Who Is Karen D. Allen?

FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR

EDUCATOR EXPERIENCE

  • Coached and participated in mentorship programs for beginning teachers.

  • Created and delivered community presentations to teach about trauma, behavior, restorative practices, and more.

  • Provided leadership for World Languages Department.

  • Coordinated, designed and accompanied high school French class students to France for 3 consecutive years.

  • Designed curriculum for Health Education program to meet the needs of diverse learners in their quest for holistic health.

  • Delivering professional learning to audiences including teachers; administrators; counselors; support staff; agency partners; and other community organizations.

  • Mentoring youth with autism and other developmental challenges, Independent Facilitator for the Self-Determination Program.

    WORK EXPERIENCE

  • National Education Director, Brighten Learning

  • Professional Development Content Creator and Facilitator, Brighten Learning

  • Coordinator for Homeless and Foster Youth Services, Marin County Office of Education

  • Principal: Marin’s Community School (7th-12th grade), Marin County Office of Education

  • Principal: Madrone Continuation High School, San Rafael

  • English Teacher: San Francisco County School, San Francisco

  • French Teacher: Lowell, Balboa, & Thurgood Marshall High Schools, San Francisco

Who Is Kathleen Dwyer?

DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

EDUCATOR EXPERIENCE

  • Designed lesson plans to meet individual learning needs for students in grades 7-mid college level for a total of 30 years.

  • Helped students to recognize, mitigate, and maintain resilience through traumatic experiences in connection to all subject areas.

  • Engaged with district personnel in the creation of a new, culturally rich curriculum for students at the high school level. 

  • Attended SEL workshops and collaboratively launched district initiatives to colleagues and students. 

  • Presented Growth Mindset and SEL professional development programs to high school faculty/staff. 

  • Modified curriculum and social/emotional approaches in accordance with students’ needs and their varying socioeconomic backgrounds.

  • Implemented engaging, relevant lesson plans for college Freshman English and Advanced Literature college courses.  

WORK EXPERIENCE

  • English Teacher - Grades 7-9 for 5 years, Fallsburg CSD, Fallsburg, NY

  • English Teacher - Grades 9-12 for 6 summers, Pine Bush CSD, and Clarkstown CSD

  • Varsity Basketball Coach - Fallsburg CSD & Clarkstown CSD

  • English Teacher - Grades 9-12 for 25 years, Clarkstown CSD, West Nyack, NY:   Mainstream English Teacher;  IB Year 2 English teacher; Assets Leadership Teacher; Alternative Education English Teacher

  • Adjunct Professor of English, St. Thomas Aquinas College - Sparkill, NY

  • Education Director: The 16 Strong Project