The Wizard's Wardrobe is a free, one-on-one after-school literacy program in Albany's South End, pairing children with caring volunteer tutors so every child can become a strong, confident reader.
Where reading is magic
The Wizard's Wardrobe is a free, high-quality, one-on-one after-school tutoring program for children in Albany's South End. Since 2014, we've connected elementary school students with caring, dedicated volunteer tutors who help them read, write, and explore the wonderful world of books.
Children enter through a wardrobe — a doorway into a welcoming, imaginative space where they pull on a wizard's cape, sit down with a tutor who is there just for them, and discover that reading really is a kind of magic.
Our Vision
Through literacy, every child will be poised to reach their full potential.
Our Mission
Connecting elementary school children with caring and dedicated tutors, our one-on-one tutoring program enhances literacy, fosters creativity, and supplements classroom learning in the South End of Albany.
Our Values
Reading is Essential
One-on-One Tutoring Works
Every Child has Worth
Our Board
Barbara Alberts-Pirani has served as president of the Board of Directors since 2024, is an active member of its program committee and has been a regular tutor at Wizard’s since 2020. She brings a strong foundation in Education and a life-long commitment to helping all children feel able and successful. Before retiring in 2019 she served as a Lead Special Educator in the Nashoba Regional School District where she taught Middle School students with moderate disabilities. She also worked for many years as a ‘traveling’ tutor, providing state-required educational services to children who could not attend school for behavioral, psychological or physical reasons. She has also taught English as a Second Language to new immigrants.
Justine Aloise, secretary of the board since 2025 and a board member since 2024, joined Wizard's Wardrobe in 2020 as a tutor, inspired by her love of reading and her desire to share that passion with children. She has a BS in Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in History, works as a Commissioning Agent for a local firm and is a licensed Professional Engineer. Community involvement has always played a large role in her life. Growing up, she volunteered at every Aim High (now Down Syndrome Aim High Resource Center) event. Today, she is proud to combine her passion for service, education and problem-solving to help Wizard's Wardrobe strengthen the next generation of readers.
Brian Coyne joined the board in 2025 and has been tutoring at Wizard’s Wardrobe since 2021. He brings 35 years of state legislative staffing experience to the board, retiring in 2021 as the long-time director of Legislative Operations for the New York State Assembly. A lifelong supporter of libraries and reading, he previously served on the Poestenkill Library Board, and his first job was in the Monmouth County Library
Annette Johnson, a board member since Wizard’s was established in 2015, is a tutor and co-leads training for new tutors. Her work with Wizard’s stems from a lifetime commitment to the value of education as an essential life skill. Her first volunteer work was as a Headstart assistant at age 13, setting a course for her future. Throughout her professional and civic life, she has worked for fairness and equality, especially for people experiencing inequality. She is a retired NYS Public Health employee (36+ years) with a focus on public health and behavior of children and youth. She also was a professor in Africana Studies and Public Health at UAlbany for 15 years. She has an EdD in Education and is a Certified Health Education Specialist.
Eric Fagans, board vice president since 2025, board president prior to that from the beginning of Wizard’s and a founder of the organization, is a retired Presbyterian Minister who served congregations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. He currently lives in the South End of Albany, the neighborhood served by Wizard’s Wardrobe. During his ministry he worked with numerous Habitat for Humanity organizations, and following his retirement he led many work groups to help with home repairs after Hurricane Katrina. Eric helped to create the South End Neighborhood Tutors and has served on the board of directors since its start in 2015, leading the board as president for many years.
Dayle Zatlin, treasurer of the board and a board member since 2025, has been tutoring at Wizard’s Wardrobe since 2020 and has served on the Board of Directors since 2023. She is currently Treasurer of the board and chair of the Development Committee. A former public relations/communications executive at Sawchuk Brown Associates and the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), she brings a background in communications strategy and planning, marketing, media training, crisis communications, writing and events management. An avid reader, she believes that all children deserve the opportunities that come with reading well. She has served on several other community boards and is involved with The RED Bookshelf, a nonprofit that gives children in Albany access to free books that they can own.
Tam Kistler joined the board in 2025 and tutored at Wizard’s Wardrobe for two years pre-COVID and then returned as a tutor in 2023. She had a career as a music educator in the Cohoes City Schools. Since retiring, she has also chaired the Anti-racism Committee at the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany. In addition, she leads ongoing classes and workshops that teach people to listen thoughtfully and deeply to each other about oppression/liberation issues such as racism, Antisemitism, classism, sexism etc., with the goal of forming unity around making a world that is good for all people and all living things.
Lee Greenstein, a board member since 2026, has been a criminal defense, civil rights, and personal injury trial attorney since 1987. In addition to bringing that experience to the Board, he brings his passion to lift up children. He is a Wizard’s Wardrobe tutor, and before that an adaptive ski program instructor at HH Ranch in Lake Luzerne, N.Y., and a mentor for high school students with 518ElevatED in Schenectady, N.Y. Lee is grateful to give back to the Albany South End community where he has worked extensively as an attorney since moving to the Capital District from New York City in 1990.
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