Our Team
The Massachusetts Adult Literacy Help Desk connects adult learners with the programs and services they need to learn, grow, and achieve their personal, professional, and community goals. Our staff knows adult education and is here to help you get where you need to go.
Alexandra Papagno
Director,
SABES Program Support Team
Alexandra has worked in adult education and volunteer management since 2009. She spent four years as the Massachusetts Adult Education Help Desk Coordinator. Before that, Alexandra was the Senior Volunteer Manager at the Boston Debate League and the Education Program Coordinator at South Boston en Acción, where she created community programs that combined ESOL and civic engagement. Alexandra is dedicated to using learning as a tool for personal and community transformation and ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality, student-centered learning opportunities.
Alexandra has a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a Certificate in Native American and Indigenous Studies from UMass Amherst.
Alejandro Alvarez
Help Desk Coordinator,
SABES Program Support Team
Alejandro joins us through our career pathways work. Alejandro has over 15 years of experience in public health research, policy, and program development. He focuses on community health education, community needs assessment, social determinants of health, and other topics. Alejandro has a strong background in education, having led and taught training for community health workers, as well as CNA and technology courses at the Cambridge Community Learning Center.
Jane Brandt
Project Coordinator,
SABES Program Support Team
Jane is the Project Coordinator for the SABES Program Support Team. She has been teaching the English and Spanish languages to Adult Learners since 2006. She has a background in Second Language Acquisition Curriculum and Instruction and was formerly an ESOL teacher. Jane is passionate about access to learning, development, and resources for all people.
Jane was a K-12 educator for 14 years. As a teacher, she supported her learners and their families by facilitating parent groups, developing resources to help families get oriented, and serving as an interpreter for Spanish-speaking families.
Jane has a dual Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Communication from UMass Amherst and a Master’s of Education from UMass Boston.