“Our job is to ensure every student learns; to learn, they must thrive.”
The Resplendent Quetzal
A symbol of liberty and prosperity, the Quetzal was venerated by the ancient Aztecs and Maya, who viewed the bird as the "god of the air" and as a symbol of goodness and light.
Considered a crime to kill, and unable to survive in captivity, the Quetzal became a legend of Mexican culture.
Diana’s mission is to accelerate our arrival to a world in which every student can show up to school as their full and authentic selves– and be loved for their unique contribution.
She will not stop flying until her destination is reached.
Diana's Story
Diana Bruce is a nationally recognized school health leader who brings a unique approach advancing health and education equity through policy. For more than 25 years, she has advocated child and adolescent health, school health, reproductive health, HIV/STI prevention, sexuality education and LGBTQ advocacy, mostly through policy and program development at the local, state and federal levels. Diana is known for her method of pairing radical empathy with sound public policy to engage communities in working together to create “student-centered solutions.”
Diana is an expert at navigating Title IX, FERPA, HIPAA and Section 504 to ensure academic access for young people, and has participated in a number of amicus curiae briefs before federal courts on behalf of transgender students. She currently advises K-12 schools on COVID-19 public health guidance to develop protocols and practices that could safely welcome staff and students back to school.
From 2008-2019, Diana served as Director of Health and Wellness for DC Public Schools (DCPS), where she coordinated DCPS’s response to H1N1, immunization and well-child visits compliance and other communicable diseases. Under Diana’s leadership, DCPS:
Improved attendance and graduation rates for expectant and parenting students, supporting them in delaying subsequent pregnancies until after high school.
Developed the nationally recognized DCPS Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Policy Guidance and trained more than 5,000 staff.
Expanded school-based health centers from two to eight schools.
Developed and implemented comprehensive sex eduction curriculum, from elementary through high school.
Ensured 100% of schools had staff trained to administer medication to students and Epi-pens on site.
Removed regulatory barriers to allow school-based health centers to dispense medication, including contraception.
Expanded STI screenings to all high schools, and revised the condom availability policy to allow both school nurses and trained students to make condoms available to students.
Diana works tirelessly to build collaborations with community partners to fill the gaps that left students without support, and transformed bureaucratic systems to increase access to health services and academic opportunities.
Before DCPS, she advocated federal policy efforts for national membership organizations on HIV/AIDS prevention, sex education and reproductive health, and served as an interim executive director. Raised on the U.S./Mexico border, Diana stayed home for college, earning a Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso. Her policy expertise comes from experience as well as education. Diana holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration, with a concentration in Gender and Public Policy, from Columbia University.
When not advising schools and organizations, parenting her teenagers is her focus, along with teaching yoga from an equity framework and serving on the Boards of Directors of Planned Parenthood Metro Washington and the Stonewall National Museum and Archives.
Diana’s pronouns are she/her/hers.