Beginning as a 9th grade English teacher at Jacksonville’s historic William M. Raines High School, Lana “DiCo” DiCostanzo established a love and passion for culturally empathetic curriculum development and community. DiCo would later return to her hometown where she worked at the alternative high-school as well as within the local public, coordinating holistic activities based in health, wellness, and education. With those themes, she developed the Drop-In program as the Systems-Impacted Youth Program Manager for the social justice and creative arts nonprofit, Deep Center. Over the last 3 years DiCo has continued her work as a youth advocate and community educator, establishing various youth programs and activities such as podcasts, hands-on activities focused on entrepreneurship, and opportunities for access to resources, internships, and partnerships with local artists and business owners. She’s currently pursuing her masters of Clinical Social Work from Columbia University to continue her work with and for her community.