Welcome Melanie Holland-Orr, Director of Strategy & Operations
City Kids Wilderness Project is thrilled to welcome Melanie as our new Director of Strategy & Operations! Since joining the team in fall of 2024, Melanie has brought her expertise and passion for youth development and operational excellence to the forefront of our work.
Melanie has spent her career in youth and community-focused nonprofits, with expertise in improving social-emotional outcomes for youth, strengthening data-driven programs, and enhancing organizational efficiency. Her enthusiasm for process and operations improvement is already making an impact at City Kids. Melanie is committed to streamlining systems to better support direct program work and amplify the overall impact of City Kids mission.
Her journey in youth development began in college, where she worked for an afterschool program centered on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) for elementary school children. This experience sparked her confidence in the transformative potential of out-of-school-time (OST) programs. Witnessing firsthand how youth development initiatives positively influenced academic outcomes, Melanie pursued a Master’s in Educational Leadership, Politics, and Advocacy from NYU.
Melanie’s passion for education stems from her own positive school experiences and a desire to ensure others have the same opportunities to thrive. Inspired by her parents’ determination and emphasis on meaningful work, Melanie carries their values into her career. “My parents placed, and demonstrated, a high value on doing work that benefits others so that at the end of the day, you feel good about the difference you’re making,” she shared.
She strongly believes in the power of OST programs to provide another layer of support and care for youth beyond the resources schools can offer.
“Programs like ours provide additional mentors who believe in youth and want them to succeed. We’re also able to be more flexible than school curriculums in adapting programming to meet individual needs,” she explained. “The biggest takeaway from my career so far has been the importance of youth development. City Kids sees kids as whole people, not just students, and helps them grow as individuals.”
Melanie learned of City Kids through her previous role at one of City Kids’s community partners, Horton’s Kids, where she gained valuable insights into the benefits of our program from the families’ perspectives. “I saw the incredible impact of City Kids, and I was excited to join an organization with such aligned values,” said Melanie.
Melanie’s connection to the outdoors traces back to her time as a Girl Scout. She’s excited to reengage with the outdoors through City Kids, trying new activities—including most recently, snowboarding for the first time! When she’s not diving into strategy and operations, Melanie is an avid reader, a fan of day hikes, and enjoys attending comedy shows. We’re excited to have her on board and can’t wait to see the incredible work she’ll accomplish with City Kids!
