Sarah DeKett is an art educator, maker and creator currently teaching middle school photography in Traverse City, Michigan where her students are producing award winning photographs at the local and state level. She has taught visual art at the elementary and secondary level in northern Michigan for 16 years after earning her BA in Art Education from Western Michigan University and MA in Humanities from Central Michigan University. Sarah has presented on the topic of teaching digital photography at state and national conferences and has been a guest on the Everyday Art Room podcast with The Art of Education University.

Kyle Robertson is a husband, father, educator, artist, designer, entrepreneur, and overall creative. Kyle holds a BFA in Studio Art, MAT in Art Education, and is in the process of completing his MFA in Media Design. He has a desire to see people navigate their creative abilities, which is why the motto for his business is to “Build, Employ, and Empower.”

Dr. Eva Norman has been practicing physical therapy for more than 19 years. Her passion and commitment continue to be to bring the benefits of physical therapy to the residents of her community and to those in need of it in the surrounding counties.

She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physical Therapy in 1996 and her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2009, from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. Through the years, Dr. Norman has practiced in different practice settings with patients of all ages with various diagnoses.

Eva enjoys running, swimming, biking, playing tennis, training for marathons and triathlons, social planning for family and friends, gardening, and shopping. She and her husband of 17 years, Dan, love to travel during those rare periods of downtime.

Juana Meneses is an artist educator who is passionate about making artists’ books, drawing every day, keeping a sketchbook, and the crossover between science and art. Her artistic practice involves collecting natural objects and collage elements, researching her surroundings, making zines, and producing editioned artists’ books. 

 Juana has over 15 years of experience teaching studio art and art history courses in various settings such as museums, art centers, high schools, and higher education. She lives in Miami, where she is an academic advisor and assistant professor for AOEU. When she is not teaching and making art, she loves to travel with her family and ride her bike around tropical Miami, FL.

Bring the natural world into the classroom! In this presentation, Juana will show you how to set up a nature journal center inside your classroom. Drawing materials, basic lab instruments, and drawing guides that could inspire your students will be explored. This center can become a fixture in your classroom, encouraging your students to use their observation skills more carefully and document the specimens and curious objects that you provide.

Theresa Fontana is an artist, art educator, author of The Secret Series, illustrator, creator, and dreamer. She finds inspiration through collaborating with her students, friends, and family. Her secret to being creative is, “Choose the color you feel, draw with your eyes and heart, and let your soul create from the very start.”

Christine Cusack works full-time as an elementary school social worker in the near west suburbs of Chicago. She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Northeastern Illinois University, a master’s degree in Social Work (clinical concentration) from The University of Chicago, and an education specialist (EdS) degree in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from National Louis University. She is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), and provides clinical supervision to social workers working towards their clinical license. Chris also has experience in adult inpatient behavioral health. Many children face obstacles and barriers to their success; as a school social worker, she dedicates herself to removing those barriers so that every student can maximize their potential. Her combined social work and behavior analysis training gives her a unique lens through which to view behavior and provide social-emotional and behavioral support to students, parents, and educators.

Sejal Vaywala lives in Richmond, VA and is celebrating an official decade as an art educator! She is passionate about engaging students in meaningful art experiences. She loves geeking out on education technology tools, and coaching other teachers on how to utilize them to heighten student learning. 

Kerri Waller has been teaching middle school art in Marietta, Georgia for the past 14 years. She is the 2017-18 Simpson Middle School Teacher of the Year, 2017-18 Georgia Art Education Association Middle-Level Teacher of the Year, and a gold level Cobb County Distinguished STEM Educator. You can follow her on Twitter @WallerArt.