Alyssa Blackman (she/her) has spent many summers at Day Camp @ The JCC, most recently as the Off-Season Day Camp Director. Her previous leadership positions at Day Camp include Site Director, Program Director, and Unit Head. Before joining the Day Camp’s Leadership Team, Alyssa started out as a head counselor. Her experiences in such a wide variety of camp positions have helped her gain a deep appreciation for the role that each individual plays in our community. Day Camp @ The JCC is Alyssa’s happy place and she is passionate about sharing her love of camp year-round with families, campers, and staff.

Before joining the Day Camp full-time, Alyssa was the Assistant Director of Early Childhood at Temple Shaaray Tefila Nursery School on the Upper East Side. She received her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood General and Special Education from Hunter College, where she is currently an adjunct professor. She also graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University, and studied Psychology and German as an undergraduate. After college, Alyssa began her career at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan as a teacher in the Nursery School. She taught in the Nursery School for six years and served on the school’s Leadership Team. Alyssa also co-founded the Nursery School’s Anti-Bias and Diversity Committee and served as a member of the JCC’s Equity Action Team (EAT).

For many years, Alyssa’s time at the JCC was split between Nursery School and Day Camp. She utilizes her extensive knowledge of these two programs with families and supports them in finding their second home at the JCC.

Alex Sasso (she/her) is excited to be returning to Day Camp this summer as the Site and Programming Director. She has worked at Day Camp in various roles including Site Director, Drama Specialist and Camp Photographer. During the school year she works as a teacher in the Nursery School.

Alex received her undergraduate degree in Performing Arts and Arts Management at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and received her Early Childhood Education License in the state of Massachusetts. She is currently completing her Masters in Integrated Teaching Through the Arts at Lesley University. Alex's combined passion for children and the arts led her to the Reggio inspired philosophies at the JCC, where she has enjoyed working collaboratively with her coworkers and students to learn and explore. She is excited to spend the summer building a fun, creative, and exciting camp community together!