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UW Youth & Teen Programs

Meet the Staff

Leslie Rome — Director

Leslie Rome The director of Youth & Teen Programs since 2005, Leslie strives to tap the vast resources of the UW to create unique learning opportunities where children and teens can explore new interests, take risks and grow. She earned a master's in education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction at Northeastern University, and has more than 20 years of experience helping nonprofits such as KCTS 9 and Seattle Children's Museum extend the reach of their resources to the K–12 community. Under Leslie’s leadership, UW Youth & Teen Programs has grown substantially, serving students near and far with in-person and remote learning opportunities.

Chad Hammond — Program Administrator

Chad Hammond Chad is responsible for all the operational needs of Youth & Teen Programs. He has a recreation management degree from Eastern Washington University, as well as a certification in early childhood education. Chad brings more than 20 years of youth development experience to his role. Before coming to the UW, he worked as director of programming and operations for i9 Sports Puget Sound and as branch director of a Boys & Girls Club in Spokane. 

Grace Ha — Program Administrator

Grace Ha Grace studied social sciences at the University of Washington and has a background in e-commerce and nonprofits, as well as several years of experience in youth development. Grace loves finding and listening to new music, eating good food and playing board games!

Michael Ash — Program Administrator

Michael Ash

Michael helps maintain strong communication channels with stakeholder groups to resolve operational issues. He also manages the assembly and shipping of kits for remote classes in UW Youth & Teen Programs. Michael earned his master’s degree in education from UMass Boston in 2015 and has 11 years of teaching experience. He’s taught English as a Foreign Language in Japan, as well as English language arts, English language learners and special education in the U.S. Michael enjoys hiking, camping and spending time with his wife and two cats, Puma and Pudding.