Leslie Bushara

Leslie Bushara is the Chief Program Officer at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM). At CMOM, Bushara has been a key member of the leadership and education team for over 20 years and is responsible for strategic and long-range institutional planning. She has led the development for the Museum’s groundbreaking early childhood exhibit, PlayWorks, and spearheaded the development of the curriculum and professional development training models for CMOM’s EatSleepPlay™ and All the Way to K! health and literacy initiatives, among other high-profile projects. Bushara has worked with the National Institutes of Health, the New York City Housing Authority and the Department of Homeless Services to create a first-of-its-kind permanent learning hub model in public housing and shelters, and recently with the NYC Mayors Fund and the Department of Correction to launch a national program model that fosters connections between incarcerated mothers and their children. Bushara serves on the executive committee for the Association of Children’s Museums, and has received awards including the 2013 White House Champions for Change, 2017 NYS Association for the Education of Young Children Champions for Children, and 2018 Institute for Children Poverty and Homelessness Beyond Poverty.