Heidi coleman

EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION SPECIALIST

Dr. Heidi Coleman serves as the Education Administration Specialist at Operation Restoration. In this role, she oversees the Operation Education department. She also directly manages the College-In-Prison Program at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women. Her work is dedicated to expanding access to education as a pathway to economic mobility, personal growth and lasting change.

Dr. Coleman earned her Ph.D. in education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her dissertation focused on centering the voices of those with lived experiences in program evaluations of higher education prison programs across the southeastern region. In her educational career, she has taught high school science for both in-prison students obtaining their high school equivalency diploma and for students in an alternative school. She has also supported low-performing schools in North Carolina, served as a mentor to pre-service and in-service teachers, and served as a grants and program evaluation coordinator for Durham Public Schools in North Carolina.

Heidi wholeheartedly believes education is the gateway to all future opportunities, as it is the one thing that can never be taken away from anyone. Currently serving on the board of OurJourney – a North Carolina non-profit that helps those returning home from incarceration access resources and support for success – she is passionate about ensuring everyone has access to higher education and empowering those whose voices are often unheard. In her spare time, Heidi enjoys DIY projects and functional art, including quilting and knitting.