy for Young Men is a nurturing institution where students, faculty and community work together to develop academic excellence, ethical behavior, and personal responsibility. The Academy was formed in conjunction with the One Hundred Black Men, Inc.

Some of David's other accomplishments include:

• Board of Directors - One Hundred Black Men, Inc. (NYC Chapter)
• Cahn Fellow - Teachers College (Columbia University)
• Chancellor's Advisory Council - Department of Education, NYC
• Board of Directors - Building with Books, Inc.

David and his family were featured on the front cover of Time Magazine on October 30, 1995 as a result of their participation in the "Million Man March".

David and his wife Marion have four children; Jamaal, Aaliyah, Ali and Malcolm Rashaad. They reside in Teaneck, N.J.

Yvette Crespo is a native New Yorker, She was born in New York City and raised in the Bronx and continue to live in The Bronx.   She graduated from Norman Thomas High School in NYC 1979. And, most importantly to her, she is the proud mother of two special children:

• Yesenia Amorette Crespo graduated Valedictorian from the Bronx School for Law, Government & Justice.  She received a POSSE scholarship for Brandeis University.  She is currently a junior at Brandeis.
• Dakotah Julian Crespo currently is a freshman at The Eagle Academy for Young men and has an 87% average.  He has been a member of The Explorer’s Club for three years.

Yvette currently works at The Eagle Academy for Young Men as a Special Assistant to the Principal as well as the Coordinator of Admissions.  The Eagle Academy for Young Men is an innovative small single gender school primarily for Black and Hispanic boys who live in the Bronx.  It is a successful model that is being considered for replication in other parts of New York City.  The success of the school is in large measure to her credit.  She provides the divine-feminine approach in a male-dominated cultural community.

Before joining The Eagle Academy, Yvette's professional experience was equally diverse and challenging.  She held the position of Family Coordinator at the Bronx School for Law, Government & Justice.  She was an Administrative Assistant for the Office of State Assemblyman Peter Rivera.  And, she was the Family Assistant at Eastside House Headstart Daycare Program.

Yvette is an active community member who coaches baseball and participates in voter registration.  She had been a member of the Parents’ Associations and School Leadership Teams in her children’s schools for many years.  Yvette has also been the secretary for the New Era Baseball League.

Encouraged and inspired by her daughter, Yesenia whose major is Women’s Studies, Yvette received that special support she needed to return to school and focus on her own higher education goals.  She is currently enrolled in the College of New Rochelle working toward securing a Bachelor’s Degree.  Her interest is in Child Psychology and Adolescent Counseling.

Keith Frome, Director of Education

A graduate of the University of Connecticut (M.A., analytic philosophy), Harvard Divinity School (M.A., Theological Studies), and Columbia University's Teacher's College (Ph.D., philosophy and education), Keith has provided his blend of philosophy, education theory, and knowledge of writing process to College Summit since 1994, when he and J.B. created and ran a weekend college admissions workshop that served as a prototype for College Summit's summer workshop.  Between 1994 and 1995, he led the development of the writing curriculum that has served as a pillar of College Summit's approach to navigating the college application.  He served as Assistant Headmaster and Head of Upper School of the Browning School in New York City for three years, and Headmaster of the Elmwood Franklin School, a coeducational Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade independent school in Buffalo, New York for ten years.  During his tenure at the latter, he founded Achieve: The Elmwood Franklin Center for Tutoring and Enrichment, an off-campus tutoring center open to all students from all schools.  Achieve has been nationally recognized for its innovative, entrepreneurial approach to independent school financing.

He is the co-editor of the award-winning Columbia Book of Civil War Poetry (one of the texts selected for the national “Remembering Slavery” curriculum and is included in the American Library Association's top ten recommended reference books for school libraries) and the author of two books, What Not to Expect: a Meditation on the Spirituality of Parenting (2005) and the forthcoming How’s My Kid Doing? and Other Frequently Asked Questions about Schools and Education (Spring 2008).

Christopher Brown, Operations Associate        

After attending the Florida State University Workshop in 2000, Christopher Brown knew he was college material. Before Chris went to the workshop in 2000, he didn’t believe that college was an option, at least not at the time. With only a GPA of 2.4 and a SAT score of 800 that belief was confirmed in his mind. The summer before his senior year, he was able to get “10 Steps Ahead of the Game”, research colleges and self-advocacy before any of his classmates. When he went back to school he was able to finish strong and get accepted to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. Christopher went on to get two degrees in Economics and Political Science along with a Certificate in Waste Management and graduated with a GPA of 3.2. He now works in the College Summit South Carolina office as an Operations Associate.