Dr. Sanayi Beckles-Canton 

Dr. Sanayi Beckles-Canton is a neurodivergent social entrepreneur, educator, trauma-cognitive therapist, community activist, and parental education expert who believes that healthy relationships create healthy families—and healthy families build strong communities. She is the founder of the Chloe Day School & Wellness Center in Harlem, New York, a Reggio Emilia-inspired, trauma-informed preschool and community wellness space serving families from all backgrounds. Through The Healing Space, the Center’s wellness division, she leads efforts to help Harlem heal from trauma and intergenerational harm while advancing health, mindfulness, and collective well-being.

For more than two decades, Dr. Beckles-Canton has worked to bring equity and care to public education in New York City. She has served as the Interfaith Liaison for NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, an elected member of the Citywide Community Education Council on Special Education, and the former president of Harlem District 5’s Community Education Council. Her work—rooted in advocacy, family empowerment, and holistic education—reflects a lifelong dedication to nurturing children’s academic, emotional, and moral growth while strengthening the ecosystems that support them.

Through the Acosta Institute Fellowship, Dr. Beckles-Canton seeks to deepen her healing-centered leadership practice and explore new ways to transform early childhood education. She hopes to expand her efforts to embed social-emotional intelligence, empathy, and resilience within public education systems, continuing her vision of a world where every child and family can thrive in safety, dignity, and love.