Program Coordinator
Cherokee McAdoo is the Program Coordinator at the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University. In this role, she supports the Center’s research, academic and public engagement initiatives, including Duke + NEON programming, event coordination, student engagement and partnerships with community stakeholders.
Cherokee brings strong program coordination experience, community engagement expertise, and a deep commitment to advancing equity and opportunity for children, families and communities. In her previous role as a Community Schools Coordinator with Student U and New Hope Elementary School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, she led collaborative initiatives that brought together schools, nonprofits, public agencies and families to improve student and family outcomes. As an NC Public School Forum Policy Fellowship alumna, she brings additional experience in education policy efforts across North Carolina focused on advancing equity and strengthening systems that support student success.
Cherokee earned her Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Western Carolina University. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate, her experience spans trauma-informed community-based programming, education, behavioral and mental health, and nonprofit collaboration. She has also served as a guest lecturer at UNC–Chapel Hill School of Education, a Practicum Supervisor at UNC-Chapel Hill & North Carolina Central University's School of Social Work and as a Clinical Partner Liaison with Elon University.