Michelle Swanson - Board President
During her 22 years in the classroom, Michelle co-founded the Ensemble Theatre Company of Marin, a sequential arts education model where students ran a repertory theatre at three high school sites. She served as Project Designer/Director of the Drake Integrated Studies Curricula at Sir Francis Drake High School, named a "New American High School" by the US Department of Education. She was also a founder of Drake's highly acclaimed Communications Academy. During her time at Drake, she was also named the Marin County Teacher of the Year and the Marin Arts Council Outstanding Contributor to Arts Education.
On the national level, Michelle served as lead curriculum consultant on Jobs For The Future's Benchmark Communities Initiative and designed professional development practices for the Collaborative Learning Communities, and was a Teaching Fellow for the AutoDesk Foundation for nearly a decade.
Michelle currently provides sustained professional services to districts throughout the US, focusing on school design, instructional design and delivery, project-based learning, standards-based assessment, and whole-school reform processes.
Michelle holds a BA from Washington State University in Speech Communications and an M.A. in Theatre Arts/Directing from San Francisco State University. Michelle and her husband Larry live in Eugene, Oregon.
During her 22 years in the classroom, Michelle co-founded the Ensemble Theatre Company of Marin, a sequential arts education model where students ran a repertory theatre at three high school sites. She served as Project Designer/Director of the Drake Integrated Studies Curricula at Sir Francis Drake High School, named a "New American High School" by the US Department of Education. She was also a founder of Drake's highly acclaimed Communications Academy. During her time at Drake, she was also named the Marin County Teacher of the Year and the Marin Arts Council Outstanding Contributor to Arts Education.
On the national level, Michelle served as lead curriculum consultant on Jobs For The Future's Benchmark Communities Initiative and designed professional development practices for the Collaborative Learning Communities, and was a Teaching Fellow for the AutoDesk Foundation for nearly a decade.
Michelle currently provides sustained professional services to districts throughout the US, focusing on school design, instructional design and delivery, project-based learning, standards-based assessment, and whole-school reform processes.
Michelle holds a BA from Washington State University in Speech Communications and an M.A. in Theatre Arts/Directing from San Francisco State University. Michelle and her husband Larry live in Eugene, Oregon.
Esther Wojcicki - Board Secretary
Esther has served as a journalism/English teacher at Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA for the past 27 years. She built the journalism program from a small group of 20 students in 1985 to more than 500 students today. The program has four additional journalism teachers, and five award-winning journalism electives: newspaper (The Campanile), magazine (Verde), online (www.voice.paly.net), television (InFocus), and Viking, a sports magazine. Wojcicki was selected by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing as 2002 California Teacher of the Year.
Over the past 20 years, the publications have won Gold and Silver Crowns from Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the PaceMaker Award and Hall of Fame Award from National Scholastic Press, and best in nation from Time Magazine in 2003. The website was honored with two Webby Awards in 2005. She is Chair of the Board of Directors of Creative Commons focusing on education and learning. She is also President of the Friends of the Lurdes Mutola Foundation to support girls' education in Mozambique. She is also a consultant for Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Hewlett Foundation. She is on the Advisory Board for University of the People.
Esther has served as a journalism/English teacher at Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA for the past 27 years. She built the journalism program from a small group of 20 students in 1985 to more than 500 students today. The program has four additional journalism teachers, and five award-winning journalism electives: newspaper (The Campanile), magazine (Verde), online (www.voice.paly.net), television (InFocus), and Viking, a sports magazine. Wojcicki was selected by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing as 2002 California Teacher of the Year.
Over the past 20 years, the publications have won Gold and Silver Crowns from Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the PaceMaker Award and Hall of Fame Award from National Scholastic Press, and best in nation from Time Magazine in 2003. The website was honored with two Webby Awards in 2005. She is Chair of the Board of Directors of Creative Commons focusing on education and learning. She is also President of the Friends of the Lurdes Mutola Foundation to support girls' education in Mozambique. She is also a consultant for Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Hewlett Foundation. She is on the Advisory Board for University of the People.
Kim Sheehan - Board Treasurer
Kim Sheehan, Ph.D., is director of the Master’s Program in Strategic Communication at the School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon. She has held leadership positions at major advertising agencies in Boston, Chicago, and St. Louis, and haas consulted numerous companies including People magazine and Laura Ashley.
Sheehan teaches the Principles of Advertising course, as well as courses in advertising and brand planning, media, and research methodology. She also works with Portland students in the Strategic Communication program. Her research involves culture and new technology, and she has published extensively about online privacy, advertising ethics, and Direct-to-Consumer prescription drug advertising. She currently serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Advertising, the leading advertising research journal.
Kim Sheehan, Ph.D., is director of the Master’s Program in Strategic Communication at the School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon. She has held leadership positions at major advertising agencies in Boston, Chicago, and St. Louis, and haas consulted numerous companies including People magazine and Laura Ashley.
Sheehan teaches the Principles of Advertising course, as well as courses in advertising and brand planning, media, and research methodology. She also works with Portland students in the Strategic Communication program. Her research involves culture and new technology, and she has published extensively about online privacy, advertising ethics, and Direct-to-Consumer prescription drug advertising. She currently serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Advertising, the leading advertising research journal.