Portia M. York

Dr. Portia York, CEO and Creative Educator of York Creative Education Group is an exhibiting fiber artist and adjunct professor who teachers fibers at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. Although she has earned a Master of Crochet Stitches and Techniques certification from the Crochet Guild of America and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte (UNCC), her passion is participating in and studying the arts. At UNCC, her studies centered on urban education, arts integration, and the focus on arts in S.T.E.M. Prior to starting her creative education business, she served as a school administrator in a North Carolina private school supporting children with diagnosed learning disabilities for 15 years. Although her fine art specialty is crochet fiber art, Dr. York has a passion for performance art and expression. She is the author of the recently released book, The Influence of Dramatic Arts on Literacies for Black Girls in Middle School. When she is not creating art, she is researching ways to support girls through the arts. This book will be valuable to all educators, especially those at the middle, high school through undergraduate college/university level, as well as counselors associated with academic and community institutions, social service providers, policy makers, and parents.