Professional Experience
While living in Omaha, I worked as a Teen Specialist with Omaha Public Library for two years. I worked with tweens and teens grades 4-8. I planned a variety of programs, including book clubs, craft afternoons and was responsible for the creation of an all-ages writer’s workshop and teen-only after-school tutoring program led by college students.
EXPERIENCE WITH YOUTH & DIVERSITY
AVID Tutor with Omaha Public Schools
Worked with 7th and 8th grade students from under-served populations to achieve higher-order thinking when completing homework
Teaching Artist Assistant in West Chicago
Assisted teaching artist in delivering filmmaking curriculum on propaganda to middle school class in West Chicago
Project Excite with Northwestern University
Worked with 6th grade students from low socioeconomic and diverse backgrounds targeted for low reading, math and science skills to deliver a program geared to improve these areas and get them college-ready
Y.O.U. (Youth & Opportunity United) in Evanston, IL
Worked with diverse youth grades 6-8 in after-school programs targeted at providing life-skills like cooking or creative outlets like painting or filmmaking
When I moved to Chicago in 2012, my attention shifted to graduate school. I soon missed working with youth and shortly after began volunteering at a local middle school where I assisted a teaching artist with film classes. A year later, I started working at Evanston Public Library as a Young Adult Library Assistant where I remained until 2016. Our community in Evanston was ethnically diverse with a large range of cultures including Hispanic, African American and Eastern European. At the library, I worked with teens grades 6-12 and often collaborated with the district middle and high schools to build curriculum and coordinate programs.
While in Evanston, I became an active proponent of STEAM culture and was responsible for technology training for our teens and staff. I built STEAM curriculum for Saturday programming as well as for bi-weekly collaboration projects with area schools. I built a 3-week summer stop-motion filmmaking course and co-designed a 3D printing and game design course for Project Excite; a summer camp ran through Northwestern University in collaboration with Evanston Public Library.
In 2017, I moved back to Omaha and became an E-Learning Instructional Technologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. I collaborated with faculty to build e-learning content or consulted on curriculum needs in support of active learning in the classroom.
In 2019, I shifted back into the library circle to become a Youth Services Librarian with Omaha Public Library. I serve 0-18 year-olds in my space and focus on collection development, program planning, and community outreach. I continue to consult as an Instructional Designer with UNMC for the College of Allied Health Professionals, Division of Physical Therapy Department.