LEADERSHIP TEAM:

Steve Halstedt
Board President
Steve is Managing Director of Denver's Centennial Ventures. He is the Founding President of the Venture Capital Association of Colorado and has previously served on the board of the National Venture Capital Association. As a venture capitalist, Steve provides capital funding and strategic direction to start-up companies. He has drawn on his for-profit and start-up experience to shape OpenWorld Learning into a replicable non-profit program capable of reaching national scale.

Barb Youmans
Chief Executive Officer
Barb has worked for OpenWorld Learning since 2004 when she joined the team as the Operations Director.  Barb's dedication to youth enrichment and her passion for high quality education programs have translated into a bold vision for expanding future services to children throughout the country.  She received her Bachelor's Degree in mathematics with a teaching certification, has completed additional coursework in Instructional Design and Technology, and is currently working on her MBA.  Barb has over 25 years of experience in the education and management arenas.

Chris Myers
Founder
Chris is a social entrepreneur with a background in elementary school teaching. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Latin American History from Harvard College and a Master's Degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver. Before founding OpenWorld Learning, he taught elementary school for five years, including two as a bilingual teacher in the Denver Public Schools. Chris managed a $5 million capital campaign to develop the Stanley British Primary School's Lowry Campus. He co-led development of a teacher training program at the Stanley School that was named a Program of Excellence by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. Chris also led development of the British Primary School program in the Denver Public Schools.

Larry Beer
Operations Director
Larry loves interacting with youth and is said to be a kid at heart. Before joining OpenWorld Learning and after graduating from the University of Colorado with a degree in Psychology, Larry served in the U.S. Air Force as an educator, program manager for training research, occupational analyst, and student pilot. During his service he earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and also volunteered time tutoring and mentoring children and young adults. His innate passions for helping youth achieve and for technology led him to OpenWorld Learning where he is excited to be part of an organization that positively impacts the lives of youth.

SUPPORT TEAM:

Daniel Ajoy
Webmaster
Daniel is a computer systems engineer who graduated from the Escuela Politecnica Nacional of Ecuador in 2000 and works full-time for OpenWorld Learning from Quito. Daniel leads OpenWorld Learning's web development, programming, and database development. He has co-led the development of OpenWorld Learning's print and web-based curriculum materials. Daniel also translates OpenWorld Learning's curriculum and parent outreach materials into Spanish. He has co-led development of OpenWorld Learning's MicroWorlds in Action and ePortfolio web sites and co-moderates the OpenWorld Learning-hosted MicroWorlds Forum.

George Hernandez
Special Projects/Training Specialist
George is a retired aerospace engineer with a B.S. from the University of California at Long Beach. Since his retirement in 2000, he has pursued an education in the visual arts. He has taken instruction from various local artists and attended art classes at the University of Colorado at Denver. His medium of choice is sculpture. George has volunteered at such organizations as Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA), Denver ArtStreet, and the Art Students League of Denver to help educate young people about art. He currently serves as a board member for the Denver Arts and Technology Academy (a charter school). He has been working at OpenWorld Learning since August, 2005.

Tara Holmes
Bookkeeper
Tara recently finished her MA in Theatrical Research at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Back in Denver, Tara is excited to work at Open World Learning, and promote the success of students using technology and creativity. On her free time Tara is theatrical artist and enjoys rollerblading and walking her dog.

Christi Kirchner
Media and Donor Relations Manager
Christi earned her BS in Not-for-Profit Business Management from Huntington University in Indiana. She recently moved to Denver to enjoy living and working in the mountains with her husband. She is excited about OpenWorld Learning’s educational methods and the growth goals which will allow OpenWorld Learning to impact more students each year.

Clarissa K. Lee
Special Projects Coordinator
Clarissa holds a BA in Business Administration (UNISINOS, Brazil) and a Master of Nonprofit Management (Regis University, Denver). She joined the team in 2004 as a teacher and since then has served as Site Leader, Director of Community Relations, and Program Coordinator. She is happy to be able to make a difference in children’s lives everyday. In her free time, she enjoys family & friends, designing jewelry, yoga, watching movies with her husband, teaching her dog commands, and traveling as much as possible!

Lysa Stewart
Multi-Site Manager
Lysa began providing services for children in 1997 working for Denver Public Schools after- school program, Kaleidoscope Corner. As the KC Area Supervisor, she was responsible for staff supervision, training and development of over 200 employees at 38 sites in the district. Lysa also piloted several successful projects, including a partnership providing homeless children with free educational after school programming. Lysa has developed and provided professional staff trainings for many organizations, including Colorado Alliance for Quality School Age Programs (CAQSAP). She served on the city wide committee which created the Denver Guidelines for Quality Youth Programming, a set of standards used to improve the quality of care during out of school time, which is used throughout both the city and nation. Lysa believes that by combining resources we can better serve the children in our communities. To achieve that goal, she is a member of Denver Quality After School Committee (DQUAC) and partners with other providers to ensure that the needs of children and schools are meet. She is also a member of the Denver-CAMP (Collaboration Among Many Partners) management team and assisting with the implementation of a city-wide summer camp partnership providing care to over 120 youth in Denver during the summer of 2007.

Shelley VanDelinder
Outcomes Specialist
Shelley has worked in the education field since 1991. She first began as a teacher and then moved to administration, for over ten years serving as both a Center Director and a District Manager, in the field of Early Childhood Education. Prior to joining the team at OpenWorld Learning, Shelley was a Quality Rating Specialist for Qualistar Early Learning, a non-profit organization that supports quality initiatives for Early Childhood providers. During this time Shelley worked with programs throughout the state, striving to improve the quality of the programs offered to children and families. Shelley earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2007, and she plans to pursue her Master's Degree.

TEACHING TEAM:

LeAndrea Walter
Senior Site Leader, Kepner Middle School
LeAndrea began working with OpenWorld Learning in 2003 and has recently been promoted to Senior Site Leader, a position in which she assists the Chief Operating Officer and supports site operations. She is an established freelance photographer and graphic designer and has been widely published in magazines and local newspapers. LeAndrea has traveled extensively in Central America where, besides touring, she volunteered and took lots of photographs. Her passion is working with children, to help them achieve their hopes and dreams.

Fatima Ahmed
Site Leader, Place Bridge Academy
Fatima recently received her Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Colorado. She's extremely active in volunteer-based organizations that raise awareness and help educate the general public, and her, on matters of faith, culture, and literacy. She absolutely loves working with children and meeting new people from all over the world. She enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Amy Albers
Site Leader, Kaiser Elementary School
Amy started working for OpenWorld Learning in late 2005 as a teacher. Since then she has been promoted to Site Leader, and she has opened two very successful sites. Currently Amy is enrolled at Metro State University and is pursuing a career in social services. Amy loves teaching and working with children. Her passions outside of work include outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and traveling. Amy also likes to find spare moments to cuddle up with her animals and a good book.

Mariam Asgari
Site Leader, College View Elementary School
Mariam started working for OpenWorld Learning January 2008 as a teacher at Ford, since then she has been promoted to Site Leader, at College View. She is currently pursuing her BA in History at Metro State University, with a minor in Education. Mariam loves teaching and working with children. She is passionate about working with students and empowering them. She believes that OpenWorld Learning is a great opportunity for students to learn leadership and will as self esteem. She is born and raised in Denver, Colorado. Her passions outside of work include traveling, art and music. Mariam also loves spending time with her family and friends

Ian Bawn
Site Leader, Trevista at Horace Mann
Ian is a 3D Animation Student at Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design. His love of cartoons is surpassed only by that of green olives.

Gilberto Cabrera Jr.
Site Leader, Munroe Elementary School
Gilberto is working towards his teaching degree from the Metropolitan State College of Denver. He enjoys doing web design in his spare time and loves to do computer tech related projects.

Andrea Duran
Site Leader, Adams - PerlMack
Andrea has been with OpenWorld Learning since September of 2003. She has worked as a Teacher, Site Leader, and is currently the Student Leader Program Coordinator. Andrea is currently a student at The Community College of Denver, working towards an Associates Degree in Psychology, with the intent to earn a Bachelors Degree. She is an Upward-Bound veteran and has given public presentations for the Colorado Summit on College Access, which explores the barriers and opportunities related to college access for students. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her son Isaiah.

Lannis (Ed) Fason
Site Leader, Archuleta Elementary School
Lannis was born in a small town in East Texas, where he joined an Army family and traveled the world.  Lannis attended elementary schools in thirteen different states before he graduated from Berlin American High School in Germany.  Lannis joined the Air Force and got to visit Vietnam. After that, he moved to Colorado to work on the world’s first multi-processor computer and also spent some time working with robotics. His hobbies include digitizing old radio programs from real-to-real tape and converting them to MP3’s (who’s on first, "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!")  Lannis is married with two son’s, a grandson and a granddaughter.

Augusta Featherston
Site Leader, Ellis Elementary School
Augusta is currently pursuing her MA in International Development at the University of Denver - Graduate School of International Studies. When she is not busy running her site, or engrossed in her studies, she enjoys skiing like a rock star during the winter, as well as reading, crocheting, and quilting.

Rose Hagood
Site Leader, Colfax Elementary School
Rose obtained her bachelor's degree in Woman's Studies, with a minor in Art History, from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. She recently moved to Denver and is also working part-time at The Children's Museum of Denver. She enjoys hiking and riding her bike. She also loves to cook and craft and in her free time can usually be found wearing a vintage hat and dancing like she's never danced before. Some future goals include backpacking through South America, writing a book, and working with children to create an environmentally sustainable future.

Kate Knudson
Site Leader, Creekside Elementary School
Kate received her degree in sociology from the University of Colorado, where she graduated with honors. She enjoys reading, painting, snowboarding, and never misses an episode of "The Office."

CarylMay Madrid
Site Leader, Castro Elementary School
CarylMay obtained her degree from Seattle Pacific University in Sociology and Global and Urban Ministry. She greatly enjoys working with children and learning from them. She has spent significant time abroad in Africa, Europe, and Asia working with children in a variety of settings. She is excited to be a part of the team at OpenWorld Learning.

Alicia Martinez
Site Leader, Ford Elementary School
Alicia received her Associate of Arts degree in 2003 from the Community College of Denver in Behavioral Science. In December, she will be graduating from the University of Colorado at Denver with her BA in Behavioral Science and Philosophy. As a mentor, Alicia has worked with a variety of children from different age groups. She enjoys drawing and listening to music.

Trista McElhaney
Site Leader, Mount Carbon Elementary School
Trista recently graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in Business Economics and a minor in English. She intends to go to law school next fall. She loves working with kids and reading.

Joanna Pollack
Site Leader, Doull Elementary School
Joanna Pollack graduated in May 2007, with her B.A. in Women’s Studies, minor in Ethnic Studies from Humbolt State University.  She previously worked with the Healthy Start EXPLORE after-school program, in which she was a kindergarten teacher.  In her spare time, Joanna enjoys reading, listening to music, and spending time with friends.

Cecilia Aguirre
Teacher, Castro Elementary School
Cecilia Aguirre is fifteen years old, and currently attends Lakewood High School. Cecilia has been a part of OpenWorld Learning since she was eleven years old. She started as a regular participant, got promoted to student leader, and then became a volunteer. Now she is a paid staff member. Cecilia enjoys teaching younger children and has a love for learning. Cecilia hopes to become a site leader in the future.

Victor Chea
Teacher, Colfax Elementary School
Victor is currently a student at the University of Colorado Denver, where he is pursuing a degree in business management. He was recognized as an amazing leader in the Landmines Taskforce Organization. Victor's interests include photography, traveling, and snowboarding.

Julio C. Dominguez
Teacher, Trevista at Horace Mann
Julio is a 2007 graduate of North High School.  Julio has also received a certificate for Web Applications from the program Computer Magnet, which he attended for four years.  This program really helped his achieve his educational goals for learning computer graphics and design.  Currently, Julio is attending college at the Community College of Denver, on the Auraria Campus.  He is also a really creative person and has a love for art and photography.  Julio also has a love of learning he wishes to share with other Denver students.

Lori Emmons
Teacher, Archuleta Elementary School
Lori earned her Literacy Instructor Certificate- Metropolitan State College of Denver 2000. Additional studies in Creative Writing, Spanish, & Business at Community College of Aurora, with plans to take classes for teaching English Language Acquisition beginning in 2008. Lori has been an AVID (Achievement Via Individual Determination) Tutor with Aurora Public Schools. Also, having served two school terms at Swansea Elementary as Paraprofessional Reading Tutor and one season with Summer Scholars, has further developed her desire to encourage, promote and improve the literacy and proficiency skills and abilities of our community's youth. Being a native to Colorado makes her truly appreciative our beautiful state, she enjoys the outdoors in all seasons, is an aspiring writer, caregiver, admirer of all art forms, and mother of two successful, grown children.

Guillermo A. Fabela (Alex)
Stop Motion Animation Teacher, Kepner Middle School
Guillermo Alejandro Fabela was born in Chihuahua, Chihuahua Mexico and migrated to the U.S. in the early 1980's. While attending middle school in the Roaring Fork Valley he quickly developed a love of films and video production. In high school he also became more familiar with video production as well as developing a true love for computers. Upon graduating high school, he received the Alpine Bank Hispanic Scholarship which enabled him to pursue a higher education at Colorado Mountain College. After receiving his Associates Degree in the Arts at CMC he decided to further his education in video and film at Metro State here in Denver, which is where he now resides.

Gina Flamenco
Teaching Assistant
Gina Flamenco is a senior at South High School. She has worked with kids since her freshman year which lead her into working at OpenWorld Learning. She is a great leader and loves working with kids. Gina likes to play sports and wishes to be a gym teacher one day.

Sonya Ghori
Teacher, Place Bridge Academy
Sonya graduated from the University of Colorado-Denver with a degree in Communications and a minor in Biology. She loves working with children and has been actively involved in the East Indian Heritage Camp, an organization devoted to helping adopted children understand their cultural background. In her free time, Sonya enjoys reading good books, eating great food, and spending time with her amazing friends and family.

Brady Hagerman
Teacher, Mount Carbon Elementary School
Brady obtained a B.S. in Anthropology and a Master's Certificate of International Non-governmental Organization Management from James Madison University, in Harrisonburg, VA. He was a lead member and Budget Committee Chairman of the JMU E.A.R.T.H. Club, allowing him to visit local public schools in Harrisonburg to teach outdoor and environmental education. He volunteers for a student-run community newspaper, One Word, One Love, benefitting the local Denver Public school district. He enjoys hiking, skiing, reading, and running.

Joel Kingsbury-Roth
Substitute
Joel graduated from Northglenn High School in 2006. Since then he has worked at a church camp, where he loved to teach kids about nature and rock climbing. After that he took off on a non-profit adventure where he traveled the country with Americorps NCCC. On his adventure he responded to a tornado and two hurricanes. Joel loves kids, teaching them and being a positive influence in their lives.

Tiffany Lloyd
Teacher, Ellis Elementary School
Tiffany is a student at CU Denver majoring in Psychology. She worked with children in summer PomPom and Cheerleading camps. In her free time she enjoys traveling and playing golf.

Vivian Lopez
Teacher, College View Elementary School
Vivian attended the University of New Jersey. Her major was computer science. She has also recently been attending Aurora Community College. In New Jersey she worked in Dandrite a pharmapheutical company. Now she is working in the finance department of AGI. A company of Rv'ers travelers. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, and dancing.

Jennifer Lynn
Teacher, Munroe Elementary School
Jennifer Lynn received her degree in Psychology from University of Colorado at Boulder in 2005. She has worked in mental health as well as with children for the last few years, and is especially interested in working with children with Autism and training in NVC (nonviolent communication style). Along with Open World Learning she works for Jefferson Center for Mental Health, and enjoys helping underserved individuals.

Jabon McMichael
Teacher, Doull Elementary School
Jabon graduated with from the Univeristy of Colorado with degrees in Spanish and International Affairs. He has visited many countries in Latin America and studied in Chile and Costa Rica. Aside from travel, he loves hiking with his two Labrador retrievers, Roscoe and Sadie. He is an aspiring bilingual teacher.

Vincent Mitchell
Teacher, Archuleta Elementary School
Vincent attended Wagner College, located in Staten Island, New York, studying Music and Photography. He later joined the United States Air Force where he crossed trained as both a B52 tail bomber and in Computer Operations. Following his honorable discharge, Vincent began working with Oppenheimer Asset Management in their computer operations hub. He then started with Denver Public Schools in a federally funded program called Academic Skills, which was the first computer lab in the district. Vincent is currently employed at Kepner Middle School as a Pro Tech, where he utilizes his skills in maintaining a 60 plus computer lab on the Macintosh platform. He enjoys fishing, music, and RC aircraft as hobbies.

Anh-Thu Nguyen
Teacher, Ford Elementary School
Anh-Thu Nguyen is a student at the University of Colorado at Denver. She is very interested in majoring in Economics. She has been involved in many clubs and organizations that promotes cultural unity and building social character. Her hobbies consist of ceramics, swimming, and dancing.

Sara Vavoulis
Teacher, Kaiser Elementary School
Sara graduated from Colorado State University in 2006 with a double major in History and Spanish. In addition to spending the afternoon with OpenWorld Learning, she works in a preschool classroom during the day. In her free time, Sara enjoys crossword puzzles, skiing, climbing, and kickball.