Meet Our Staff

In 2004, Donnis joined the Educational Access Project as an assistant education advisor in the Cook County North Region, later becoming the education advisor in 2009. In these roles, she provided advocacy for youth in foster care throughout Chicago and the North Cook County suburbs, addressing issues such as enrollment, school stability and access to appropriate educational services. She also trained child welfare professionals, foster parents and educators on state and federal education policy for youth in care.

After serving more than two decades as an education advisor, Donnis now serves as the director of the Northern Illinois University Center for Child Welfare and Education (CCWE), where she leads efforts to promote educational equity and support for children and youth in care. In 2026, Donnis will have also achieved a Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in curriculum and cultural pedagogies in social justice, advancing her commitment to inclusive and transformative education.

Carmen applies her educational expertise – gained from more than two and a half decades working as a K-12 teacher and administrator – to assist the educational advisors with planning, coordinating and managing requests for support for youth in care who are under DCFS guardianship. The educational support provided to youth in care is a pivotal component of the overall goal of safety and stability for children and youth who are served by DCFS. We see educational success as their way to a better, brighter future.

Carmen's previous experience includes 16 years as an elementary and middle school administrator and 10 years as a special education teacher. Carmen holds a bachelor's degree in communication from DePaul University and a master's degree in special education from the University of Illinois Chicago. Carmen also has a postgraduate certificate in school administration from Concordia University. Carmen enjoys reading, dancing, traveling and summer outdoor activities.