A reflective practitioner, Dr. Desiree DeFlorimonte, fondly known to her students and colleagues as ‘Dr. De’, has a long and distinguished career in pedagogy. For more than four decades, her scholarship, teaching, and service have focused on Literacy, Early Childhood Development, Curriculum Design, and Instructional strategies. She earned a Ph.D. in Elementary/ Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina, the M.A.T in Curriculum Development from Trinity College, and a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland.
Now retired, her successful teaching career has positively affected the lives of thousands of her students and teachers from Early Childhood Classrooms through academia in the United States, the Caribbean, and Guyana. Dr. DeFlorimonte has facilitated many Professional Development workshops in Prince Georges’ County, including the Maryland International Day School, (MIDS), The Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys, in the District of Columbia and several schools and organizations across Guyana, South America.
As a Professional Development Lead Teacher (PDLT) and Reading Specialist, Dr. DeFlorimonte assessed the training needs of literacy professionals and paraprofessionals and developed and implemented in-service training to build their capacity in literacy instruction. She made numerous presentations at local, state, regional and national conferences. She also served as Assistant Professor at two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), where she inspired students to become effective, competent, and distinguished teachers.
Dr. DeFlorimonte received the prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award (2016-2017) which assisted her in attaining the longstanding desire to give back and make a significant contribution to the field of literacy development in Guyana. While serving as an educational ambassador for the U.S, she taught courses in Literacy Studies, Reading in Content Areas and Children’s Literature, at the University of Guyana, ensuring that teachers possess the necessary literacy knowledge base and skills to effectively implement the curriculum. Another significant endeavor was the implementation of Storytelling performances and a Read-Aloud hour at the National Library in downtown Georgetown, as well as several schools along the East Coast of Demerara. It is her belief that listening to literature being read aloud is one of the most valuable and pleasurable experiences emergent readers and writers can have and should be part of every student’s day. She shared stories with children who visited the library when their parents brought them to check out books for independent reading. The children were always eager and curious to hear and join in the stories but were not happy to learn that her tenure in Guyana was ending. However, they were relieved when she introduced them to the US Embassy’s Public Affairs Officer and a UG Colleague who continue the Saturday Storytelling project.
Dr. DeFlorimonte has served on the Boards of several non-profit organizations during the past three decades. For more than twenty-five years this humanitarian was co-founder and first president of Guyanese Assisting in Development (GUYAID). Her passion for aiding and mentoring children and the elderly who were impoverished compelled her to lead delegations on biennial missions to Guyana to donate needed educational supplies. Workshops were provided on Literacy Development, Reading Strategies and Parental Involvement. Students from primary and secondary schools in all regions of Guyana were invited to participate in essay competitions and were awarded prizes and scholarships. As CEO of Cambridge Academy Alumni Association International (CAAAI), (2006-2016 and 2020-present), Dr. DeFlorimonte provides overall leadership. She is strategic in building relationships while empowering and moving the organization to excellence and success. Ever focused on serving others, she continues to mentor and enhance the lives of her family, friends, the community, students and parents. She currently sits on the Advisory Boards of Maryland International Day School, (MIDS), the Caribbean Students Scholarship Fund (CSSF), the Autumn Leaf Group, Inc. and serves as Chairperson of the Joy-at-Work Center (JAWC) Global Ambassadors Board.
A Transformational leader and people-person, Dr. DeFlorimonte received numerous Community Service and Humanitarian Awards from local and national organizations for her dedication and service. She is a sought-after speaker at several non-profit organizations in Maryland, Washington, DC, New York, and Connecticut.
Her shero is the late Dr. Maya Angelou, whose quote, “If you get, give. If you learn, teach” resonates in the minds of all her students. Her passion is to have ‘each one, teach one’ which produces a ripple effect. This empowers more and more change-makers to share and pass on to others what they have learned.
Dr. DeFlorimonte currently resides in Capitol Heights, Maryland and is the mother of Angel Waldron and grandmother of Jayson Pinnock. She enjoys traveling, reading, writing dialect poetry, singing, and dancing.
