Karen O’Neill

Director of Training and Quality Improvement

Karen O’Neill is the Director of Training and Quality Improvement at the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) at the Wellesley Centers for Women. She oversees the national and local training activities conducted by NIOST in support of out-of-school time programs. In this role, under subcontract from EDC, she is the NIOST Project Director of the National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment, one of eight technical assistance centers supporting child care, funded by the federal Office of Child Care.

O’Neill’s professional development, coaching, and technical assistance encompass the wide range of areas that impact out-of-school time program quality, including continuous quality improvement, equity in action, family engagement, leadership cultivation, partnership development, planning for sustainability, and funding. She brings extensive experience in adult learning through in-person, online, virtual, and community of practice engagements.

Prior to joining NIOST, O’Neill held multiple direct service and leadership positions in K-12 out-of-school time programs. She holds an Ed.M. in Education Policy, Planning, and Administration from Boston University and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from University at Buffalo.