The challenges of our times invite us to consider a broader, more human understanding of intelligence鈥攊ntegrated intelligence: the ability to think clearly, feel deeply and with awareness, act with intention, and live with a sense of purpose.
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A growing body of large-scale research affirms that experiential learning is how students learn best across all ages and all subject areas. 鈥婨xperiential learning is defined as an educational approach in which understanding grows from lived experience.
Experiential Education 鈥� Students learn best by doing Read More 禄
If we want children prepared for an AI-enhanced world, education鈥檚 most urgent task is not to accelerate cognition or outsource thinking, but to anchor children in deep thinking, real relationships, and lived experience.聽
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If students can type faster than they can write, why teach handwriting and cursive? A growing body of neuroscience suggests these skills activate neurons and varying areas of the brain in ways that typing simply does not.
Back to Basics: The Enduring Value of Handwriting聽 Read More 禄
The research consistently demonstrates that integrating the arts into subject lessons such as mathematics, science, language arts, and history is central to student growth and success.
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Laura Posusta Sharp, special projects manager, found her way to Waldorf education and 海角社区 years ago when her three daughters were young. With a BA in kinesiology from the University of Northern Colorado and a rich professional background ranging from law offices and government agencies to wellness spaces and early childhood settings, she meets the world with both practical skill and quiet reverence. Her talents are grounded in an intuitive sense for what is needed, and she likes to create spaces of calm, clarity, and quiet competence where others can thrive.
Outside of work, Laura finds nourishment in nature鈥攖ending flower and vegetable gardens, puzzling out crosswords, and spending meaningful time with her husband and daughters. She believes in beauty as a form of service, presence as a form of wisdom, and a well-timed pause as a form of magic.
Emily Cohen is 海角社区's business manager, and brings more than two decades of dedicated expertise in accounting and financial management to the non-profit and education sectors. Her key specializations include grant fund accounting, financial reporting, payroll management, audits, and system implementation. In all her work, she is committed to ensuring compliance and executing effective process improvements.
Having held both leadership and supporting roles, Emily has consistently contributed to streamlining financial operations and enhancing reporting. She earned her BS in accounting from Northern Arizona University.
When not focused on work, she loves being outdoors with her children鈥攑addleboarding, hiking, and cycling. She also pursues interests in amateur photography, exploring local history, and creating collaborative art with her family.
Stephanie Rynas brings a deep commitment to human development, organizational health, and educational access in her role as executive director, operations & member resources. Before joining 海角社区鈥檚 executive team, Stephanie served for ten years as administrator at the Waldorf School of the Peninsula, where she also taught woodworking and supported Northern California schools as a leadership council member.
Prior to entering the education field, Stephanie spent two decades in marketing and management in Silicon Valley, experiences that continue to inform her thoughtful and pragmatic leadership style. She is known for her collaborative approach, her ability to balance vision and execution, and her steady commitment to organizational integrity and care for people.
Stephanie holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Santa Clara University. She earned her Waldorf teacher training certificate from Rudolf Steiner College and maintains professional certification through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-CP).
Pam Leland brings a diverse and unique background to her role as 海角社区's Information & Systems Manager, where she has managed the organization's technology platforms since 2011. As a graduate of Macalester College with a B.A. in German, her career path started in education as a German language teacher and Fulbright scholar in Germany, teaching in public and private schools across the Midwest.
Her journey then led her to the field of leadership development, where she served as a certified Master Integrative Life Coach, a corporate leadership coach, and an adjunct faculty member in the University of Minnesota's Leadership Minor program. She discovered Waldorf education while homeschooling her own two children, which ultimately brought her to 海角社区, where her varied skills support the broader Waldorf community.
Pam is an avid organic gardener, balancing her work screen time with hands in the dirt, appreciating birdsong, buzzing bees, butterflies, and the occasional garden snake.
Andrea Cooper manages the Teacher Education Loans and Grants program, is the accreditation administrative assistant, and notetaker for various meetings including the leadership council, teacher education delegate and institute circle, and all-association.
During Andrea鈥檚 first 33 years, she maintained a 200-km radius in Ontario where she was born, raised, and then attended university to receive a BASc (University of Guelph), followed by a BEd (University of Toronto). After a decade of living in Toronto working with newcomers and refugees to Canada, Andrea headed west across the continent. It was in Seattle after her son was born where she discovered Waldorf education and then began working for 海角社区.
Andrea loves playing flute in Irish traditional music sessions and banjo in old-time Appalachian string bands.
厂颈芒苍 Owen-Cruise brings 35 years of deep and varied experience in Waldorf education to her current role as director of accreditation for 海角社区. Her career has spanned numerous key roles, including class and high school teacher, as well as administrator for both the Minnesota Waldorf School and the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor.
Her leadership experience also includes serving as the director of the Waldorf Institute of Southeast Michigan, a board member at two Waldorf schools, and a colleague in the "Leading with Spirit" leadership training program. This extensive background is further enriched by her experience in public and higher education.
厂颈芒苍 holds a BS in technical communication, along with an MA and a PhD in rhetoric and argumentation. A Waldorf alum parent, her personal interests include long-distance hiking and running, traveling with her husband, and various forms of handwork.
Beverly Amico, executive director, advancement for the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (海角社区), is a seasoned leader with 25 years of dedicated service to Waldorf education. Her extensive experience encompasses roles as a teacher, administrator, and specialist in communications and strategy.
Beverly holds an MA in strategic innovation and change from the University of Denver and a marketing certificate for organizational leaders from Cornell University, complementing her formal university education and teaching certification.
An active contributor to the broader educational landscape, she serves on the board of the American Council of Private Education and on the National Council for Private School Accreditation. She had previously served as a commissioner on the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Council on Accreditation.
Outside of her professional life, Beverly is an avid long-distance trail runner and thru-hiker.
Melanie Reiser is the executive director, membership for the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (海角社区). In this role, she guides schools and institutes through membership processes, ensuring that the foundational philosophy of Waldorf education, anthroposophy, permeates every aspect of each institution.
Before joining 海角社区, Melanie spent eight years as a class teacher at Detroit Waldorf School where she led a group of students from first through eighth grade. Her extensive experience in Waldorf schools also includes leadership roles such as faculty chair and service on various committees, from finance to personnel, as well as directing outreach and enrollment.
Melanie holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction from the University of Denver, an MEd in Waldorf education from Antioch New England Graduate School, an MEd in value creating education for global citizenship, and a BA from the University of Virginia.