Rashida Ford, serves as the founder and Executive Director of P.O.P. Inc. With over 15 years of experience in youth leadership and development, Rashida has demonstrated an unyielding enthusiasm towards developing youth through high quality, purpose-driven programming. At an early age, Ford became the Owner and Manager of NIA Training and Consultant Services (NTCS), a training and development company which specializes in team building and development workshops for both children and adults working in school settings. Additionally, she served as a celebrated Out of School Time Coordinator for a local East Baltimore school service provider, where she impacted the lives of students through parent engagement, academic enrichment, leadership development and civic engagement. Furthermore, she is a former National Ella Baker Trainer for the National Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools Program, in addition to coordinating the program locally for over six years. She believes that every child is capable of achievement, and more importantly, that achievement looks differently for every child. She believes that it is the responsibility of the community to ensure that every child’s aspirations come to life, which is what she strives to do daily.
Rashida’s service to children not only extends through her nonprofit work, but also through her work in school leadership and improvement evidenced through her role as a school administrator. She is a proud graduate of Morgan State University and Loyola University of Maryland earning her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education in 2012, and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership in 2018.