Casper Lassiter
Casper Lassiter is the Campus Director for Children’s Aid, Dunlevy Milbank Center in Harlem NY. Through his guidance and support, Mr. Lassiter has played a key role in the lives of many Harlem youth. Mr. Lassiter has been a leader, a role model as well as an inspiration to the young people in Harlem. Mr. Lassiter’s life changed when he joined Children’s Aid 42 years ago as a guard on the basketball team. Children’s Aid Carrera program came in two years later and saved his life during an era where drugs and teen pregnancy where rampant in his neighborhood. While most of his peers had fallen to the temptations of the street life, Casper was at Milbank learning personal development, and receiving job-training courses. Keeping the lessons, he learned at Milbank in mind, Casper graduated from Salisbury Prep in Salisbury CT in 1990, and then it was off to Pennsylvania where he earned a Bachelors of Arts in Social Psychology from Lehigh University in 1994, and a Master’s of Social Work from Hunter College in 2000. Casper Lassiter has truly given back to his community by working at the very center he grew up in. He began his Youth Development career 30 years ago at Milbank when he started as a Case Manger where he advocated on the behalf of the residents of 118 th Street. In 1997, Mr. Lassiter was promoted to Associate Coordinator of Youth Development Services at Milbank, two years later, he was promoted to Coordinator and after reinvigorating a once lackluster program, Mr. Lassiter was then promoted in 2001 to Assistant Director of the Milbank Center. After serving as the Director for The Drew Hamilton Learning Center. Casper came back to lead the very place where it all started the Milbank Center in 2009. Throughout his college career, Mr. Lassiter has been presented with numerous awards, such as the Lehigh University Learning and Leadership Award. Lehigh University Senior Award, and Service Award, as well as the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award. Mr. Lassiter has kept up his record of accomplishment when he was thrice awarded the Excellence Award, which is given to outstanding Children's Aid staff. Casper is married, the father of two children ages 26 and 19.
Appears in 1 Episode
Harlem: 40 Years of Hope and Change
In this inspiring episode of “Every Step of the Way,” hosts Georgia Boothe and Sandra Escamilla sit down with Casper Lassiter, the director of Children's Aid's Milbank...
