Meet the Head of School
Ivan M. Hageman, born on Chicago's Southside and raised in East Harlem, is the Head and Co-Founder of The East Harlem School at Exodus House.
Raised in residential drug treatment center founded by their parents, Ivan and his brother returned years later to the same building to create EHS. In pursuit of racial justice, they designed their school as a powerful response to a deeply segregated school system. He is gratified it became that - and so much more.
Ivan attended Harvard University where after three years he received a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in Social Anthropology. Ivan then put the anthropology to use: he became a personal trainer, an altercation de-escalation engineer working the door of after hours clubs, and he crossed the continent by motorcycle. He later earned a Master's degree from Harvard's Graduate School of Education. Prior to founding EHS, Ivan taught in inner city public schools and worked for his alma mater, the Collegiate School.
Ivan believes everything one needs might be found somewhere between stillness and movement. He practices Xing-yi chuan, studies judo, and meditates. He also loves his family, his country, and grows a few Japanese wind orchids.