anika butler

operation girls SPECIALIST

Born and raised in New Orleans, Anika is passionate about mentoring and empowering young people and expanding access to education, opportunity, and supportive resources for underserved communities. Anika Butler serves as the Operation Girls Specialist, where she is responsible for mentoring, empowering and advocating for girls and young women. She also develops and expands Operation Girls’ programs and initiatives, as well as cultivates and maintains relationships with referral sources, potential volunteer mentors and donors for girls ages 10-17.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Southern Mississippi, her Master of Arts in Secondary English Language Arts from Relay Graduate School of Education, and her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.

Before joining Operation Restoration, Anika served as the YEP Works Program Coordinator at Youth Empowerment Project, where she provided mentoring, educational programming, workforce development instruction, and wraparound support services to young people in the New Orleans community.

Anika is also a proud Americorps alumna, serving with City Year Baton Rouge and Teach For America South Louisiana. At Operation Restoration, she combines her passion for youth advocacy and criminal justice reform to support girls impacted by incarceration and help them thrive despite the challenges they face.