YPW INSTRUCTORS

Belinda Haggard
Belinda has been a preschool teacher since 1994. She has mentored other teachers, and been a leading part of teacher training sessions, focusing on teaching through projects and art. Belinda has been creatively working with children in various volunteer positions such as VBS arts and crafts director, children's choir and drama leader, accompianist, Sunday School teacher, and various positions at her children's school. She has a degree in education, with an emphasis in English and music from Shorter College in Rome, Georgia. From there, she became a Montessori teaching assistant in Houston, TX before staying home with her own children. Her love of teaching is evident in her expressiveness and in her unique ways of creating inspired projects.

Becca Bryant
Becca has her BS with Child Development as her major from UT in Austin. For the past 30 years she has taught 4 and 5 year olds. Becca's classrooms are full of excitement, fun, and learning. Becca has taught in Austin, Santa Monica CA, and Carbondale CO before returning to Austin. Becca also has her Masters in Antique Reproduction Porcelain dolls. Becca has taught doll making for over 12 years in the Austin area. Her dolls have won many awards. Besides teaching others the joy of making a doll she also delights in making dolls to look like a child. Becca has learned all of the forgotten crafts like crocheting, weaving, knitting, sewing, cross stitch, needlepoint and delights in sharing these skills with children.

Jerry L. Durham
Jerry is a museum professional who is enthusiastic about art as a common thread in multiple fields of study, from math to history. Primarily working in museum education for the past 8 years, he has a diversity of experience teaching children about tapping into their own creativity and believes strongly in the power of art. He holds a BA in Art History from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana but is a self-professed “science geek” with a strong interest in zoology and astronomy.

Leticia Pister
Leticia has many years of experience in teaching children in Mexico and The US. Second languages are her specialty combined with her Computer Science Engineering, Fashion Design and Pottery. She develops programs that bring to each class a sense of adventure. Her professionalism and strong bicultural background shows in each class and results are wonderful. She has a Teaching Second languages certificate from Institute Britannia in Mexico and has worked in Mexico, New York, Boston and Austin with children. She is a Fashion designer graduated from FIT, New York City and potter from Potters School in Needham, Mass. Creativity is part of her strengths and combined with her scientist career in computer science she brings to her “Math, & Science Arts” and “ Tech machines” camps the uniqueness of her education.

Marcia Morales
Native speaker from Nicaragua. She has a degree in Elementary Education from University Autonoma of Nicaragua, fifteen years of experience as Spanish teacher. Twelve years teaching at Regents School of Austin and three years at public schools. She is a member of Texas Foreign Language Association (TFLA).

Michelle Halvorsen
Has been a high school biology and physics teacher at Texas School for the Deaf for four years. She is certified in deaf education and science 8-12 through the Texas State Board of Educator Certification. She graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in Special Education/Deaf Education in 2003. While in college, she taught after school sign language classes to elementary-aged students. Michelle has a great passion to share her knowledge of sign language and Deaf culture with the hearing community and is also eager to share her love of science with young people in and around Austin!

Monica Moreno
Brings a variety of knowledge in different industries. Ms Moreno has provided engineering consulting services for companies such Johnson and Johnson, AT&T, Bell Communications Research (Bellcore), Fidelity Investments and Merrill Lynch among others for more than 10 years. Ms Moreno holds a Master of Science degree in Technology Management from the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken N.J. and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.

Nora McMillen
Holds a BA in Fine art and studied Textile & Surface Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She has worked as a teaching artist at the Children's Museum of Manhattan and the Children's Museum of Art in NYC. Currently she is a Family Lab teacher at the Austin Museum of Art and an art instructor for VSA Arts.

Nichelle Notabartolo
A graduate of Parsons School of Design, with a B.F.A. in Illustration and an A.A. in Communication Design from the International Fine Arts College, Nichelle Notabartolo has been an art teacher at the Donnith L. Fletcher Art and Culture Center and Young At Art Children's Museum both located in South Florida. Previously she also served as a staff member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC. She has been teaching art intensive classes for the past 10 years. Currently in addition to teaching she also freelances as a muralist for children's and baby's rooms. An award winning artist, she has participated in shows at numerous arts organizations and museums in NYC, South Florida, and presently Austin.

Patricia Garza
Born and raised in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon Mexico. I hold a Bachelor's in Visual Arts, I specialized in Graphic Design from the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mx. Art is my passion, I loved art so much that I felt the need to share all my knowledge and I went back to school and finished a second Bachelor's in Education, in the Universidad Regiomontana in Monterrey, Mx. I joined the Anglia Institute as an Art Teacher for 2 years, then joined Joe Brand as a designer for 2 years after that I moved to Austin and have been working for AISD as a Guest Teacher for five years now. I worked as a Pre-K Teacher for three years and I worked as a TA in Life Skills for two years, I really enjoy working with children. I model an enthusiastic and creative approach to learning. I believe this method creates enthusiasm on the students and engages them in the learning process. I will always strive to be the best educator that I can be. Currently pursuing an art certification.

Paul Chaplin
A certified USCF National Master, has studied, played and taught chess for more than 25 years. Experienced in teaching both private and group lessons, his recent ventures include lecturing about the world of international tournament chess to students and faculty at the University of Texas, and teaching at various summer chess camps.

Ramon Aguirre
Holds a Master and a Bachelor's of Science degrees in Computer Science from the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ and has been a computer consultant for more than 15 years. He brings a broad industry experience with consulting assignments for customer such as Merrill Lynch, Citibank, Morgan Stanley, AT&T Bell Labs, Johnson & Johnson, Lucent, Prudential, US West, among others.

Sandy Southwell
Brings a passion for science to YPW. Sandy has 32 years of experience teaching grades K- 8 varying from self contained classrooms, teaching all subjects, to teaching only science for 5th through 8th grade. After her first few years of teaching, she discovered a love for science and obtained a Masters degree in Science Education. While teaching Middle School Science for ten years, Sandy designed and implemented an eighth grade honors course in Aquatic Science. In the last eight years of her teaching career, she taught all the fifth grade science at Del Valle's Hillcrest Elementary and Creedmoor Elementary. Along with her classroom teaching, Sandy became a mentor in science education and has presented many training sessions for other teachers. Her science passion makes her an avid traveler seeking the geology, biology and ecology of the places she visits. These experiences contribute to the enthusiasm she brings to her students.