Paola Padilla

Paola Padilla is the Director of the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative (SAELI), a multi-stakeholder collaborative dedicated to improving early learning for all children ages 0-to-9 years old in Santa Ana, CA. Guided by Collective Impact and a Two-Generation Model, SAELI is focused on aligning the resources of three important systems that impact families with young children, i.e., Early Care and Education, Preschool-to-4th Grade, and Family Economic Supports. Paola has been instrumental in creating and maintaining a very active network of SAELI partners (including more than 50 public and nonprofit agencies and over 200 parents) to coordinate resources effectively across twenty elementary schools in low-income and predominantly Latina/o immigrant neighborhoods. Paola holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies from the California State University in Long Beach.