Mary Shrader

With over a decade of dedication to positive youth development, Mary Shrader brings a wealth of experience from her tenure as Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Search Institute, a Minneapolis-based applied research organization. Specializing in translating positive youth development research into actionable strategies, Mary has worked with educational institutions, family, and youth organizations, as well as prevention coalitions both nationally and internationally. Her expertise focused on leveraging research-based frameworks and measurement tools to facilitate data-driven decisions and foster a strengths-based dialogue across various sectors or within organizations. 

Driven by her passion for early childhood and parental education, Mary pursued a Master of Education in Parent and Family Education from the University of Minnesota, graduating in 2022. She currently serves as a Parent Educator at South Washington County Schools in Minnesota, where she continues to make a meaningful impact on family and youth development. Mary and her partner, Daniel, live in Woodbury MN, where two of her four grandchildren attend elementary school in the district where Mary teaches.