Dana Minaya

An educator, humanitarian, and community leader, Dana Minaya grew up in Texas and Oklahoma, as an avid Scout, whose interest in nature, biology, and the outdoors was shaped by her parents. She joined the Peace Corps after college, teaching sciences in Ghana. Upon her return to the United States, she earned advanced degrees at Columbia University’s Teachers College, while also serving as a media coordinator and a science teacher with the New York City Board of Education. Among Minaya’s innovations were the set-up of a full television production studio for students in East Harlem, and working with Dr. Mario Salvadori in his development of a program of architectural engineering (now known as the Salvadori Center STEAM). Later she was the producer and broadcaster of educational radio shows and an educational television science series when WNYE Channel 25 was operated by the NYC Board of Education.

Minaya was an innovator in the beginnings of the progressive school movement, in which MacArthur Fellow Deborah Meier was concerned that we teach young people the skills necessary to preserve our democracy. She was active in the formation of Central Park East Secondary School (CPESS) in East Harlem under Meier’s leadership, and CPESS soon became a nationally known model for secondary school reform. As an innovative change agent, Dana assisted and supported the formation of many new small progressive high schools in New York City. She retired from one of these progressive schools as technology staff developer at School of the Future.

When Minaya and her husband Frank lost their son in a tragic accident in 1999, they were able to donate Walter’s organs. She became active in the New York Organ Donor Network, and worked at Mount Sinai Hospital in a program called The MOD (Mothers Of Donors) Squad, which quietly worked to support families that were suffering imminent tragic losses of loved ones.

Upon her retirement, Dana worked with her husband Frank in the town of Samaná in the Dominican Republic on many creative projects — housing and support of university researchers, a dental clinic, donation of crucial medical supplies to the local hospital, and donation of school supplies to two primary schools located in underserved rural areas. Their special dream was to develop a study abroad program to foster global awareness in American youth, but Frank’s health took its toll, so the idea did not come to completion. However, one good outcome resulted — Dana was co-founder with Frank of Samaná Foundation Inc., which has now gone international with educational and environmental projects in Costa Rica. Her personal favorite project related to the Dominican Republic was an extensive research monograph, written to preserve the history and culture of the 1824 immigrants (including Frank’s ancestors) who came from United States slavery to Samaná.

For many years Dana was also active in the Bahamian American Association, since Frank and Dana had a profound interest in humanitarian projects in The Bahamas and the tri-state area.

In her own neighborhood of Morningside Gardens, Dana is best known for initiating and encouraging volunteer gardening throughout the complex, and for her profound interest in promoting programs for the community and seniors. She has enjoyed the programming at Morningside Retirement and Health Services, Inc. Other activities that Dana enjoyed in her last years were The Tower League at Riverside Church, climate activism through The Beloved Earth Community of Riverside Church, the Christians for Palestine Circle at Riverside Church, two book clubs, and ceramic arts.

Dana continues to be a leader and supporter of protest events in her neighborhood. She creates wearable protest pins in ceramic porcelain and helps others make protest posters.