Below is a list of GCE Staff.  To inquire about 2010 volunteer, internship, and professional opportunities please email us today. Thank you.

Staff:

Accountant: Donna Weintraub. (Bio coming soon)

Curriculum Chair and Integrated English/History Instructor: Keziah DeFusco. Keziah is a driven, passionate , and experienced educator who has taught students from diverse cultures, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Keziah has been twice honored by the Austin, Texas Independent School District, first as District Novice Teacher of the Year (Garza High School, 2004) and then as High School Teacher of the Year (AISD, 2007). Keziah believes that, with the commitment and guidance of highly qualified teachers, all students have the potential to succeed academically and can learn to become conscientious, participatory citizens with a strong sense of personal and civic responsibility.

Digital Literacy Director: Truls Henriksen.  Truls has lived at the intersection of modern digital technology and collaborative learning for almost two decades. Truls’ belief is that educators and learners can, and must, integrate the digital technology that we use in everyday life into every step of the educational journey. He believes that this integration must go well beyond merely crossing the digital divide; that the aim must be to remove the very real participation gap that we see in society today so that all learners can leverage technology to develop new social and economic opportunities for themselves, their families, and society at large. Truls is the architect behind collaborative learning systems used in learning programs based on traditional as well as modern learning theory spanning general education in middle and high schools through higher education as well as post graduate medical education and a wide array of continuing professional education and modern knowledge sharing.

Family Coaching Coordinator: Joshua Wayne. Joshua Wayne, MA, NCC is a Family Coach and Youth Mentor. He holds a Masters Degree in Counselor Education from Northeastern Illinois University and is a Nationally Certified Counselor.  Joshua ran a Gang Intervention and Prevention Initiative in Chicago for five years that served 1000 youth and their families each year.  He also recently finished running a $4.8 million Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant in Bergen County, NJ. In 2005, he was featured as a Life Coach on the reality TV show Relationship Rehab on the Style Network.  Through his many years of practical experience, Joshua has created proven techniques to help parents eliminate the power struggle at home, and at the same time become the catalyst to help their teens become healthy, independent adults who are capable of achieving their aspirations in the world.

Founder and Director: Eric Davis. Eric has founded and/or served as Executive Director of several organizations as well as consulted for a wide range of institutions from start-up non-profits to multi-million dollar behemoths.  In 2001, Eric founded Educational Endeavors and in 2003, Camp of Dreams. Eric served as Interim Executive Director of the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund and then as Executive Director of the Illinois Education Foundation. Eric is an active board member for Camp of Dreams and Polyphony H.S. He is very excited about Global Citizenship Experience, which channels into one program 15 years of educational practice and theory. Eric’s greatest professional joy comes from building learning communities that grow strategically and organically.

Faculty (by department):

Architecture: James Young.   James has been an architect in Chicago for 15 years. Driven by social and environmental sensitivity, his experience with building design and planning gives him a broad understanding of both the technical and cultural implications of the built environment. He has worked on projects that have won awards both in Illinois and Michigan and range from 400 square foot cottages in the woods to 75 story high-rises in the city. He believes that thinking more critically about architecture, students will better understand its civic relevance and its link to all the social processes that define it.

Integrated English/History Instructor: Keziah DeFusco.  (See bio in Staff Section)

Martial Arts and Self-Defense Instructor: Ed Kress. Ed Kress recently received his 6th Degree Black Belt from The Degerberg Academy in Chicago, named the “Best overall school of the year” by Black Belt Magazine. He has been teaching and studying a wide range of martial arts and self-defense techniques there for over 28 years. During that time he has been the recipient of a number of awards including: Blend Instructor of the Year, Specialty Class Instructor of the Year, Presidents Award and Visionary Award.  Ed is in his 6th year as Head Freshmen Wrestling Coach at Loyola Academy, where he leads Personal Safety Workshops for seniors before they head off to college.  Keeping young adults safe during their college years and beyond has been a focus of Ed’s personal safety training course for the last several years since his own children left for college.

Mathematics: Anthony Chan. Anthony has always had an enduring love for math.  His passion is to connect the mechanical to the real and to explore the implications that math has not only on knowledge, but also in understanding the world we live in.  He has worked with Educational Endeavors as a tutor for the last five years and is currently teaching as the sole math professor at the Harrington College of Design, where he has been teaching the last four years. Anthony has a BS in Math, an MS in Computer Science, and earned his Secondary Math Certification from DePaul University.

Science: Rodger Cooley. Rodger brings to GCE a passion for creative and collaborative problem solving (especially for environmental and social justice issues).  Rodger worked nine years for Heifer International supporting sustainable agricultural community and economic development projects in Chicago, the Midwest and across the USA.  He was a board member of the American Community Gardening Association, chaired the Urban Agriculture committee for the Community Food Security Coalition, co-founded Advocates for Urban Agriculture, and founded and served as co-founder for the Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council.  He attended an alternative high school in Richmond, VA and has degrees in studio arts and urban planning. On the side, Rodger has co-founded a fine art silk screen printing business, co-managed a collaborative art gallery, and built a roof top garden in the near west side of Chicago.

Test Prep: Matthew Sieffert. Matthew Sieffert has been an educator for eighteen years, teaching a diverse range of subjects from Art to Latin & Ancient Greek to ACT/SAT test prep. Originally an Art Historian specializing in the Italian Renaissance, Matthew served as the Assistant Director for Test Preparation for Huntington Learning Center for seven years. He is a member of the American Classical League, and developed the Latin curriculum for The Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University, where he has also taught.


Video: P3Media. (Bio coming soon)