WHO WE ARE

Founder

Jennifer Adams, Ph.D. has expertise in early childhood education and adult learning through experience as a classroom teacher, faculty in higher education, and facilitator of professional learning. She has coached educators and leadership teams to build effective professional learning systems for early childhood teachers in large urban districts, small rural schools, and regional networks of learners. Her work includes coaching teachers and leaders on site and remotely to model practices and support deeper understanding of effective instruction and impactful professional learning communities. She believes that young children are powerful.

Consultant

Dan E. Davis, M. Ed., is a 34-year retired school administrator and classroom teacher for PreK-8 and a community college adjunct professor. He has vast experience in children’s theater, creative arts, opera, and positive communication.

Director of Programs

Terra Ellingson has a specialization in Early Childhood Education, an M.Ed. in Curriculum Development and an M.A. in Educational Organization and Leadership. She has 20 years of experience in Preschool and Primary Education in New York City and Chicago. Terra has worked as a teacher, teacher educator, and as the Senior Literacy Advisor for Chicago Public Schools. She adjuncts for Erikson Institute, specializes in curriculum and assessment alignment and believes supporting parents is a great way to support young learners.

Consultant, Story Dictation and Dramatization

Resa Matlock earned a Bachelor’s degree in Math, Economics, and Political Science from the University of Michigan. She spent the last 15 years of her career at Ball State University, producing training videos for early childhood professionals. Having become aware (thanks to the books of Vivian Paley) of the thinking and meaning-making children do through story and play, Resa turned her focus to collecting, connecting and nurturing children’s stories. In addition to producing training videos and working in preschool classrooms and after-school programs, she offered story workshops to parents and early childhood professionals. Thanks to the Costa Rican side of her family, she speaks Spanish. ​

Consultant, Bilingual Education

Luisiana Meléndez, Ph.D., is a Clinical Professor at Erikson Institute and director of the Institute’s Bilingual/ESL Program. At Erikson, Dr. Meléndez teaches courses and participates in initiatives to prepare early childhood practitioners to meet the developmental and learning needs of the increasingly diverse children and families in U.S. educational settings. Before joining the faculty at Erikson, Dr. Meléndez worked for close to two decades as an early childhood and elementary teacher in the Dominican Republic and in the U.S. For the last three years Dr. Meléndez was a member of the Chicago Board of Education, where she also led the Board’s Early Childhood Committee. In the fall of 2022, she will rejoin the Chicago Consortium for School Research Steering Committee.

Director of Technology

Lisa Piane, M.A. in Educational Technology, is an early childhood Computer Science Teacher and Educational Technology Specialist at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. Previously, she worked as a first and second grade homeroom teacher for nearly two decades. Lisa helps educators integrate technology into their classrooms and offers expertise in choosing and evaluating digital tools that align with pedagogy and learning goals. Her work includes designing and facilitating professional development opportunities, individual coaching and parent education. As a teacher, Lisa helps her students develop skills in digital citizenship, digital literacy and computational thinking. ​

Consultant, Oral Storytelling

Patrick Ryan is a storyteller, teacher, researcher, and writer based in Belfast and working throughout the UK, Ireland, Europe, and North America. He is the author of Shakespeare’s Storybook (2001) and several articles on storytelling. His book, Story Listening in Early Childhood Experience, was recently published with co-author Donna Schatt.

Consultant, Oral Storytelling

Donna Schatt ​is a storyteller, researcher, librarian, and writer based in Chicago, Michigan, and New York, USA. She is currently researching the effects of oral story listening on visualization abilities, as well as writing a novel. Her book, Story Listening in Early Childhood Experience, was recently published with co-author Patrick Ryan.

Consultant, Yoga and Mindfulness

Elspeth Stowe-Grant, M.Ed, RYT, CMI, is an early childhood educator and certified yoga and mindfulness instructor. She has over two decades of classroom teaching experience and currently teaches at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. She is passionate about social-emotional learning and the wellness of children. Elspeth has experience designing and implementing yoga and mindfulness curriculum for the classroom, after-school and summer programming. She teaches yoga and mindfulness programs for children and adults and facilitates in-services for teachers. All her offerings are inclusive, accessible and trauma-informed.

Consultant, Multimedia Arts

Ayn Swann is a maker and instructor of multimedia 2D and 3D artworks based in Ohio. She began her career as a portrait artist at Geauga Lake Theme Park. Later, she served as a Museum Educator at the Dayton Art Institute, where she managed involvement in programs such as Preschool Promise, Tiny Thursdays (literacy and art for toddlers), Language of Art (reading club), Summer Art Camp, and programs catering to special accommodations—including art classes for veterans with limited vision and Autism Awareness events.

For eight years, Ayn was a Resident Teaching Artist with the Zoot Theatre Company, specializing in puppets and masks. She has taught art classes at the Rosewood Arts Center, Wittenberg University, Hillel School, TEJAS, and Chasing Light Art Studio.

Dedicated to serving the Dayton community, Ayn has been a costumer for the Human Race Theatre, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Sinclair Community College, Yellow Springs Kids Playhouse, and the Kettering Children’s Theatre. Additionally, she crafts animal mascot-style, haunt, and cosplay costumes for enjoyment. In her leisure time, Ayn sings jazz and original songs with local bands, The High Standards and Ledge.

Consultant, Arts and Literacy Integration

Julie Young, Master Teacher, has career that includes fourteen years as a classroom teacher in urban public schools, AND being a working musician, dancer, and visual artist! She is also a fluent French speaker, with training and experience in language-immersion education. Julie believes the “achievement gap” is really an opportunity gap, and that “A moving child is a learning child.” Integrating visual arts as well as traditional children’s folklore (including hand clapping games, call-and-response songs, and play-parties) from a wide variety of cultures into a school setting allows children to recognize their own seat at the table, naturally and joyfully developing literacy and numeracy skills, and growing as active learners.

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