Sarah Elizabeth Ippel has dedicated her life to early childhood education. Prior to pursuing her vision for the Academy for Global Citizenship, she acted as Principal of Cambridge Educational Associates, an educational consulting company founded with a focus on developing customized and integrated auxiliary curriculum and parental guidance for children with academic related challenges.

Throughout her career, Sarah Elizabeth has traveled to 77 different countries across 6 continents, extensively examining educational philosophies and world languages as well as creating international alliances that have contributed to the design and culture of the Academy for Global Citizenship. In addition to studying the application of the International Baccalaureate approach in various cultural contexts across the globe, her most recent initiatives have been the development and implementation of globally cooperative literacy programs for orphan children in northern Tanzania.

As current Vice President of Education on the governing board of the United Nations Association, Sarah Elizabeth is committed to fostering implementation of The Growing Connection, a globally collaborative organic gardening initiative established to cross-culturally connect children and educators. She also serves on the United States Green Building Council Green Schools Advocacy Committee for the Chicago Chapter, Chicago Public Schools Environmental Action Plan Taskforce, and the Steering Committee for Climate Cycle. Sarah Elizabeth's additional leadership and civic contributions have included executive board memberships with Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Recognizing Mayor Daley's revolutionary Renaissance 2010 initiative in a time of escalating global interdependence, Sarah Elizabeth feels passionately about creating a learning environment where children develop the insight, intellect and compassion necessary to actively impact their global communities. She fervently believes that a comprehensive integration of sustainability principles is a critical component to embracing our roles as world citizens and has been a leader in modeling school-wide environmental initiatives. As Founder and Executive Director of the Academy for Global Citizenship, Sarah Elizabeth deems that the future belongs to these empowered global citizens who understand the languages, histories, cultures and dreams of all humanity.

Education

• M Phil, University of Cambridge, England
• BA, Trinity College

While spending countless hours catching fireflies and building forts in the woods and fields surrounding her childhood home, Anne discovered the world is an infinitely beautiful and wondrous place. These experiences fostered an insatiable curiosity to learn more about our planet and the people on it. Her explorations widened from rural Wisconsin to the geysers of Yellowstone Park and from Marrakesh's medina to the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.

After studying anthropology and African American studies at the University of Wisconsin, Anne began her career in education as a seventh and eighth grade teacher at a Chicago Public School in the North Lawndale community. She worked to improve the school's curriculum and after-school programs. As the Science Coordinator for kindergarten through eighth grade, she managed the planting and maintenance of the school garden and organized science fairs. She also started a student council, created and taught an after-school etiquette class for girls, served on the School Improvement and Black History Committees, and was the Teacher Liaison for The Algebra Project.

Wanting to spend more time abroad, Anne moved to Germany where she taught sixth grade for three years at an international school near Frankfurt. It was here that she led the sixth grade team through the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program authorization and served on the teacher evaluation strategic planning committee.

Anne transitioned into school leadership upon returning to Chicago where she developed project-based learning middle and high school curriculum and assessment for a charter school on the city's north side.

Other leadership experiences include her work as a Learning Team Leader for first year Teach for America corps members and the mentorship of three student teachers. For this, she facilitated monthly meetings, set goals and priorities, shared best practices, critically analyzed student work; benchmarked progress toward long and short-term goals.

As an educator, Anne deeply believes that all students should be instilled with the capacity to be lifelong learners, to be problem-solvers, and to have the ability to work individually and collaboratively. Above all, students must be encouraged to question and evaluate information critically and through this to develop an awareness of their own place in the world.

Anne absolutely loves her job and is so grateful to be a part of the amazing AGC community. When she is not at school, Anne enjoys nothing more than spending time with her two nephews.

Amy has been passionate about teaching and the environment for much of her life. She has dedicated her entire career to teaching and environmental stewardship. She began this journey as a tutor, swimming instructor, and coach in college, and later moved towards informal/museum education at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Michigan, Catalina Island Marine Institute in California, and the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Most recently Amy was the Teacher Programs Coordinator at the aquarium, guiding teachers in how to use aquatic biology and ecology to engage their students and fulfill state standards in education.

Amy is extremely passionate about her students and the subjects she teaches. As the Sustainability and Wellness Teacher, she is well suited with her hybrid Prius car and her bumper sticker that reads "Worms Eat My Garbage". Amy loves nature and the environment and uses this passion to inspire students young and old. Caring for AGC's schoolyard chickens excites Amy as she had a pet chicken as a high school student. Amy is also a SCUBA diver, and hopes to incorporate ocean science into her teaching.

Amy grew up in Michigan and was most impacted by her fourth grade teacher who taught her to love the planet by embracing recycling and environmental sustainability. Throughout her career she has participated in many environmental education opportunities such as the Green Festival, Family Farmed Expo, and the Illinois Vermicomposting Symposium.

Currently she is pursuing a Masters Degree in Zoology through the Global Field Program at Miami of Ohio University. She hopes to incorporate her international travels through the program into student experiences at AGC.

Amy is dedicated to interdisciplinary education and getting students outdoors as much as possible. She can't wait to integrate all these aspects into her teaching and hopefully inspire students just as her own teachers and colleagues have inspired her.

Education

• BS Program in the Environment, University of Michigan
• MA Zoology, Miami of Ohio (2011)

Joseph Dummitt is an educator who believes that a rich early education is the key to leading a rich life. He is passionate about teaching in an environment where innovation and growth are encouraged and does his best to facilitate an open and welcoming classroom of learners.

Joseph is a graduate of the University of Illinois where he earned a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Spanish. While attending the University of Illinois Joseph was a mentor for under served Latino teenagers who had recently immigrated to the United States. As a mentor he aided his students in the transition into the educational system as well as with the personal issues they faced.

After graduating in 2007 Joseph worked as a research coordinator in Mobile, Alabama for the University of Mobile on a project studying the effects of poverty on adolescents. Continuing in this same vein he taught in a high needs underserved high school in Memphis, TN teaching Spanish Language courses. He has also taught an ESL fifth grade class in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Joseph moved to Chicago to help. Leading a life of service is a cornerstone of his beliefs and daily strives to facilitate literacy in his students. He is excited to be a part of a school as dynamic and active as the Academy for Global Citizenship.

Education

• B.S. Elementary Education, University of Illinois

Jessica Forman has had a passion for social service her entire life. Growing up in Chicago with two parents in the field who constantly express the importance of contributing to society, she has always felt a need to have a positive impact on her community. Jessica believes that as an educator she can have the most profound impact on the youth of our world, the future of our society; that education is the foundation for success, and that every student is deserving of an education that caters to the student's individual needs and talents.

Practically growing up in her mother's high school classroom, Jessica discovered at a young age that education was a field where she could put forth her skills and enthusiasm for serving the public in the most effective way. Jessica pursued her passion for education at the University of Kansas, majoring in Secondary Education, Foreign Language, with an emphasis in Spanish. During her time at the University of Kansas Jessica enjoyed working as a lead teacher for an after school program, coaching Special Olympics, and playing on the practice team of the University of Kansas Women's Basketball Team. To better grasp the Spanish language and culture of Spain, Jessica studied for a semester at the University of Seville and learned invaluable lessons about the people and their culture while living with a Spanish family and traveling throughout the country.

Jessica has a passion for learning about different cultures and people not just abroad but also throughout the United States, where she developed a special interest in studying urban education and became motivated to attack educational inequity in our country. This lead Jessica to commit to two years with Teach For America in Houston, Texas where she started as a pre-kindergarten teacher and the next year followed her students into kindergarten, working to raise their achievement levels. During this time Jessica also founded and coached the first basketball team at her school for 5th and 6th graders.

Following two years in the classroom, Jessica looked for an opportunity to have a more global impact on children in our country who are not provided the quality education they deserve. She served as a Recruitment Director for Teach For America, working for the past two years in Chicago recruiting recent college graduates to join Teach For America and fight against educational inequity. After two years of encouraging others to enter the world of teaching, Jessica felt that it was time to return to the classroom to do what she loves best - work with children. This year Jessica is excited to be teaching in her home city of Chicago, and becoming a part of the AGC community. She looks forward to working with students to understand the importance of taking care of each other, the community, and the earth. As an active athlete, avid traveler, and enthusiast of new cultures, food, and music, Jessica is eager to bring some new ideas and learning opportunities to those that are already an important part of the Academy for Global Citizenship.

Education

• B.A. Secondary Education, University of Kansas

Education

• M. Ed. DePaul University
• BA University of Wisconsin-Madison

Education

• B.A. Elementary Education K-8; Mississippi College
• M.S. Multidisciplinary Studies of Education; State University of New York

Meg Haak is an educator and artist who is passionate about reconnecting society, starting with its youngest members, to those things that make us human--connectedness to the earth, to our bodies, and to each other through real experience and the engagement of creative minds. She believes firmly that fostering the imaginations and creativity of children is an integral part of giving them the skills they need to navigate and contribute to our global community.

Meg grew up in the farmland of central Indiana and remembers dreaming at a very young age about opening a boarding school in the country for city kids, because she could not imagine growing up without experiences such as planting, weeding, and finally picking the green beans you would eat all winter, or discovering what a comet is by seeing it shoot across a summer sky. While the specifics of that dream have changed through the years, her love for the earth and value of learning through physical experience remain firmly embedded. Small-town life and a tight-knit family also taught her to value life in community--living in a way that acknowledges our impact on other human beings, and works to make that impact a positive one.

These values were reinforced and expanded in her undergraduate work in the Education and Theater programs at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. While trying to combine her newly-discovered passion for education and her love for theater, Meg was surprised to find how easily the two overlapped. In the education program, she discovered the philosophy of education that claims people learn best through inquiry and risk-taking in a safe environment guided by a knowledgeable facilitator--and at the same time experienced the truth of these principles as they were practically implemented in her theater classes and collaborations.

Since graduating from Wheaton, Meg has been given opportunities to put her educational philosophy to work in a variety of non-traditional education settings. She interned last year with Still Point Theater Collective, a theater company focused on social justice, through whom she taught theater classes for women in Lake County Jail, and for adults with developmental disabilities at New Horizons Center and Esperanza Services. She also assistant-taught theater classes for elementary school children in after-school programs through Emerald City Theater Company.

Her work as a theater artist has given her the opportunity to work with people, many of them educators as well as artists, from Argentina, Brazil, Switzerland, Croatia, Australia, Austria, Greece, and Canada. An ever-eager interest in diverse people and cultures has also led her to travel to the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, and Norway. Knowing the vital influence that these experiences and relationships have had on her life, Meg is excited to give children opportunities to not only learn about but also to interact with cultures different from their own, including cultures and people in our own country that are often hidden or ignored.

Meg believes that fostering children's natural inquisitiveness and giving them the tools to discover, assess, and synthesize new information is as important as teaching them reading, writing, math, science, and the social sciences. She is excited to be a part of the teaching team at Academy for Global Citizenship, and to newly-discover with AGC students the circle of impact that connects us to the planet and the people with which we live.

Education

• B.A. Wheaton College

Ms. Kot is excited to be Pod 102's new kindergarten teacher! While volunteering at Chicago's Green Festival in 2008, Melek was acquainted with the Academy for Global Citizenship. From then on, she deemed it her "dream school" and was determined to be a part of the team. Working with children in nurturing learning community that is committed to global awareness and environmental sustainability is paramount in her philosophy of education.

Melek adores children. Her core belief is that all young people are unique and deserve to be cherished. She is motivated to instill her students to be respectful individuals who will enhance the community by fostering awareness of the environment and acceptance of others. With a background in Art History, Melek recognizes the importance of children's understanding and authentic expression of the fine arts. Prior to teaching at AGC, Melek supported children in numerous public and private learning surroundings as a volunteer, coach, nanny, tutor, special education aide and collaborative teacher. While completing her graduate program from DePaul University, in Early Childhood Education and a Special Education approval, Melek worked a preschool teacher in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood and student taught in CPS Pre-K and kindergarten classrooms.

As a teacher, Melek has seen that children can be triumphant when given the opportunity and support to do so; she is committed to working with students with diverse and special needs. From her experience, Melek asserts that students flourish when their standards of achievement are raised and therefore holds her students accountable for their success. She believes that children's energy is invigorating and powerful and can bring about change in society when empowered and educated. Planting that seed of change can happen at AGC.

Melek embraces her heritage (her name means "angel" in Turkish and last name "cat" in Polish) but is interested in learning about others. She is looking forward to improving her Spanish while at AGC. Having attended foreign language academies in her elementary years, Melek was exposed to several languages and had the opportunity to study abroad in England, Germany, Spain and Turkey. So far she has explored over thirty countries on four continents and eagerly awaits her next global excursion. She lives to travel and yearns to encounter new places, discover other cultures and sample exceptional food! When she is not in the classroom, Melek is happy just to be outside embracing the fresh air and sun. While she was born and raised in Chicago, Melek believes that she is a child of the earth. Eating organically and feasting on the fruits and vegetables her parents grew in their small city backyard, Melek is aware of the importance of healthy and nutritious food for young children and is confident that the delicious meals that AGC provides will help promote her studens' growth.

Melek is committed to helping others. She is devoted to her family, loyal to her friends and is dedicated to her students. Go AGC Orcas!

Education

• M.Ed, Early Childhood Education, DePaul University
• B.A. Communication Studies, Art History & Speech and Language Pathology, Marquette University

Anna Krzyzanowski is excited for the opportunity to grow as an educator at the Academy for Global Citizenship. Joining the AGC team as a second grade TA, Anna hopes to share her love of art, travel, reading, and imagination with the shining Orcas of AGC!

During her undergraduate years at DePaul University, Anna worked towards a career in Human Services and planned to work as a community helper by providing psychological and counseling services. Part of her training included a yearlong internship with Jumpstart. It was here, somewhere between singing songs in Circle Time and making Play-Dough birthday cakes, that she discovered her passion for teaching young children! The experience of watching preschoolers develop into life long learners was so rewarding that Anna has since decided to pursue a graduate degree in Early Childhood Education, with an emphasis on Dual Language Learning.

Anna also relays back to other profound experiences that have carved out her journey as an educator. These experiences include working as a tutor for the program, America Reads, where she would visit schools across Chicago and mentor K-12 students in reading, grammar, and writing. Anna also tutored at the Telpochcalli School as an adult ESL teacher, guiding parents in their learning of the English language.

As a trilingual speaker, Anna believes that learning new languages opens doors to new cultures, new friends, and new resolutions for our global community. She is inspired by AGC's multi-lingual approach to education and is proud to be part of such a humanistic manner of learning. As a student whose first language was not English, she remembers the difficulties that young learners face. Therefore, she is motivated to reach out to all students and work to engage them in a learning process that is both valuable and fun.

Anna also enjoys travel and meeting new people of different countries and backgrounds. She spent the summer of 2008 touring Eastern Europe and hopes to return and expand on her travels in the near future. Born and raised in this city, she likes to think that she's Chicago's biggest fan, reveling in the diversity and adventures the city offers. But most of all, she loves helping children learn and looks forward to seeing her students excel, discover new ideas and concepts, explore the world around them, and continue to grow as global citizens.

Education

• B.A. Psychololgy, Human Services concentration, DePaul University

A writer, artist, and entrepreneur who was raised on the Southwest side of Chicago, Maribel Mares, at a very young age, was inspired by observing and working at her mother's clothing boutique. She pursued a business degree at Northern Illinois University. Along the way she discovered her talent and passion for writing. A Mae Thomas Award for Excellence in Writing resulted in the publication of a short story in a teaching publication in May of 2003.

This set in motion her love for literature and writing. Maribel continued her education to attain a Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. At SAIC, she began writing a book, with an expected publication date of 2015, about her family that is focused on life experiences growing up on the Southwest side of Chicago. She is also currently working on two children's books and an independent project.

While attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she combined her business sense and her creativity to develop and manage projects for Kid City Chicago, a children's play center in Chicago's Ukrainian Village. Maribel's vision for children and their parents to explore the idea of pretend and the art of play was conceptualized in the construction of a miniature city for hundreds of children who visit Kid City on a daily basis.

Maribel was drawn to the Academy for Global Citizenship's Green principles rooted in her southwest side neighborhood. She acknowledged the need for this type of education in an urban environment and was eager to be apart of a renaissance that is dedicated to serving the community as a whole. As Office Manager, she feels that every decision, conversation, and connection she makes is a great opportunity to connect with the World. Her goal is to provide leadership, support, and organization for AGC students and their families, as they are unique families in Chicago who are interested in a unique education. They are learning as a family and embracing a new environmental lifestyle in order to impact not only their community, but also the world.

Education

• M.F.A. School of the Art Institute of Chicago
• B.A. Northern Illinois University

Tania Lee Park loves teaching students. However, she did not realize this until just prior to graduating from Boston College. As a Marketing major at Boston College, Tania's focus was on preparing for a career in business. She interned two summers at Accenture Consulting, a global business consulting firm, and networked with corporate recruiters in search of career opportunities in business.

But as fate would have it, Tania became exposed to working with children (and also women) at a homeless shelter as a volunteer, which was part of a requirement for a philosophy course she was taking. This opportunity provided Tania with an eye opening experience which was much different from the business world she had become familiar with. What Tania initially experienced volunteering at the homeless shelter was that many of the children were disengaged and disinterested in learning. She soon came to the conclusion that this was in large part due to the fact that the programs and events at the shelter were conducted primarily in English while many of the children did not understand and speak English proficiently. Having been in a similar situation of not understanding the language as a non-proficient English speaking student who had just moved to the U.S. from Seoul, Korea in the 10th grade, Tania understood the challenges the children were facing and felt compelled to leverage her experience to better engage the children to learn.

And ever since, Tania has committed herself to helping children become more interested and engaged in learning. Such commitment has led Tania to teach children in very diverse places including Cambridge, Massachusetts, Seoul, Korea, Monterrey, Mexico and last but not least, Chicago.

Tania has experience with the International Baccalaureate (IB) education and truly believes in the benefits of IB education over other education framework. Tania believes that one of the most important responsibility for her as a teacher is to spark a strong interest among students to learn and to provide them with consistent encouragement and support.

Tania is ecstatic about becoming a part of the innovative and collaborative Academy for Global Citizenship team and is looking forward to sharing her passion for international education with AGC community.

Education

• BS, Marketing, Boston College
• Masters of Art in Teaching, University of Chicago (2012)

Education

• MEd, University of Missouri
• BA, Communications & Digital Media

Meredith Polley loves school more than any other place in the world and is passionate about encouraging children to begin their school experience feeling the same way. She is adamant that literacy is the gateway to educational success and goes out of her way to make instilling a love for reading a cornerstone of her early education classroom. Additionally, she firmly believes in nurturing the whole child and all of their individual interests and talents while giving them the time, space and instruction to become dynamic and responsible citizens of the world. While Meredith grew up in her mother's classroom and claims that teaching has always been in her blood, she attended Northwestern University to study journalism and history. Throughout her years in Evanston however, she worked as a teacher's aid in a third grade classroom, taught Sunday school classes, and focused most of her journalistic energy on writing stories about education. When studying abroad in London, she spent eight weeks teaching King Lear to sixth years in a local school and exploring the differences in global educational systems. Such experiences proved to Meredith that her love of children's fiction and office supplies were not the only reasons she needed to reassess her career path.

Researching the significant disparities in urban education and looking for ways to make a huge impact in an urgent way, Meredith applied to Teach for America. Through this organization, Meredith was placed in a kindergarten classroom in South Los Angeles. She has spent three years singing and dancing her way to student achievement and cannot think of a better place to focus her literary passions than in early education. She worked extensively with English Language Learners and swears her Spanish is getting better.

Leaving sunny Los Angeles for windy Chicago, Meredith is thrilled to be joining the Academy of Global Citizenship team. She is excited to work with this amazingly talented and collaborative team and even more pumped to be able to focus on helping students grow as global and environmentally aware citizens instead of just good test takers. Having spent time in the public education system, she is ready for this opportunity to try new things and move away from the standard script. Perhaps most importantly, as an avid traveller, camper and hiker, Meredith cannot wait to show students a greater picture of the world at large - its beauties, its peoples and its needs.

Education

• MA, Elementary Education, Loyola Marymount University
• BA, Journalism & History, Northwestern University

Dan thinks that watching tomatoes grow is amazing! From seed, to seedling, to plant, flower and fruit, the process of art, science, math, drama and music comes to life. It is this simplistic amazement and wonder that inspires Dan to work with kids, in encouraging their imagination, curiosity and respect for the earth. Dedicated to education, Dan has been the director of Camp Young Judaea Midwest, a youth residential summer camp in central Wisconsin and the center director for 2 youth language centers run by Language Stars.

Having worked with kids for many years, Dan sees the opportunity to plant the seeds of change early. He strives to develop environmental manners within students so that treating the earth with respect is a way of life. Having traveled extensively, Dan knows that the kids throughout the world share in their ability to imagine, create and believe. By working with this momentum and using their dreams as a guide, Dan believes that we can shape a generation of kids who live in harmony and respect with each other and the earth.

Through his work and education, Dan understands the interplay between business operations and environmental manners. This diverse approach is mirrored in his daily responsibilities which range from budgeting to feeding the chickens.

Dan loves camping and hiking with his wife Alex, a kindergarten teacher, and their dog, Oban. He has spent time living and traveling internationally in Israel, Scotland, Greece, Egypt and a handful of Western Europe countries. He consults as a leadership coach, working primarily in developing open communication and self-awareness. Dan is completing his master's degree in Environmental Management and Sustainability from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

If you ask Alison Stachniak where she is from, she will probably respond, "I'm not sure!" She has moved seven times during her life (throughout the Midwest and Southeast), and as a result, has enjoyed opportunities to work with a variety of students and families. Her experiences include teaching Pre-K in an urban public school in Atlanta, leading K-1 students at a private school, working as a reading tutor in a rural school district, and numerous education-related volunteer experiences. Alison is bilingual (Spanish) certified and recently completed an ESL endorsement program. She has research interests in literacy instruction, ESL education, educational policy, and urban education, and hopes to shortly enroll in graduate coursework to receive her Masters of Education in Literacy, Language, and Culture.

An organic chef and avid runner, Alison is thrilled to join a school where children learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle, for themselves and for the planet. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, playing tennis, and reading. Alison is happy to return to the Midwest, where she feels most at home, and even happier to join an outstanding team of educators, engaged students, and some pretty awesome chickens.

Education

• BS, Elementary Education & Spanish, Valparaiso University

Helma Wardenaar, a Dutch native, always knew she wanted to be an educator at a school like the Academy for Global Citizenship as she believes that every child is unique and has incredible talents. She has a holistic approach to students, and understands that children's families are extremely important to their development.

Helma attended the Pedagogic Academy for Elementary Education in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and graduated with a major in general education Pre-K through 4th grade and currently holds endorsements in mathematics, social studies and music/drama. After graduating, Helma taught at a school in the Netherlands. She designed and taught dynamic and engaging lesson plans in all content areas, and incorporated thematic education within her curriculum. Her students excelled in all subjects because Helma was able to exponentially increase her students' interest in learning. Nevertheless, Helma decided to move to the United States and enrolled at DePaul University.

After receiving her Master degree in Special Education, Helma proudly became one of the founding teachers of the Academy for Global Citizenship. She started as a First Grade and Special Education Teacher, and shifted into the role of Case Manager and Special Education Teacher in 2009. She currently serves students with special needs in K-3, and is talented in finding innovative solutions to teach the curriculum to students that may not learn in the same manner as their non-disabled peers. She enjoys working with all children and believes that all students can learn, but may simply walk different paths to reach their final goal. She is excited to establish a cohesive learning environment in which all students and parents are welcome. Helma's well-rounded educational background and international experience enriches students' academic, social, and cultural development.

Helma speaks fluent English and Dutch, and speaks German and French on a conversational level. She is currently taking Spanish classes and enrolled in a Spanish immersion course in Buenos Aires, Argentina in the summer of 2010 to deepen her fluency. As a bilingual person, she has experienced that the ability to speak multiple languages is important for one's personal and professional future. Helma likes to travel to learn about other cultures, and tries to visit a school in each country she explores.

Education

• M. Ed., DePaul University, Chicago
• BA, Pedagogic Academy for Elementary Education, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands