BIOs: *= bilingual in English and Portuguese; **=bilingual in English and Spanish;  *** =multilingual English, Portuguese, Spanish and other languages, ~ = future classes

Justen Ahren (Poetry Writing Workshop) has an MFA from Emerson College in Boston.  He runs the Martha's Vineyard Writers Residency in Edgartown and was recently nominated poet laureate of West Tisbury.  He has taught at Featherstone, and been a resident writer at The David and Julia White Writer's Retreat in Costa Rica and at San Miguel Poetry Workshop in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.  His work has appeared in numerous journals most recently, Fulcrum: an annual of Poetry and Aesthetics.

Nancy Slonim Aronie (Writing from the Heart) is the author of Writing From the Heart. She taught at Harvard for Robert Coles for three years, runs the Chilmark Writing Workshop and was a frequent commentator on NPR's All Things Considered.

Simon Athearn (Preparing for a Healthy Garden) grew up on a farm on Martha's Vineyard. He recently returned to Morning Glory Farm, after 7 years studying Business in Montana, to take the lead farmer position under the tutelage of his father, Jim Athearn. Every winter, Simon continues an intense study of agriculture at the New England Agricultural Colleges- University of Massachusetts, University of Connecticut, and University of Maine.

***Maria Avila (Brazilian Portuguese and Reiki) has been a Reiki master teacher and practitioner for 19 years. She has trained with several Reiki masters of different schools and lineages. Maria is originally from Brazil where she graduated from Universidade Candido Mendes in Rio de Janeiro, majoring in ESL. In Brazil she worked on many community and cultural projects including developing a school for special needs children. Currently, Maria practices Reiki and teaches both Portuguese and English. In addition to her native language of Portuguese, Maria speaks English, German, and French fluently and communicates well in Spanish.

Chris Baer (Intro to 3D Digital Design, Fonts! Fundamentals of Typography and Page Design) has been a technology teacher at the MVRHS since 1995.  He teaches photography, graphic design, digital drafting, and yearbook.

Carol Baldwin (Beginning Conversational A.S.L. -American Sign Language I & II) has degrees in Theater and Speech Therapy and a Masters in Counseling. She was the Regional Case Manager for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for 12 years, and a Counselor at Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.  She has taught at elementary through community college level, and has been a Sign Language interpreter in educational and community settings.   She has performed in numerous Community Theater productions throughout Cape Cod. She is currently a Special Education Teacher at MVRHS.

Valerie Becker (Google and Beyond) is the technology teacher at the West Tisbury School. She is an Apple Distinguished Educator and a Google Certified Teacher. She is most interested in helping students communicate, connect, collaborate, and share globally. She finds the web astounding and delightful.

Jeff Bernier (Beginning Macintosh Computers and Introduction to Computer Animation using Adobe Flash) is the Computer Science teacher at MVRHS Regional High. He teaches introductory computer courses as well as advanced courses in Graphics, Programming, and Web Design.

Charles Blank (Piano/Keyboard: Bach to Beatles) has a Masters in Music, a Certificate in Piano Pedagogy and twenty years experience working with beginner adults. He is committed to making a wide variety of music accessible to those with limited experience on piano or keyboard.

Susie Bowman (Common Shells of Martha's Vineyard) has been a teacher/naturalist at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary for nine years. She teaches natural history programs for all ages at Felix Neck and in the community.  During the summer, she leads weekly Marine Discovery Tours on the Skipper out of Oak Bluffs and natural history kayak tours on Sengekontacket Pond.  She also has lectured for garden clubs both on and off island.  Before moving to the Island in1987, she taught at Rutgers University and worked in a cell biology lab at Princeton University.  She has a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Nutrition.

Paul S. Bracy (M.Ed.) (Diversity Awareness Seminar) is a Managing Partner of Ibis Consulting Group, Inc.  His particular areas of expertise include managing diversity; diversity education; sexual harassment prevention; diversity audits; executive coaching; personnel management; professional and personal development; team building; and interpersonal communication.  Over the last thirty-five years, Paul has consulted and trained in a wide variety of organizations, both for profit and not-for-profit institutions, to leverage diversity and develop high performing teams.

Matt Burke (Essential Math) received his M.Ed. from Lesley University. He has taught a variety of subjects from the middle school to the high school level. For the past two and a half years he has been teaching Adult Basic Education and GED classes. He is currently doing work towards his ABE Professional Licensure.

Scott Campbell (Getting Fired Up! Intro to Ceramics) graduated from Wisconsin State University with a BA in Education and received his Masters in Art Education from Syracuse University. He currently teaches Arts and Crafts at MVRHS and as a potter displays regularly at Featherstone and other Island artists' venues.

Tom Carberry (Social Dancing: Basics and Beyond) calls himself "just an average guy who took an interest in this, not a professional dancer or an exceptional athlete. If I can do this then anyone can." Tom has been taking group and private lessons for 10 years. He appreciates the healing and therapeutic values of social dancing, and enjoys teaching some of the secrets of turning two individuals into a dance couple.

**Braulio Carreno (All You Want to Know About the Internet & Social Networking) holds a master's degree in computer science. He was a professor at Universidad de Chile and has worked as a software engineer and technology consultant for 18 years. Between 1998 and 2008 he was chief information officer of Bookpool.com, the largest online computer bookseller and one of the first e-commerce companies.

John Clift (Wine Appreciation) is a certified sommelier from the Wine Academy of Rome. He also had an internship in France studying Champaign, and has worked for 10 years in the industry with wineries from around the world. Currently John works with two wineries in Italy and France, and as the sommelier at Atria Restaurant, and the general manager of Great Harbour Gourmet & Spirits in Edgartown.

Nell Coogan Esq., MPH (Bioethics: Life and Death, and Issues of Individual Freedom) is an attorney on the island and practices at the Edmond G. Coogan Law Office in Vineyard Haven.  Nell received her J.D. and M.P.H. from the George Washington University Law School and its School of Public Health and Health Services. She is also the Legislative Liaison for the Vineyard.

Robert Culbert (Birding 101, Birding and Conservation) has 30 years of experience birding on Martha's Vineyard.  He moved here in 1978 because of the Island's exceptional bird life.  He has taught about birds on many programs for Mass Audubon's Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and other groups, written over 150 Bird News and All Outdoors columns for the Vineyard Gazette, and has organized the annual Martha's Vineyard Christmas Bird Count since 1994.

Ron Dagostino (Speaking in Front of a Group: Increase Your Confidence Speaking in Public) is President of the State Street Boston Toastmasters Club, and he recently received the Competent Communicator and Competent Leader designations from Toastmaster, International.  He has worked at State Street Global Advisors in Boston since 1996 where he is currently a Vice President and Senior Software Development Architect.  Ron is also the Treasurer on the Board of Directors at the Vineyard Playhouse. 

Melinda Rabbitt DeFeo (Gardening with Children) Island Grown Schools Garden Enrichment Consultant, Local Food & Farm Advocate. A native of Martha's Vineyard Island, Melinda credits a deep sense of place for her strong commitment to preserving the island's cultural heritage through the raising and eating of locally grown food. She is a founding member the Island Grown Initiative and the MV Convivium of Slow Food USA, and was an informal educator for The FARM Institute and The Polly Hill Arboretum, and a Radcliffe trained landscape designer. Through her business, Thymely Designs, she offers horticultural consultations, lectures and workshops.

Catherine DeGrandpre (Foundations of Joy) has over 20 years of experience in cultivating practical spirituality, drawing from both eastern and western spiritual philosophies.

Brian Ditchfield (Excel for Beginners, Excel II, Playwriting and Playwriting and Screenwriting Workshop) grew up on Martha's Vineyard and has worked in the theater and film for the last 9 years in both creative and administrative aspects. He has worked as a Business and Technology Manager for non-profits and the arts for the last six years. He received a BFA from the Boston University Theatre Conservatory School for the Arts. The movie he scripted and produced with Shack Productions, The Last Will and Testament of Marlboro Patch (available on Netflix and Amazon.com), was filmed on Martha's Vineyard. He is currently the co-director of the newly formed island arts organization Art Farm Enterprises and a freelance web designer.

Brooke Hardman Ditchfield (Understanding Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s Characters) is a professional actress who has performed extensively on the regional theatre circuit. Brooke has taught Shakespeare in rural Montana as a company member of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks and to inner-city high school students during her three years as an Artist in Residence at the Court Theatre in Chicago. She holds a BFA in Acting from Boston University and has trained with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and Shakespeare & Company. She is currently the co-director of the newly formed island arts organization Art Farm Enterprises and a freelance web designer.

Lynn Ditchfield (Director of ACE MV and Conversational English through Theatre Games; Teaching Language and Literature through the Arts and Media) has been an educator for 38 years. She received the 2006 American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award, and has appeared in three editions of Who's Who Among America's Teachers 2003-2006. From 1983 to 2008, she taught Spanish and for four years chaired the World Language Department at MVRHS. She also facilitates teacher-training workshops and graduate courses for Fitchburg State and Northeastern University College of Professional Studies. Her first Masters in Adult and Community Education was based on the work of the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire. Her second Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education focused in the Arts In Education Program. Currently Lynn is the Director of ACE MV.

***Pierre Fadnar (Intro to French and the Francophone World) was born in Haiti. His family migrated to the US in 1993. He obtained a Masters degree in French and Francophone Studies in May of 2008. He has worked as a French instructor teaching undergraduate level French at UMass Amherst.

Kate Feiffer (Children’s Book Writing) has had six children’s books published (with two more coming this spring) since 2005.  Seven of these are picture books and one is middle grade fiction. They are all published by Simon & Schuster. Prior to 2005, she worked mostly in television and film and writing for local and regional magazines http://katefeiffer.com/.

Chris Fischer (Italian Cooking with Island ingredients) grew up on Martha's Vineyard in very resourceful farming family. He moved to New York City to cook in one of the world's best Italian restaurants, and recently traveled to Italy to study Roman cuisine for 4 months.

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Herbert L. Foster (Classroom Management and Ghetto to Ghetto: Yiddish and Jive in Everyday Life) is a Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of Education, SUNY/BUFFALO.  Prior to his 28-½ years at SUNY/Buffalo, Herb was a teacher and administrator in the NYC Public Schools for 17 years.  Sixteen of those years were in the “600” schools and Junior Guidance Classes Program for emotionally disturbed and socially maladjusted children.  For many years, Herb taught Classroom Management and school Discipline as a graduate course. www.woofticket.com

William A. Gamson (Global Justice: Learning about Globalization through a Game Simulation) is a Professor of Sociology and co-directs, with Charlotte Ryan, the Media Research and Action Project (MRAP) at Boston College.  He co-authored, Shaping Abortion Discourse: Democracy and the Public Sphere in Germany and the United States (2002) and is the author of Talking Politics (1992) and The Strategy of Social Protest (2nd edition, 1990) among other books and articles on political discourse, the mass media and social movements.  He is a past president of the American Sociological Association and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  His current work involves the development of a game simulation on Global Justice issues available at the following website: www.globaljusticegame.mrap.info.

Sharilyn Geistfeld (Brazilian History~) completed a PhD in History (focus on Latin America) and a minor in Feminist Studies at University of Minnesota. She taught History at Macalester College (MN) for three years, and five years for University of Minnesota History and Chicano Studies Department (taught course "History of Cuba and Puerto Rico" yearly at both institutions). Sharilyn also co-taught "The Atlantic World and the African Diaspora" seminar at Morehouse College (GA) via interactive television hook-up for several years, and conducted research in Brazil, Cuba and Venezuela. She is currently the High School Humanities Instructor at Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School.

Dr. Michael Goldfein (Introduction to the Art and Sport of Fencing), hospital pediatrician, has been fencing since his teens. He has had many years of experience as a competitive fencer and instructor of foil and epee. Since the founding of the Martha's Vineyard Fencing Club, about 20 years ago, he has been instructing new fencers on Martha's Vineyard.

Janet Holladay (World Religions Today) has a Masters degree from Harvard Divinity School and Harvard Extension School and is interested in "values-driven, reflectively-based action in the world." She is also a book and graphic designer and has worked for 25 years at the Tisbury Printer in Vineyard Haven.

Cherish Harris (Baking for Beginners and Baking for Dairy Allergies) has been baking since she could blend butter and flour back in her grandmother's kitchen helping her roll pie dough. Cherish continued to teach herself basic baking techniques until beginning Johnson & Wales University in 2000 where she learned basic bread making, cake making and pastry preparation. She continued her education with an internship at Biga Bakery in West Tisbury. In 2004 Cherish completed a Bachelor Degree in Business from UMass. She continues to bake from her home using her friends and family as guinea pigs for new recipes.

Jon Harris (Energy Healing at Home and Self-Healing and Healing Your Family) has taught in the Island schools off-and-on from the early 70's until three years ago. For a number of years he has been studying alternative healing modalities, focusing on subtle energy medicine.

John Hough Jr.'s (Creative Writing Workshop) most recent novel is The Last Summer. His Civil War novel will be published by Simon & Schuster next summer. He teaches creative writing out of his home and at writing conferences.

Chef Marvin Jones (Cooking Thai and Indian Curries) has been sharing his culinary delights on the Vineyard since the seventies. He is most known for Jamaican Nights on the Cliffs and his catering company Lobster in the Bluffs. Marvin's inspiration for cooking curry stems from living for five winters in Indonesia and working formally with international chefs from Thailand, India, and the US. Chef Marvin will be opening a take-out section of the Tisbury Farm Market specializing in his famous curries and other treats.

***Lidia Kassabgi (Introduction to Italian) was born near Florence, Italy. In college, she studied languages at the Istituto Leonardo Da Vinci and now speaks Italian, French, and Spanish fluently. Lidia came to the US 36 years ago. She has been teaching Italian lessons privately for 11 years on Martha's Vineyard.

***Tamara King (Conversational Portuguese I) is originally from Quito, Ecuador. She is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and English. She studied Portuguese for many years and uses it daily in her job as an English Language teacher at the Edgartown School and as an interpreter for the Island-wide school system. Tamara first fell in love with the beauty of the Portuguese language in high school in the US, and she chose to take all her classes in Portuguese during her junior and senior years. She feels that teaching Portuguese and English is key to bringing together English and Portuguese speakers as one strong community on Martha's Vineyard.

Susan Klein, M.Ed. (Imagination! The Heartbeat of the Intellect. Storytelling and its uses K-12~)  - An Island native, Susan Klein is an internationally-known storyteller and author of Through a Ruby Window, a collection of stories about the Vineyard in the '50s and '60s. Susan offers Story Wisdom workshops for lawyers, educators, writers, memoirists, and speakers, and coaching and editing for the page and stage through An Alien Eye. Susan is a director/producer of numerous award-winning spoken-word recordings, the 2007 recipient of the Creative Living Award presented by the Permanent Endowment of Martha's Vineyard, and the National Storytelling Network's Circle of Excellence award. See her online free E-book series with photographer Alan Brigish Martha's Vineyard Now and Zen.

Margaret Knight (Introduction to Alexander Technique), a certified Alexander Technique teacher, she has been teaching on Martha's Vineyard for 20 years. She has studied Authentic Movement, Mindell's Process Work, and cranio-sacral therapy. Her office is at Church and Main Natural Therapies, where she has a practice in Alexander Technique and Restorative Bodywork.

Corinne Kurtz (GED -General Educational Development) holds a BA degree in English Literature from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Masters in English Literature from the Bread Loaf School of English (Middlebury College). Currently, she teaches 10th grade World History, AP World History, US Government and an elective entitled Sports in American Society at MVRHS.

Barbara Lampson (Living in Paradise:  Designing Your Own Home Landscape) is an award-winning landscape designer who has appeared repeatedly on HGTV, and has had her landscapes published in the books "Outside the Bungalo" and "Living with the Arts and Crafts." Having grown up on Martha's Vineyard, Barbara specializes in the design of period and architecturally specific gardens, designed to fit both the house and the site.

Barbara Lopes (GED -General Educational Development) earned a Masters from Wheelock College, taught reading at MVRHS, worked as a preschool teacher/director, a K-4 special needs teacher and currently teaches first grade at the Tisbury School.

Deborah Maher (Writing I - English 1100 ~) has 40 years experience as an educator, working as a teacher, staff developer, and administrator in early childhood settings, elementary schools and at the college level.  She earned an AS and a BS Degree in Early Childhood from Wheelock College in Boston, and an MS Degree in Education from Lesley University in Cambridge.  Recently retired from full time work in schools, she is currently teaching college courses on a part-time basis.

Willy Mason (Musical Composition: History and Technique), a MVRHS graduate raised by two songwriters, has worked internationally for the last five years as a touring musician; both independently and in partnership with the Virgin/EMI record label conglomerate. He has to date produced and commercially released three collections of original music, and has promoted them in the United States, Western Europe, Japan and Australia in hundreds of venues ranging from living rooms to the Royal Albert Hall.

Judith Harmon Miller (Essential Math and English teacher coordinator and curriculum designer) received her Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, her Masters of Arts in teaching degree from Harvard School of Education, and her B.A. from Skidmore College. She has been a Professor of Teacher Education, Castleton State College and an associate at Bard Institute for Writing and Thinking, and an Assistant Professor of the Teacher Education Program at Middlebury College. She also taught high school social studies and English in Massachusetts and Colorado.

Reade Kontje Milne (Basic Carpentry Skills - for women and Carpentry for Women: Second Level) started working as a carpenter for her father when she was 18. He taught her about all aspects of building, from staking out the site, setting foundation forms and framing to finish work and building furniture.  She got her Construction Supervisor License when she was 23.  In 2003, she got a Resident Homesite in Vineyard Haven and designed and built a home for herself, with much help from her dad and family and friends.  She attended the Boston Architectural College for 3 1/2 years.

**Christina Montoya (Barefoot Salsa) earned a BA in dance from Bennington College and has studied many different kinds dance from around the globe. Her study of Cuban dance took her to Havana on three separate occasions, in addition to her dance studies in Brazil and Bali, just to name a few. She has taught and performed on and off Martha's Vineyard for the past several years and really enjoys integrating all her different dance influences into her teaching and performing.

Georgia Morris (Documentary Film Writing Seminar) has scripted documentary films for many years, for broadcast on PBS, ABC, TNT and AMC, and participated in the production of many documentaries through Galen Films, her production company in partnership with her husband, in both New York and Martha's Vineyard.

Lily K. Morris (Nautical Notes - KNOTS: How to tie them, and when to use them & Art with Rope) grew up on Chappaquiddick and has always loved tying knots. She worked on tall ships for seven years, teaching students of all ages how to sail and work aboard a ship. She holds a USCG 100-ton master's license, and when she is not sailing or tying knots, she makes a living as an artist and massage therapist ("un-tying" knots). Her current projects include a knot-tying column for Edible Vineyard Magazine, and volunteering for Vineyard Voyagers.

Gwendolyn Natusch (Writing in the Moment) has been an Island educator for many years and earned her Masters Degree in Education at the University of Michigan. Her professional experiences have embraced the arts in many different ways, as costume designer, acting instructor, playwright, theatre production director, and facilitator of workshops that fuse writing and art.

Steve Nixon (Educational Leadership Course~) came to the Island as a History teacher in 1998 and became the Dean of Students and Assistant Principal before his current post as Principal of MVRHS. Steve particularly enjoys the history of Henry VIII, and looks forward to sharing his knowledge with the community.

Pablo de Oliveira & Capoeira Association Mandigueiros dos Palmares (Introduction to Capoeira and Understanding Capoeira) - Adilson Ribeiro or Gunga as he is known in Capoeira, has 12 years of experience practicing Capoeira with the Group Raizes do Brasil in Brazil. He has recently joined the Capoeira Association Mandigueiros dos Palmares of Mestre Chuvisco who has 40 years of experience in Capoeira and has been teaching Capoeira in the Boston area for over 10 years. Gunga was chosen by Mestre Chuvisco to represent the Capoeira Association Mandigueiros dos Palmares and teach Capoeira on the island of Martha's Vineyard.

Niki Patton (Quicken and Online Banking) has trained personal clients on computers and helped resolve computer software issues for 25 years - the same amount of time she has worked with accounting/bookkeeping and tax issues.

Paul Pimentel (Energy and the Island) is an expert in the field as an engineer practicing for 40 years and the Senior Vice President of NORESCO, a quarter billion dollar company doing energy efficiency and renewable projects all over the world.

Dr. Oceana Rames (Nutrition and Dieting for the Health Conscious Consumer) is a naturopathic doctor practicing on the island. Naturopathic medicine is based on the principal that true healing lies in supporting our natural healing ability, using nutrition, homeopathy, and herbs. Dr. Rames regularly lectures and teaches about nutrition, weight loss, exercise, and other health topics.

Dr. Magda Ramirez (Healthy Cooking / smart Choices) is an International Medical Graduate interested in preventive medicine. She has taught biology at the University of San Carlos de Guatemala in the preparation courses for medical school and ran a Community Health Clinic in Rio Dulce.

Dr. Charles Ratte (Introduction to the Basic Geology of Martha’s Vineyard: pre-glacial geology and a look into the future) received his BA from Middlebury, his MA from Dartmouth College, and his PhD from the University of Arizona. He has experience as a mining geologist for the US Steele Corporation and has done field work with the US Geological survey in Alaska. His major field of interest is groundwater geology, and he is presently doing a study of the ground water of Aquinnah. Dr. Ratte has 15 years of teaching experience.

Margaret Regan (Maintaining Professional Enthusiasm ~) has been a teacher of English, an assistant principal, a principal, and an interim director of the Island YMCA. She chairs re-accreditations visits throughout New England for high schools every spring, leading a team of fifteen professionals through the four-day process of writing their decennial report. She was educated at the University of Dayton in Ohio, Columbia University in New York, and Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In addition, she has studied English at the University of London.

Adilson Ribeiro or Gunga (Introduction to Capoeira) see Pablo de Oliveira

Cynthia Riggs (Writing and Selling Your Book) is working on her tenth mystery set on Martha's Vineyard and featuring 92-year-old Victoria Trumbull. She lives in West Tisbury in her family homestead, the Cleaveland House, which she runs as a B&B catering to poets and writers. She has a BA in geology from Antioch College, an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College, and holds a U.S. Coast Guard Masters License (100-ton vessels).

BZ Riger (Blogging I, Blogging II, Passions to Profits, Work Smarter not Harder) is a member of the international 9 woman high ranking blogger team, the host of an international talk radio show, author, attraction marketing and success life coach, successful entrepreneur and multimedia content creator. She teaches and coaches clients in the US and around the globe. She is the author of the book Soul for Success.

Michael Robbins (American Red Cross Training) is currently co-training administrator with Becky Akden responsible for all Disaster Services Training on Cape Cod & the Islands. He is responsible for all disaster services, shelter operations, and community education for the Upper Cape. Michael is Certified Instructor, certified in First Aid, CPR, and driving the ERV (Emergency Response Vehicle. He volunteered for Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina, has responded to various disasters on the Cape, and is the recipient of the Cape & Islands Red Cross 'Volunteer of The Year Award' '09.

Robert Sawyer (Island real estate basics for homeowners, would be homeowners and tenants), the only licensed real estate instructor on the Vineyard teaches for Dukes Academy, all the licensing and continuing education courses for real estate professionals.  He is an advisor to the Massachusetts Board of Registration for real estate and author of Massachusetts Real Estate, Principles, Practice and Law.  He maintains a real estate and financial consulting practice advising investors, buyers, sellers, and tenants in troubled situations. He is designated a National Subject Matter Expert by a major national testing firm.

Judy Searle (Essential English & GED- General Educational Development) got her degree in English from Boston College. She taught high school level English many years ago and then became a technical editor.  She returned to teaching Reading and Writing in the ACE GED program last winter and spring, and has volunteered as an ESL teacher.

Elizabeth Stobart (Essential English & GED- General Educational Development) received her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College and majored in Child Life, working with children in health care settings. She is currently a teaching assistant at the Edgartown School and has worked for the past two winters with the GED program on Martha's Vineyard.

Susan Strane (The Making of Modern Turkey) received her BS degree in Journalism from Northwestern University and her M.F.A. from Columbia University. She was a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Rural Community Development in Turkey, and she currently works on Martha's Vineyard as an author, journalist, and editor.

Jane Thayer, Ph.D. (Wise-ing Up to Aging) is a Clinical Psychologist who graduated from George Washington University, Washington, DC in1969. She was a practicing, licensed Clinical Psychologist in Washington, DC until 1995; was licensed in Massachusetts 2000, and has been a Mediator for the MV Mediation Program since 1999. For eight years she researched and in 2000 published "Elderescence; The Gift of Longevity" published in 2005. She has given numerous presentations on Ageism.

Peg Thayer, Ph.D. (Psychology: Mind, Body and Meaning & Wise-ing Up to Aging) received her Ph.D. in East-West Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies, and her MA in Consciousness Studies from John F. Kennedy University. She is also a writer and visual artist who has been a Martha's Vineyard resident for 15 years. She has had numerous one-woman shows and has curated Art as Healing shows for the last ten years at Firehouse Gallery and Featherstone Center for the Arts. She is currently the administrative coordinator for Unitarian-Universalist Society of MV and Center Director for Transpersonal and Consciousness Studies on-line at Akamai University. Her publications include The Experience of Being Creative as a Spiritual Practice and Elderescence: The Gift of Longevity.

James Thomas (American Red Cross Training) currently serves as the Volunteer Coordinator for the American Red Cross on Martha's Vineyard. He was the Executive Director of the Loudoun County Chapter of the Red Cross and Leadership Volunteer/Instructor for Fredericksburg, VA. Jim currently works in Private Management Consulting Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Workplace Violence, Diversity, Sexual Harassment, Communications, and Board Development.

Keren Tonnesen (Intro to Hula Hoop Workout) has taught roller-skating for more years than she cares to admit (since the 70's). Hooping is another flow toy with many similar concepts.

**Maribel Umpierrez (Conversational Spanish I) was born in Uruguay, South America where she studied Education at Instituto Magisterial, Pando, Uruguay. She has lived in the USA for many years where she enjoys teaching Spanish to children and adults.

Jannette Vanderhoop (Intro to Native America and Wampanoag Culture: Myths versus Legends) is an Island Wampanoag and a natural educator by passion. Ms.Vanderhoop is currently the program coordinator at the Aquinnah Cultural Center and a professional artist and gardener. She has authored and illustrated children's books and ran the "Turtle Project" a cultural program for tribal children for many years.

Saskia Vanderhoop (Introducing Salsa Dancing and Reconnecting to Nature: Indigenous Ways of Learning) has loved Salsa for more than 20 years and has been teaching Salsa classes on the Vineyard for two years. She is the founder of Sassafras Earth Education, a small organization that facilitates nature programs from a campsite in the Aquinnah woods. She has worked with different wilderness schools throughout New England for the past 6 years and received her teachers training in the Netherlands, outdoor training through the Tracker School (Tom Brown), the Vermont Wilderness School and White Pine Programs.  Sassafras is part of a network of like-minded organizations in the NE area that use a unique approach to learning based on indigenous cultures called the Art of Mentoring.

**Maria Clara Villota (Conversational Spanish for Beginners) is from Colombia. She is an assistant teacher at the Edgartown School who loves to share the Spanish Language and culture.

Dr. Elaine Cawley Weintraub, (Irish History) a Massachusetts Teacher of the Year and co-founder and research historian of the African American Heritage Trail of Martha's Vineyard, is a member of the American Conference on Irish Studies. She has made several presentations on Irish History in the United States and Ireland, and currently serves as board chair of the African American Heritage Trail of Martha's Vineyard, as Commissioner for Dukes on the Governor of Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, History Department Chair at the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School and a member of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Commissioner for Education's Global Advisory Committee.

Carrie White (Trust your gut: Detecting dangers in your life) holds a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology from Northeastern University, Boston where she studied serial rapists/killers. She was a Child and Family Therapist in North Boston and a Police Officer for 8 years where she worked as a Rape Investigator / Domestic violence officer / Court officer /Patrol Officer/ Crisis Team. She is currently the Program Director of CONNECT to end violence - domestic/sexual violence crisis/prevention center on MV.

Liz Witham (Learn to Edit Your Home Movies on iMovie) After receiving a Masters Degree in Film and Video Production from Stanford University, Liz Witham returned to Martha's Vineyard and co-founded Film-Truth Productions with her husband, Ken Wentworth. She is an award-winning filmmaker who has produced, directed and edited films at festivals nation-wide, including a feature-length film "A Certain Kind of Beauty" about island resident Dan Aronie. She has taught video production to at-risk youth through Beth Israel hospital, and was a teaching assistant at Stanford. This summer, she and her husband launched "The Vineyard Scene" on DocuTunes.TV.  To read more about her documentaries, visit www.film-truth.com.