Erykah Joseph, a Washington, D.C. native, is dedicated to empowering communities through education and civic engagement. With a background in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland and graduate study in Curriculum and Instruction at Loyola University, she has built a strong foundation across education and community development.
As a member of the AmeriCorps VISTA program, Erykah continued her impactful work with The Civic Circle, where she dedicated her time to fostering youth engagement and helping the next generation understand their vital role in shaping democracy. In addition to her role at The Civic Circle, Erykah serves as the Vice President of the Stephens Foundation, leading initiatives that provide support to at-risk youth across D.C.
With a diverse background in education, policy, and civic engagement, Erykah remains driven by her passion to create opportunities for youth, ensuring they have the knowledge and tools to become active, informed citizens.
During our mid-year cohort showcase, Erykah was featured in our Member Monday spotlight series highlighting her community impact:
At Transform Mid-Atlantic, we are dedicated to our mission of Engaging Campuses in Communities. This week, we’re excited to highlight Erykah Joseph-Valentine, a TMA AmeriCorps VISTA member serving with The Civic Circle in Silver Spring.
Erykah brings a strong background in public service and institutional support to her national service year. Having worked closely with systemic community needs on a broader scale, her experience this year has reaffirmed her decision to bring her talents directly to the local grassroots level.
For Erykah, participating in a year of national service means "really hitting the ground running and being closer to the ground in terms of the people who we actually look to serve."
By shifting her focus to the local level, she is able to make a direct, personal impact where it is needed most.
One of Erykah’s standout projects is building a curriculum tailored specifically for middle and high school students. This initiative is designed to ensure the content truly matches what students need, while uplifting student voices by listening to their feedback to create a program where they can take away real, actionable skills.
The program curriculum serves as a pinnacle point of her recent work. For Erykah, reflecting on the community's needs during a time when funding and awareness are at risk has made this the most insightful year she has ever done.
"This has been a great year and a year of true insight as to what it really looks like to be of service to communities." — Erykah Joseph-Valentine, TMA VISTA Member
A huge thank you to the team at The Civic Circle for their incredible partnership and dedication to empowering the next generation of citizens through this vital community work.