Mercedes Diggs has been a theater teaching artist in Seattle since 2002. As a faculty member for the Seattle Children's Theatre and British American Youth Festival Theatre, she's been teaching drama, producing school plays, and collaborating with classroom teachers to incorporate performing arts into their curricula. Diggs has an M.A. in Teaching from the University of Washington, and a performance background in musical theater and improv. During off-hours, she can be found at the park chasing her toddler son. This is her fourth year with UW Summer Youth Programs.
CAROL GNOJEWSKI - TECHNOLOGY (SESSIONS A, B AND C)
Carol Gnojewski is a middle school school technology and humanities instructor delighted to return to the UW and share new computer programs, projects and techie tricks with Middle School Academy students. The mother of a teenage youtube video auteur, she enjoys expressing her own creativity through the lower tech pastimes of reader's theatre, creative writing, yoga and hiking.
STEVE HOWARD - SCIENCE (SESSION B)
This is Steve's third summer working with the Middle School Academy. He is a middle school science teacher who has worked in the Edmonds School District for the past 14 years. His students are going to have a lot of fun building things to performance standards (towers, sail cars, egg drop contraptions) to see how they withstand various kinds of forces. He is also hoping to take students on some interesting fieldtrips around campus.
CATHLEEN O'MALLEY - CREATIVE WRITING (SESSION C)
Cathleen O'Malley is a writer, performer and outdoor enthusiast with over 9 years experience in interdisciplinary arts education. Her classes will explore the connection between storytelling and human encounters with the natural world. She holds an MFA from Naropa University and recently completed two years study of physical theatre at the London International School of Performing Arts.
BRYAN SCHONEMAN - VISUAL ARTS (SESSION B)
Bryan Schoneman has been involved in making, thinking and performing art since he was a kid, especially with the construction and arrangement of 3D forms, but academically since 1999. Schoneman studied at a private atelier under Jeff Watts for 2 years, received his B.A. in Studio Art from Humboldt State University, and worked full-time as curator and art teacher at the Cheri Blackerby gallery/"Studio," a fine arts program for adults with developmental disabilities. He is currently working on his MFA in Sculpture at the UW. During this MSA session, students will be working on "adaptive "structures in relationship to the body and the environment and will be focusing on ideas of empowerment, accountability, fantasy, memory, creativity, form/function, and inflation/expansion.
BETH SIMS-CREATIVE WRITING (SESSIONS A/B)/VISUAL ARTS (SESSION C)
Beth Sims is a nationally recognized artist and arts educator currently teaching grades 4/5 at The Giddens School in Seattle. Her essays and commentaries on contemporary life have been published in a variety of sources. A very hands-on teacher, she is always has a pencil somewhere on her person and is often covered in any variety of sticky substances.
NADINE SMITH - VISUAL ARTS (SESSION A)
Nadine Smith is a Seattle-based artist and teacher whose diverse interests include designing and implementing community art works, working as an artist in residence in public schools, and creating mixed-media fiber works. Smith's work includes collaborative art projects funded by various organizations, including the Refugee Women Alliance, Safe Futures Youth Center and the Pike Place Market Foundation. She has current fiber works at the Columbia City Gallery and the Bouncing Wall Art Boutique in Seattle. She received her Masters in Creative Arts and Learning from Lesley University, and holds Bachelors degrees in Fine Arts and Communication.
MATT VANNI - SCIENCE (SESSION C)
Vanni completed his undergraduate education at the University of Puget Sound where he received a degree in Biology before going on to the University of Washington for his master's. Between undergrad and grad school, Vanni took a few years to work in the science industry, gaining experience in both the pharmacological and public health areas. For the past two summers he has had the wonderful opportunity to work with the global health company PATH, based in Ballard, working with vaccine and safe water projects. Currently, he teaches 9th and 10th grade science at Lynnwood High School.
