Dr. Jen

Dr. Jennifer Knight-Johnson is a global public health consultant, educator, and author with over 25 years of experience across the Caribbean, Africa, and the United States. Her work has focused on child health and development, youth programming, HIV/AIDS, education systems strengthening, and international development, including collaborations with organizations such as USAID, UNICEF, UNFPA, and HRSA.

She trained at Froebel College, Institute of Education, Roehampton, London, where the development of the whole child—socially, academically, emotionally, physically, and spiritually—formed a central part of her educational foundation. Her early career included teaching young children, lecturing, consulting, and helping to develop stories for a flagship Child-to-Child project in rural Jamaica, which was integrated into the Jamaican Ministry of Education’s curriculum.

Dr. Knight-Johnson holds advanced training in sociology, education, and public health, bringing an interdisciplinary perspective to how children grow, learn, play, and thrive. Over years of working with international agencies in the Caribbean, USA, and Africa, she has remained deeply committed to strengthening communities, supporting healthy development, and expanding opportunities for children and young people.

Alongside her professional work, she is an accomplished pianist and a storyteller at heart. Her children’s books, inspired by her Jamaican childhood, celebrate play, family, culture, imagination, and joy. Through her Herb and Jen series, she preserves authentic cultural memories while highlighting the importance of reading, play, and the freedom of childhood in shaping a child’s development.

Her writing is especially personal. It draws on treasured memories of her childhood with her brother Herbie, whose life was tragically cut short, and reflects a world filled with fun, laughter, warmth, and happiness. Through both scholarship and storytelling, Dr. Knight-Johnson expresses her enduring belief that children deserve the time, space, and freedom to enjoy their childhood fully.