GA-EPH Instructors

Instructor Biographies

Kid Chess
Kid Chess is an 8 year old chess instructional company for kids. Our main focus is on keeping the game fun for children while teaching them lessons that are important in life such as sportsmanship, problem solving, critical thinking, concentration, patience, attention span and other skills.

Young Rembrandts
At Young Rembrandts of Cobb and Paulding counties, we share a common goal with you-enriching the lives of children. Our instructors have a passion for children and the arts. They have been thoroughly trained in the Young Rembrandts curriculum and methodology. Our training is complemented by their varied backgrounds which include experience in the arts and/or education.

Carolyn Choe
Carolyn has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Southern California and a Masters of Communication from Georgia State University. She has extensive training in various acting methods, as well as voice, movement, dance, and improvisation. Carolyn has had a long and expansive career in acting, directing and teaching in both professional and community theater in Los Angles and Atlanta and has appeared at the International Arts Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. She most recently worked at Northstar Church for their children’s productions The Attic and Family Life Live. She is currently appearing in The Diary of Anne Frank at Theatre on Main. Carolyn has been homeschooling her two sons for five years.

Donna Eckert
Donna studied chemistry at Furman Univesity and received a MS in Environmental Engineering from UNC-Chapel Hill. She taught high school chemistry and physics at a private school for two years before deciding to 'retire' to stay home with her babies. She has homeschooled her 3 girls their whole lives. They are now 15, 13, and 10. Donna enjoys tutoring kids and helping them to really understand concepts.

CREATIVE MOVEMENT AND DANCE
Our ultimate goal is to provide the best possible dance program offered to childcare centers, enrichment programs and private schools throughout Georgia. We are committed to providing quality dance training taught by the most talented dance teachers in the South. The teachers are reliable and always prepared with well-planned, age-appropriate lessons. They enjoy the children and welcome parents to observe at any time. The classes are structured, yet flexible to meet the needs of young students who need to have fun while learning. We are very excited to welcome a superlative staff for the 2007-2008 sessions, and look forward to having your child in our program!

Teresa Barnes
I have always loved to work with children. I was even a pediatric registered nurse before trying my hand at "art". I first tried basket weaving, which still comes in handy. Did you know you can weave "clay"? After a visit to an arts and crafts fair, a friend said "YOU can do that"! I signed up for pottery lessons. After three years of lessons, I bought my own equipment and spent some time trying a variety of techniques. After winning some awards in local art shows, I was ready to share some of my knowledge with others. Since I liked children, I started there and have been teaching children as well as adults ever since.

Phillis Bostar
I always knew I was an artist and a teacher. With my ever present blackboard, my pets were my earliest students. The colorful leaves I glued to my bedroom wall were to me a Symphony of Autumn, although my mother wasn't impressed. Somehow, life intervened. I put away my blackboard and paints. I became a parent and a grownup. But I continued to create and was always making "stuff". As a mom, I loved my role as teacher. Now that my daughters are grown, my need to make "stuff", create art and teach however is as strong as ever.
I bring award winning colored pencil, graphite pencil artistic and teaching experience to all of my programs in graphite drawing and colored pencil technique classes and workshops. My commercial experience in community art classes and programs has helped me to hone my many craft skills and teach them in a fun, creative and educational way. I am highly referred by the Home School enrichment community.

YES!
YES! Youth Engaged in Science, is a Woodstock based educational enrichment program that strives to bring you engaging, hands-on technology classes and competitive team experiences for your children.

Barry Edelson
From Aerosmith to Zeppelin and Beethoven to Buffet, Barry is adept at teaching all styles and at all levels from the beginner to the aspiring professional. Since starting in the Ken Stanton-West Cobb store in 2004, he has taught over 350 students from ages 5 to 65 to play the guitar.

“My philosophy of education encompasses the practice of developing both the musician and the performer. Therefore, in teaching, I place a focus on music theory and sight-reading, as these skills will ultimately enhance the “performance chops” of the developing instrumentalist”.

Barry has over 20 years of playing and teaching experience including gigs with his own bands as well as composing and producing for numerous others in the New York area. He studied formally at the State University level in New York and the Manhattan School of Music with concentrations in composition and orchestration.

COMPUTER EXPLORERS
Since 1985, COMPUTER EXPLORERS has offered a wide range of technology education programs to children, teens and adults through classes offered in childcare centers, preschools, elementary public and private schools, recreation centers and other educational settings. COMPUTER EXPLORERS programs are exciting, interactive, and customized to meet the needs of both students and educators.

Rebecca Ferguson

Rebecca received her degree from Wichita State University in KS. She holds a degree in Elementary Education as well as a degree in Middle School History. After teaching for a number of years as both an elementary teacher and a reading specialist, she decided to stay at home with her youngest daughter. She has been teaching in one way or another for the past 15 years. She has been homeschooling her daughter for the past 9 years.

Rachel Bick

Rachel graduated in 1997 from the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC with a degree in fashion design. Since then she has worked professionally in the fashion industry as a designer, for herself, and for other companies. Her fashion illustrations have been published in magazines and advertising worldwide. As a costume designer she has provided costumes for many movies, one of which was produced by Alec Baldwin.

She has made costumes for TV commercials and print ads. Her client list includes MTV, Nintendo, The Today Show and Hermes. Rachel has worked with the students of Robert's School theartre class to create costumes for Carolyn Choe's production of "The Magical Flying Outhouse".

Rachel looks forward to teaching and sharing her talents and skills with others. Together, designers and kids can use simple materials to create "stuff that dreams are made of."

Karen Beauvais

Karen teaches Elementary classes in History and Geography. Karen resigned from a 12 year career as Fortune 100 commodities trader in the year 2000 to homeschool her 4 children. Since then, she has taught History and Creative Writing for Master's Academy in Woodstock, as well as History, Music and Geography for the HEDGE Academy in Town Lake. Karen and her husband established the National Autism Association's GA chapter and have extensive nutritional and educational training for children with Special Needs. Her college background includes Syracuse University and the State University of New York at Binghamton. Passport to History and Geography are a classical programs designed especially for the children of GA-EPH. They follow the events of History chronologically through time. Classes include kinesthetic (hands on) activities and relevant period related crafts to bring History alive. Passport to Geography combines Social Studies, mapping and model making to explore Geography past the naming of places. Karen's interests include travel and exploring the great outdoors. It is a privilege and a gift to teach your children at GA-EPH.


Instructor Biographies Kid Chess Kid Chess is an 8 year old chess instructional company for kids. Our main focus is on keeping the game fun for children while teaching them lessons that are important in life such as sportsmanship, problem solving, critical thinking, concentration, patience, attention span and other skills. Young Rembrandts At Young Rembrandts of Cobb and Paulding counties, we share a common goal with you-enriching the lives of children. Our instructors have a passion for children and the arts. They have been thoroughly trained in the Young Rembrandts curriculum and methodology. Our training is complemented by their varied backgrounds which include experience in the arts and/or education. Carolyn Choe Carolyn has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Southern California and a Masters of Communication from Georgia State University. She has extensive training in various acting methods, as well as voice, movement, dance, and improvisation. Carolyn has had a long and expansive career in acting, directing and teaching in both professional and community theater in Los Angles and Atlanta and has appeared at the International Arts Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. She most recently worked at Northstar Church for their children’s productions The Attic and Family Life Live. She is currently appearing in The Diary of Anne Frank at Theatre on Main. Carolyn has been homeschooling her two sons for five years. Donna Eckert Donna studied chemistry at Furman Univesity and received a MS in Environmental Engineering from UNC-Chapel Hill. She taught high school chemistry and physics at a private school for two years before deciding to 'retire' to stay home with her babies. She has homeschooled her 3 girls their whole lives. They are now 15, 13, and 10. Donna enjoys tutoring kids and helping them to really understand concepts. CREATIVE MOVEMENT AND DANCE Our ultimate goal is to provide the best possible dance program offered to childcare centers, enrichment programs and private schools throughout Georgia. We are committed to providing quality dance training taught by the most talented dance teachers in the South. The teachers are reliable and always prepared with well-planned, age-appropriate lessons. They enjoy the children and welcome parents to observe at any time. The classes are structured, yet flexible to meet the needs of young students who need to have fun while learning. We are very excited to welcome a superlative staff for the 2007-2008 sessions, and look forward to having your child in our program! Teresa Barnes I have always loved to work with children. I was even a pediatric registered nurse before trying my hand at "art". I first tried basket weaving, which still comes in handy. Did you know you can weave "clay"? After a visit to an arts and crafts fair, a friend said "YOU can do that"! I signed up for pottery lessons. After three years of lessons, I bought my own equipment and spent some time trying a variety of techniques. After winning some awards in local art shows, I was ready to share some of my knowledge with others. Since I liked children, I started there and have been teaching children as well as adults ever since. Phillis Bostar I always knew I was an artist and a teacher. With my ever present blackboard, my pets were my earliest students. The colorful leaves I glued to my bedroom wall were to me a Symphony of Autumn, although my mother wasn't impressed. Somehow, life intervened. I put away my blackboard and paints. I became a parent and a grownup. But I continued to create and was always making "stuff". As a mom, I loved my role as teacher. Now that my daughters are grown, my need to make "stuff", create art and teach however is as strong as ever. I bring award winning colored pencil, graphite pencil artistic and teaching experience to all of my programs in graphite drawing and colored pencil technique classes and workshops. My commercial experience in community art classes and programs has helped me to hone my many craft skills and teach them in a fun, creative and educational way. I am highly referred by the Home School enrichment community. YES! YES! Youth Engaged in Science, is a Woodstock based educational enrichment program that strives to bring you engaging, hands-on technology classes and competitive team experiences for your children. Barry Edelson From Aerosmith to Zeppelin and Beethoven to Buffet, Barry is adept at teaching all styles and at all levels from the beginner to the aspiring professional. Since starting in the Ken Stanton-West Cobb store in 2004, he has taught over 350 students from ages 5 to 65 to play the guitar. “My philosophy of education encompasses the practice of developing both the musician and the performer. Therefore, in teaching, I place a focus on music theory and sight-reading, as these skills will ultimately enhance the “performance chops” of the developing instrumentalist”. Barry has over 20 years of playing and teaching experience including gigs with his own bands as well as composing and producing for numerous others in the New York area. He studied formally at the State University level in New York and the Manhattan School of Music with concentrations in composition and orchestration. COMPUTER EXPLORERS Since 1985, COMPUTER EXPLORERS has offered a wide range of technology education programs to children, teens and adults through classes offered in childcare centers, preschools, elementary public and private schools, recreation centers and other educational settings. COMPUTER EXPLORERS programs are exciting, interactive, and customized to meet the needs of both students and educators. Rebecca Ferguson Rebecca received her degree from Wichita State University in KS. She holds a degree in Elementary Education as well as a degree in Middle School History. After teaching for a number of years as both an elementary teacher and a reading specialist, she decided to stay at home with her youngest daughter. She has been teaching in one way or another for the past 15 years. She has been homeschooling her daughter for the past 9 years. Rachel Bick Rachel graduated in 1997 from the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC with a degree in fashion design. Since then she has worked professionally in the fashion industry as a designer, for herself, and for other companies. Her fashion illustrations have been published in magazines and advertising worldwide. As a costume designer she has provided costumes for many movies, one of which was produced by Alec Baldwin. She has made costumes for TV commercials and print ads. Her client list includes MTV, Nintendo, The Today Show and Hermes. Rachel has worked with the students of Robert's School theartre class to create costumes for Carolyn Choe's production of "The Magical Flying Outhouse". Rachel looks forward to teaching and sharing her talents and skills with others. Together, designers and kids can use simple materials to create "stuff that dreams are made of." Karen Beauvais Karen teaches Elementary classes in History and Geography. Karen resigned from a 12 year career as Fortune 100 commodities trader in the year 2000 to homeschool her 4 children. Since then, she has taught History and Creative Writing for Master's Academy in Woodstock, as well as History, Music and Geography for the HEDGE Academy in Town Lake. Karen and her husband established the National Autism Association's GA chapter and have extensive nutritional and educational training for children with Special Needs. Her college background includes Syracuse University and the State University of New York at Binghamton. Passport to History and Geography are a classical programs designed especially for the children of GA-EPH. They follow the events of History chronologically through time. Classes include kinesthetic (hands on) activities and relevant period related crafts to bring History alive. Passport to Geography combines Social Studies, mapping and model making to explore Geography past the naming of places. Karen's interests include travel and exploring the great outdoors. It is a privilege and a gift to teach your children at GA-EPH.