EDUCATION
Ripon College, Ripon, WI
B.A. *** Laude, Liberal Arts with Major Emphasis: Studio Art/Art History, May 1981
University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI
Elementary Education Licensure (Grades 1-6), June 1994
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Elementary Art Teacher, TCCES, St. Mary’s, Menasha, Wisconsin and St. Gabriel’s and St. Margaret Mary’s, Neenah, Wisconsin
December 2002 to present
Responsible for the complete art program for 400+ students from Kindergarten thru the Fifth Grade. Design and implement the process-oriented curriculum fulfilling both National and Diocesan standards of Art Education.
Summer School Consortium, Ripon Area School District, Ripon, WI
June-July 2009 and June-July 2010 – Kindergarten through Second Grade
Designs on Disney
Summer Program Teacher Son-Sational Summer, TCCES, Neenah, WI
June-August 2008, 2006, June 2004
Served on the design committee to create the first annual summer educational enrichment program for area students K thru 5. Also worked with the teaching team to serve the students throughout the summer.
Drama Instructor, Appleton Area Consortium, Highlands School, Appleton
June 2005
Introduced drama and public speaking activities for two sessions of K - 5th grade students. Students also produced simple paper backdrops and costumes and hosted a public performance session for families during each session.
Activities Coordinator, Juliette Manor, Berlin, WI
September 2001 to December 2002
Responsible for creation of programs, activities, care planning, charting, and staffing for up to 90 residents, team leader for four activity assistants, creation of two separate daily activity calendars and monthly newsletter, booking performers, recruitment and training of volunteers, member of management, budget, and quality assurance team.
Director of Children and Youth Ministries, Algoma Boulevard United Methodist Church, Oshkosh, WI
February 2000 to June 2001
Responsible for Sunday Church School, Wednesday Night Alive Mid-Week Program, Mission Trips, and Fund Raising for youth from age two through high school. Wrote curriculum for two through six year olds to correspond with the learning in the first through eighth grade Workshop Rotation focus. Each week of the month the students rotated to study the same subject from a different modality and style of learning. They utilized environments such as computer lab, puppet theatre, cinema, Bedouin encampment, art center, and kitchen.
Executive Director of the Mc-Comb Bruchs Performing Arts Center, Wautoma, WI
October 1999 to June 2001
Responsible for the day to day operations of the small rural center including planning seasonal schedule, supervision of the box office volunteers, grant writing, promotion, public relations, advertising, booking performers, coordination of the technical staff, facilitating the performers during their stay, and coordination of the various schools usage of the theatre space.
Curator of Education of the Paine Art Center, Oshkosh, WI
October 1996 to May 1999
Co-wrote, coordinated, and scheduled the “Van-Go Museum on Wheels” educational outreach program that was instituted into the Oshkosh Area Schools curriculum for fourth grade students. Expanded this program into an educational enrichment program for the senior citizen audience. Wrote curriculum for and implemented “Art-Eco Camp”, a one-week summer day camp for youth that integrated art and nature. Initiated “Paine Pals”, an art club for children ages six through twelve designed to promote awareness of and appreciation for the arts. Researched and wrote a script featuring the childhood of Georgia O’Keeffe titled The Wisconsin Years which was then dramatized and performed while featuring slides of her work for the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial. This was performed first at an Art for Lunch event and then moved into the junior and senior high school audiences. Scripted, co-hosted, and produced a series of horticultural educational programs for viewing on the local cable access Oshkosh Channel 10. Created an educational audio tour to accompany the Animals in Art exhibit in the Main Gallery that focused on art related vocabulary and comparisons of differing media and styles. Scheduled and coordinated the training of the Art Center Docents. Planned, developed, solicited exhibitors, and installed The Collection Connection exhibit in the Main Gallery featuring the collections of over forty area youth. Assisted in the selection and installation of both traveling and collection exhibits in the Main, Contemporary, and Showcase Gallery. Created life size renderings of antique engravings to complement a porcelain collection of harlequin figurines. Also was responsible for the development and implementation of all museum related educational workshops, lectures, and special events for all ages.
Private Tutor, February 1995 to October 1996
Developed curriculum and instructed a teenage at-home student focusing on the obtainment of his G.E.D.
Elementary Intern, Nicolet Public School, Menasha, WI
Spring Semester, 1994
This was a contractual student teaching position involving primarily first and third grade students. The school population was very diverse and consisted of over half at-risk students, which provided the need for a strong motivational and behavioral focus. This school was site management based so served as part of the leadership team.
Awards
National Award for Innovations in Education, Catholic Schools for Tomorrow, March 2005, Philadelphia, PA
Our Health and Wellness Team (4 members) designed and implemented a new initiative at the three elementary schools called Moving with the Spirit. The focus is on the whole child: mind, body, and soul. It contains three components that take place during the school day and the last one is the home connection.
Professional Affiliations/Committees - Current and Past
NAEA – National Arts Educators Association
NCEA - National Catholic Education Association
WPN - Wisconsin Presenters Network
EDCOM - Museum Education Committee - Wisconsin Co-Representative
AAM - The American Association of Museums
WRAP - Wisconsin Representatives of Activity Professionals
Paine Art Center Education Committee
Conferences/Continuing Education
NAEA Convention, Sheboygan, WI October 2012
Krista McAuliffe Academy, Summer 2012, 2010, 2008 - (Credits thru UW Oshkosh)
TASAH (Teachers for the Study of American History), Sept. 2006-Summer 2007 - (Credits thru UW Oshkosh)
Presenter - Moving With The Spirit: The Gathering Conference, St. Norbert’s, Green Bay, WI, Oct. 2005
The Effects of Divorce/Remarriage on School Aged Children (Credits thru Viterbo), Appleton, WI, April/May 2005
Emotional Intelligence, (Credit thru Viterbo), Appleton, WI March 2005
NCEA National Convention, Philadelphia, PA March 2005
Education for Healthy Kids Institute (Credit thru Viterbo), Appleton, WI August 2005 and August 2004
Differentiated Learning (Credit thru Cardinal Stritch), Menasha, WI August 2004
Activity Professionals Internet Course, Spring 2002
Alzheimer’s Association, Stevens Point, WI, April 2002
Wisconsin Long Term Care Convention, Stevens Point, WI, October 2001
Workshop Rotation National Convention, Chicago, IL, March 2000
Wisconsin Presenters Network Spring Workshop, Madison, WI, May 2000
Fostering Self Esteem via Theatre, UWO Independent Study (3 cr.), Spring 1999
Emotionally Disordered Youth, UWO Independent Study (3 cr.), Spring 1999
AAM National Convention, Los Angeles, CA, May 1998
Midwest Museum Conference Presenter, Madison, WI, October