Course Listing - by Instructor
Join us for one of our classes! Early registration is encouraged. Have a question about a class? Call us at 215.843.6333 or email us at info@mtairylearningtree.org.
NOTE: Mt. Airy Learning Tree has a non-refundable $6 registration fee that is applied once per term, per person, regardless of how you register. This fee is automatically added to your registration.
MALT accepts Visa or Mastercard only online.
| Name | Biography |
|---|---|
| B-Luv | , a Choreographer/Instructor is a 31 year pioneer, trailblazer in the line dance community. She has won a plethora of awards including 2 Lifetime Achievement Awards, Choreographer of The Year and Philadelphia Dance Legend! She has worked with several artists in the music industry which include Grammy Award Winner Peabo Bryson! She has been given the gift to do what she truly LOVES to do.....choreography and dance and it is her passion! |
| Joan Adler | is the former Director of APPRISE Medicare Counseling at the Mayor's Commission on Aging in Philadelphia. She has been a Medicare counselor in the community for the last 6 years. |
| Justin Ahlbach | has an MA in Literature and an interest in contemporary film. |
| Lauren Anderson | is an astrologer, tarot reader, and friendly mystic. She is a practicing astrologer with several years of professional chart reading experience and over 6 years of intensive astrological study. Her focus points towards Evolutionary and Psychological Astrology with a foundation steeped in the Hellenistic tradition. Check out her website: Heyeverybodyastrology.com |
| Natanya Apfelbaum | has devoted herself to studying and playing the frame drum since she discovered it; this instrument connects her to a deep pulse of life. The past two years, she has studied in Sicily, focusing on frame drumming and dance. She is a deep aficionado of the path of the drum and is excited to build community through this beautiful instrument. Connect with her at www.dancingalive.com. |
| Stef Arck-Baynes | is a mission-driven communications professional with over 20 years of experience developing strategy, relationships, and compelling content for nonprofit brands and socially responsible for-profits. As the founder and CEO of Achieving Good Communications Co., clients have included: The Conferences for Women; Bucks County United Way; Atlanta Habitat for Humanity; and The Jewish Relief Agency. Prior to Achieving Good, she directed in-house communications at organizations such as Philabundance and Brooklyn Public Library. A born-and-bred Philadelphian, Stef attended Central High School (251!) and lives happily in Mt. Airy with her husband, their daughter, and dog. Learn more on her website: achievinggood.co |
| Liz Aubry | began her restaurant career as a host and busser in order to put herself through college. Her experiences in the hospitality industry led to her infatuation with it. At 22 she became a bartender and never looked back. She loves the creativity, sounds, smells, and tastes involved in mixing a drink, and the fast paced yet family-like vibe of restaurants. She sees making cocktails akin to cooking: an emotionally rewarding way to bring people together. She is a bartender at Mt. Airy's own Commodore Barry Club and Bar Lizette. |
| Luther Bangert | has been juggling for seventeen years. Performing and teaching has taken him around the world. His interest in the expressive potential of the technique of juggling led him to explore various movement frameworks and body methods within yoga, qigong, and contemporary dance. Luther brings this diverse skill set and his unique way of working with juggling to his classes for beginners and advanced practitioners. |
| Pamela (Jaz) Banks | is an Award-Winning Published Poet, Performance Poet, Songwriter (ASCAP), Singer, Composer, Theater-Artist, Author, Playwright, and Educator. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing/Poetry from Goddard College and a BA in Theater from Temple University. Jaz is honored to educate elementary students in the public school system and young adults/adults in independent poetry classes. |
| Dorothy Bauer | spent most of her adult life in Berkeley, California where she was able to take classes at Living Light Culinary Institute and study with world renowned raw chef and author, Elaina Love. |
| Linda Bell | 25WTW01- This workshop will be facilitated by a team of educators and organizers, including Linda Bell of East Mt. Airy Neighbors, Janice Lion, MSS, Lis Bass, Ph.D. and Sukey Blanc, Ph.D. https://mtairydiversityinitiative.notion.site/MANDI-Directory-c5ca920bec9f434aa92249fc815f20a8 |
| Glenn Bergman | is the former Executive Director of Philabundance, and previously served for 11 years as the General Manager of the Weavers Way Co-Op. He has led food tours of Chinatown for MALT and this term is also eager to share his food explorations to Northeast and Southwest Philly. Glenn is donating his faculty fee to the nonprofit Ukraine Trust Train, providing humanitarian relief to people in the war. No funds will go towards military equipment. |
| Lynn Berkowitz | , MFA, BFA, with a career in art museums, has developed an array of award-winning gallery tours, experiences, and apps aimed at helping audiences of all ages and abilities engage with a diversity of art 'isms' and approaches. |
| Sophie Bernard | has been doing yoga for nearly 18 years. In 2007, she obtained her 200 hour yoga certification in Inner Fire Yoga from Yoga on Main. She is certified in Ericksonian hypnosis to deepen her students' experiences while following her guided meditations. She is also a Reiki Master. Her website is: www.voilawellness.com. FRENCH: grew up in the beautiful suburbs of Paris, France before she moved stateside to study International Commerce. She speaks 5 languages and loves to share her love of her beautiful native language. |
| Marck "Flaco" Best | is a native of Mt. Airy. As a master teaching artist, he holds roster artist positions with such prestigious arts education agencies as Young Audiences of NJ & PA, AIE, and Arts Horizons, and has a long-standing relationship with The Painted Bride Art Center, where he appears frequently. His passion lies in teaching men to dance with the women in their lives. |
| Rochelle Brenner | is a Black Belt and full-time martial arts instructor for children and adults. She is also a former amateur boxer and includes training that can challenge every level. She is the owner of Action Karate in Mt. Airy. |
| Rivkie Brownstein | is a certified advanced Nurtured Heart Approach Trainer and Relationship Coach. She has been teaching classes for a long time and has gotten wonderful feedback in how this approach has benefited people greatly! |
| Karen Bruhin | is a 3rd degree initiate within the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel (ASW), a Wiccan syncretic tradition. She is the High Priestess of Tenders of the Earth Temple founded in 2011 based in NW Philadelphia. A practitioner of a variety of esoteric disciplines, Karen has been active in Wicca and the local Pagan community for the past 20+ years and has been reading tarot for 45+ years. She is a past board member for Philadelphia Pagan Pride and has previously taught at Spring Magick, Autumn Magick, Philadelphia Pagan Pride, South Jersey Pagan Pride, Sacred Space/Between the Worlds, and Free Spirit Gathering. |
| Ben Buono | has a B.S. in Astrophysics from Mount Union College and 7 years with NASA in Greenbelt MD working with the unmanned spacecraft attitude and orbit determination sections. |
| Troy Bynum | , owner of TB Wildlife Photography LLC, is not only an enthusiastic birder but also a passionate wildlife photographer from Philadelphia, PA. Troy’s work focuses on capturing and showcasing the remarkable colors, intricate patterns, and rich textures that are abundant throughout the natural world. In his work, Troy draws attention to the oftentimes overlooked naturally occurring beauty found in the wild. Troy is on a mission to accentuate and celebrate the inherent magnificence of nature. |
| Craig Carracappa | is a recently retired high school media production teacher. He has volunteered at the Philadelphia Folk Festival for over 40 years and has 45 years of experience playing guitar and singing. |
| Christina Castro-Tauser | is the founding director of Expansions Contemporary Dance Ensemble and Executive Director of International Ballet Exchange. She earned her MFA at Temple University and was the recipient of the Rose Vernick MFA Choreographic Achievement Award. Christina is an adjunct faculty at Temple University and Teaching Artist for Taller Puertorriqueno. Prior to her years in Philadelphia, she was the Director of the Gainesville Ballet Junior Company and an Instructor for the Gainesville School of Ballet for eight years. Christina received her BA in Dance from Point Park University. She was an apprentice at the Colorado Ballet where she choreographed Cafe con Leche for the Colorado Ballet Studio Company. She has trained with Laura Alonzo at Centro Pro Danza Havana Cuba, Minnesota Dance Theater, and Milwaukee Ballet Summer Intensive. In January of 2023 she became the owner of Wissahickon Dance Academy. |
| Rodney Chonka | has lived, studied, taught and traveled in both Italy and France. Rodney is fluent in French and Italian and has taught both languages over many years. |
| Andrew Christman | is a painter, printmaker and teaching artist based in Germantown and Mt. Airy. He received a BFA in painting at Pratt Institute Brooklyn and studied Art Ed at both Pratt Institute and Moore College of Art. He received an MA in East Asian Art History at Sotheby’s Institute of Art / Manchester University, UK. Andrew is currently a teaching artist for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and a co-founder of Way of Words, an interactive poetry and visual art project that integrates writing, bookmaking and collage. He has exhibited his work at the Muse Gallery, Awbury Arboretum, the Da Vinci Art Alliance and the Imperfect Gallery. |
| Sarah Claxton | is a member of SCBWI and has many seminars through them, as well as Big Sur and Highlights Writers Workshops. In 2022 she was a RUCCL mentee and won a scholarship to the Middle Grade Novel workshop at Highlights Foundation. In 2024 she was awarded a Silver Level scholarship to 12x12 Challenge, attended the invitation-only PJ Library PB Summer Camp and was awarded the Volemos Grant from SCBWI. She has self-published two picture books and is working on many more. |
| Matthew Cooley | has been teaching communication and public speaking courses for 25 years, in both professional and academic settings. For more than 20 years, Matt was a full-time instructor for the Defense Logistics Agency, Training Division, teaching technical/business systems courses as well as writing & communications. Matt was also an adjunct communication professor at both LaSalle University and Montgomery County Community College. Matt brings flexibility, energy, humor, enthusiasm, and a wealth of communication knowledge to all of his classes. |
| James Crichton | is a tour guide, museum docent, tour escort and historical character re-enactor. Known for his dramatic presentation style, Jim helped to develop Historic Germantown’s popular Ghosts of the Great Road tours and served as the guide for them for many years. He served as a member of the guide corps at Cliveden of the National Trust for eleven years, was a guide for the History Hunters Youth Reporter Program for six years and has been a docent at Johnson House Historic Site since 2007. A charter member of the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides, Jim has also conducted walking, step-on and duck boat tours of Center City Philadelphia, step-on tours of Valley Forge, Lancaster County and the Camden waterfront, and served as a tour escort for school groups in Gettysburg. Jim has often developed specialty history tours for clients, conducted new guide training at several local museums, and has authored guide training and enrichment materials for Johnson House. Jim is a longtime resident of Germantown and Mt. Airy. |
| Lori Crook | , a Licensed Social Worker with a lifelong creative passion, transitioned into a self-taught artist after discovering alcohol inks. Since 2021, she has led 80+ workshops at venues like Norristown Art League, Whitemarsh Art Center, Evansburg Vineyard, and through private sessions in Montgomery County. |
| June Daley | is the owner of JuneBug Sweet Treats, a small-batch bakery in King of Prussia, PA where LOVE is always the first ingredient. |
| Dovene Deh | has 20 plus years experience in engineering: electrical, software and cloud computing. He got his electrical engineering degree from Drexel University. Dovene is currently working on an EV charging solution and supporting customers in their AI journey. |
| Barbara Delp | , a local trust and estate attorney, has been teaching American Mah Jongg for over a decade. She enjoys introducing beginners to the basic rules of the National Mah Jongg League and teaching the finer points and strategies of this challenging game. |
| Judy Dobbs | has over 20 years' experience in the healing arts, and brings to life the multiple uses of many essential oils she has studied for years. Judy has been using essential oils since 1998, and teaching with MALT since 1995. |
| Judy Donovan | is an award-winning fiber artist, quilter and wearables designer who lives in Mt. Airy. She is member of the Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers. |
| Supreme Dow | is the Founder and Executive Director of the Black Writers Museum. |
| Nicole Dupree | is a teaching artist and founder of Indigo in Green--a Mt. Airy-based creative workshop producing artisanal, natural art supplies and educational resources. You can find botanical inks made by Nicole in the museum shop at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and in the Welcome Center at Bartram's Garden. For more nature art projects, field trips to green spaces, and plant portraits, watch Nicole on Indigo in Green, Saturdays @ 9AM on PhillyCAM. Connect, create, and collaborate with Nicole on instagram @ampersandtextile and @indigo.in.green |
| Frances Emberley | is a dancer, instructor, and researcher with an interest in early twentieth-century American social dances originating in Black communities, such as the Lindy Hop and Charleston. She has been teaching dance for the past nineteen years and holds an MA in Dance from Temple University where her research focused on both historical and ethnographic perspectives to explore the culture, aesthetics, pedagogy, and preservation of Black American social jazz dances. |
| Nina Epstein | is known as the Digital Diva and has been an information technology instructor and consultant for over 25 years, helping individuals and small business owners use technology to solve their computing problems. |
| Kirsten Erwin | has studied T'ai Chi since 1982 and is a senior student of the late Sibok Robert Kassof. She has taught regularly for MALT since 2002! Related areas of training include long and short Yang T'ai Chi forms, Qigong, Reiki, Kung Fu, and meditation. She is a Certified Instructor of T'ai Chi for Arthritis. |
| Peggy Feerick | has taught traditional and digital photography for over 40 years including iPhone photography since 2017 for The Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program. She retired from George Mason University as Associate Professor and Coordinator of Photography in 2016 with prior teaching at various institutions including the University of New Mexico, Georgetown University, and the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, she was the photo archivist and curator for the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art photographic collection from 1988 to 1994. |
| Yvonne Ferguson-Hardin | has been in the fitness industry for over 25 years. She is a degreed Fitness professional with certifications in Cancer Exercise, Gerontology, Physical education and more. Changing lives through specialized programming aimed to improve functional fitness in the 55 and over population is her goal. |
| Kurt Findeisen | has studied T'ai Chi Ch'uan with Maggie Newman since 1979 until her retirement from teaching several years ago. With her consent, he began his own teaching in the late 1980’s through the auspices of Mount Airy Learning Tree. He is a retired physician who believes his T'ai Chi instruction is as valuable as any drug he ever prescribed. |
| Mike Finnell | is an avid player with 18 years experience in the game. He has found over 1,000 Geocaches and placed nearly 75 more in the Philadelphia Metro area, including at the MALT office. Those hides include the top five (by quality) of Philadelphia's over 900 Geocaches caches and have received recognition by Geocaching.com. |
| Rebecca Fisher | is the cofounder of Philadelphia's top rated Beyond the Bell Tours. Beyond the Bell designs inclusive historical walking tours that put the people back into people's history. Rebecca is passionate about the intersection of social justice and tourism. |
| Mindy Flexer | is a professional artist and certified art teacher. She takes each student seriously as an artist and works to help each one meet their own artistic goals. She loves sharing her passion for art with people of all ages and walks of life, and believes in the power of art to transform people, communities, and the world. She has taught with MALT since 2009! Find Mindy online at www.mindyflexerart.com |
| Lu Flowers | helps empower others by helping them build their digital skills! Lu has worked in libraries since 2014 assisting folks with technology of all kinds. |
| Bridget Flynn | is a local fiber artist who has been spinning yarn to use in her knitting and weaving for over 20 years. She is a member of the Philadelphia Guild of Hand Weavers where she teaches spinning. She can also be seen around the community demonstrating spinning and selling her handwoven goods. |
| Tuomi Forrest | is the Executive Director of Historic Germantown. |
| David Freeman | is a lawyer and educator. His thirty years of legal experience includes work as a prosecutor, defense attorney, zoning board counsel and private general practice. He currently focuses on education law, representing children and their parents. He is also a full-time educator in the Criminal Justice curriculum at Community College of Philadelphia. |
| Trish Fries | is the former director of the Wissahickon Environmental Center, who has been tapping trees and making syrup for 25 years! |
| Paul Gannon | , ND, is a naturopathic doctor in practice for over twenty years, helping clients reach and maintain their health goals, tailoring the most effective cutting edge natural treatment protocols. He specializes in women’s health, cancer co-management and post-treatment thriving, gastrointestinal health, acute and chronic illness, as well as allergies and rheumatism. |
| Jojo Gass | Jojo Gass is an abstract expressionist, chess enthusiast and proud plant mom. She has previously taught "Chess for Women" at MALT (inspired by The Queen's Gambit). Now, she's excited to share the joy, relaxation, and rewards of working with clay. Her unique ceramic designs are sold in boutiques throughout Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill. |
| Andrew Gilmore | has been studying the history of American entertainment since 1995, and has a BA from Arcadia University in Theater and American Recorded Popular Entertainment. |
| Makiko Goto-Widerman | is a graduate of Showa Women's University in Japanese literature and language. She has organized award winning homestay tours to Japan, is a graduate of UMass Amherst's Arts Interdisciplinary Studies program, offers workshops in floral design, including Ikebana, and champions the art of traditional Japanese cooking. |
| David Grauel | comes to MALT by way of NYC where he was a Technical Support and Training Specialist in Microsoft Office products for such companies as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. As part of the Human Resources Administration, he trained supervisors and staff, worked the Help Desk, and performed network troubleshooting. |
| David Greenberg | has been writing screenplays professionally for over twenty-five years. He teaches screenwriting at Drexel University and has also taught at University of the Arts, Temple University, Moore College of Art, Arcadia University and Montgomery County Community College. His book Screenwriting for Micro-Budget Films has been called one of the greatest screenwriting books of all time by bookauthority.org. His feature writing-directing debut, Stomping Ground, is distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures. |
| Himasha Gunasek | 's love for dance began in 2010 in Sri Lanka when she took Latin dance classes with her sister. After moving to New York in 2013, she fell in love with salsa and continued dancing after relocating to Philadelphia in 2019. At Flaco’s Dance Factory, she found a welcoming community and now enjoys teaching, sharing her knowledge, and inspiring others with the joy of dance. |
| Cayman Haberl | is a recent graduate and German native speaker driven to inspire people by sharing the richness of the language and culture. |
| Susan Haidar | is an Environmental Education Planner with the City of Philadelphia for 3.5 years and was a Recreation Leader for 7 years. Previously, she was an educator at Riverbend Environmental Center. In addition to her knowledge and love of nature, Susan has a background in the visual arts and information studies. |
| Tyler Hathaway | is a singing instructor and musician. He is enrolled in graduate school at Antioch University for a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling with a focus on expressive arts therapy. His teaching practice is informed by his training in Inside Voice techniques as taught by Jonathan Stancato, his familiarity with healing practices (including somatic exercises, cognitive behavioral therapy, breath work, and meditation), his acting training at the Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca, and over 20 years experience as a drummer and percussionist. |
| Gina Henry | created Go Global, Inc. to empower people to travel as much as they want. She has been taking about ten free vacations per year over the past quarter-century. Check out www.goglobalinc.com for more info. |
| Rebecca Hoenig | has been an artist and art teacher for several decades. She is particularly inspired by nature and begins most of her work with drawing and observation from life. |
| Allison Houghton | is an educator and author on a variety of organic gardening topics. She has served as the education director for the MA chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA/Mass) and as assistant grower for The Food Project farm in Lincoln, MA, and as the director of horticulture at Green City Growers building hundreds of food-producing gardens in the Greater Boston area. |
| Chelsea Jackson | is a writer, editor, and writing coach, as well as the author of the poetry collection All Things Holy and Heathen (April Gloaming). Chelsea’s writing asks hard questions and explores what it means to be human. Their work has been featured in Fatal Flaw, Coffin Bell Journal, and Passengers Journal, among other publications, and they were a finalist in Animal Heart's 2022 Poetry Collection Contest. Chelsea has an MFA in Poetry from Drew University and is the Co-Editor of The Maine Review. After moving around for over a decade, they returned to their home state of Virginia in 2022. They live in Richmond with their partner and cuddly pitbull. To connect with Chelsea or learn more about their work, visit chelsea-jackson.com. |
| Anne Johnson | , a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique and Art of Running instructor, joyfully teaches in-person and online classes worldwide, through MALT (since 1995!) and for her private local students in Mt Airy. She taught at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University for 15 years. She continues her outreach to people of all ages, professions, skill levels and diverse backgrounds.
Anne is a graduate of The Sacred Science of Sound Crystal Alchemy Training with Jeralyn Glass. She brings her wisdom and experience from 25 years teaching the Alexander Technique into her explorations with sound healing with her Crystal Alchemy Bowls and her own voice. |
| Erica Johnson | 's passion for plants has roots that extend beyond memory, nurtured by the influence of her mother and grandmother. Since 2019, she has been sharing her horticultural expertise through teaching. Erica also owned a plant store, "Collective Artistry," located in Maplewood Mall, where she imparted her knowledge to the community. She has also conducted plant care workshops across the city in collaboration with the Free Library of Philadelphia. |
| Latoya Johnson | is the founder of Natural Body Essentials. As a licensed esthetician with over 15 years of medical experience, she started her journey out of a personal need to find solutions for her family’s eczema. Today, she is proud to present a thriving business that offers natural alternatives for healthy skin and living. |
| Jacqueline Jonas | is a storyteller, seamstress and cooking coach. Through her work as The Kitchen Doula, she seeks to empower everyone to cook well and often.To find out more see her website jackiejonas.com. |
| Marcia Jones | , MFA, is a teaching artist in Mt. Airy with 50 years experience teaching art to all ages, in art centers and art schools. Her instruction-based teaching method, which she named Making Art Makes Us Smarter (c.2010), represents her passionate belief in the regenerative power of creative art. Marcia’s primary mediums are watercolor and pastel. Her work can also be seen at Le Bus in East Falls, and in private collections. She was awarded MALT's Barbara Bloom Teacher Award in 2022. |
| Kitty Kaar | is a retired educator and corporate trainer who has been enjoying the empowerment of growing her own fresh, nutritious veggies for the past three years. |
| Victoria Kager | is a former middle school teacher turned attorney, who has been playing pickleball for over four years. Growing up, she competed in tennis tournaments, and as an adult she has competed in pickleball tournaments. Victoria also has many years of experience teaching horseback riding. |
| Karen Kennedy | is an American Sign Language teacher who represents DHCC. |
| Debra Klingler | has been a MALT dance instructor since 1994. She teaches a wide array of partner dances, including ballroom, swing and Latin dancing throughout the Philadelphia area, and can be found enjoying dancing with her students and partners in many local dance clubs. |
| Tony Knighton | is the author of the collection Happy Hour and Other Philadelphia Cruelties, and three novels, Three Hours Past Midnight, A Few Days Away, and A Night at the Shore, all published by Brash Books. Some of his short stories are included in anthologies from Cemetery Dance, Grey Matter Press and Close to the Bone. View his website at www.tonyknighton.com. |
| Connie Koppe | Connie Koppe has been finding joy in singing since she was 6. She has been teaching actors, singers and CEOs to build and use their voices more effectively for over 30 years. She has taught speech at the University of the Arts and gives private speech and singing lessons from her home in Germantown. www.conniekoppe.com. SEWING and CRAFTS: Connie Koppe has been a seamstress and crafter almost all her life. She learned sewing skills from her mother, her Great Aunts and Jr. High Home Economics and reading the patterns. Connie has always loved to craft and follows her mother’s example of reusing cards and other items to make gifts and home decorations. |
| Rachel Kriger | For Five Elements Class: Rachel has been practicing Five Element-style acupuncture for 15 years, and is continuously amazed by the wisdom of nature and how it guides her to align within herself and with the world around her. She loves helping others do the same. For Fire Building and Dutch Oven Cooking- Rachel and Nick Corso have cooked many meals on open fires in their backyard over the past 10 years. Before living in Philadelphia, they lived at Healthcote Community in Maryland, where they shared community meals every night, and Nick's famous cob oven pizza (perhaps a future cob biulding class is in order to get that experience here!). They cherished the connections they had there and want to share that experience with you. So come cozy up by the fire and let's nourish ourselves. |
| Amber LaJeunesse | has leveraged her doctorate in Higher Education Leadership into 18 years of success as a Soft Skills Coach in both the public and private sectors. |
| Capt. Peter Lacey | brings extensive boating expertise, piloting power, and sailboats across diverse waters, including the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Caribbean, and more. With a U.S. Coast Guard Master License, Sail, and Towing Endorsement, along with certifications as a USCG AUXILIARY and US Power Squadron Certified Instructor, he's a seasoned mariner. Lacey's professional background includes sales of Marine Equipment for West Marine, and he also served in the US Navy. |
| Mickey Leone | Offered by the staff of Chestnut Hill Music Academy under director Mickey Leone. CHMA is a full service school in Chestnut Hill providing private lessons and training on all instruments and voice to all ages. Info at www.chestnuthillmusic.com |
| Jessica Liddell | is the owner of Bella Mosaic Art. It is the only studio in Philadelphia dedicated to the ancient art of mosaics. Artist-run and operated, we offer classes, facilitate community art projects, and create commissions. |
| Janice Lion | 25WTW01- This workshop will be facilitated by a team of educators and organizers, including Linda Bell of East Mt. Airy Neighbors, Janice Lion, MSS, Lis Bass, Ph.D. and Sukey Blanc, Ph.D. https://mtairydiversityinitiative.notion.site/MANDI-Directory-c5ca920bec9f434aa92249fc815f20a8 |
| Nathan Long | grew up in rural Appalachia, earned an Ma and MFA in literature and creative writing, and now lives in Philadelphia while teaching at Stockton University in NJ. Their work appears on NPR, and in over 100 publications, including Best Short Fictions 2023, Best Microfictions 2020, Tin House, Master's Review, Electric Lit, and Witness. The Origin of Doubt, their collection of fifty short fictions, was a 2019 Lambda Award finalist. Nathan has been writing and teaching about flash fiction for over 20 years and still loves reading a new flash story. Nathan Alling Long has been baking bread for 30 years. He has worked at a commercial bakery as well as cooked at an organic restaurant, a commune, and for a meditation retreat. During the pandemic, he took on making sourdough when he was gifted a 15 year old starter, which he will share with the participants. |
| David Low | ,MS, PhD was an entertainer and drug counselor before getting a doctorate in Religious Studies, and teaching as an adjunct instructor at Rutgers, Rowan and other colleges in the area. He has a private counseling practice in Mt. Airy. David teaches MALT's comparative religion classes. See more about him at davidlowmsphd.com. |
| Vanessa Lowe | can be heard on G-Town Radio and the Spotify podcast, Vanessa's Money Hour. She spent 21 years in federal service supporting access to capital for underserved communities. Retired at age 56, she continues that work by leading Invest for Better circles – Impact Investing Learning Circles for Women, financial coaching via VLL Consulting. She’s committed to moving personal and institutional money toward justice. Learn more at www.vllconsulting.com. G-Town Radio: https://gtownradio.com/ Vanessa's Money Hour:https://open.spotify.com/show/2o1V3caGUV6HkpeNzz9UHF Invest for Better https://investforbetter.org/philly/ |
| Natalie Mancini | grew up in Japan and is a native speaker of Japanese. She holds a master’s degree in Japanese linguistics. Since 2009, Natalie has been teaching Japanese at various institutions across the U.S. and has developed curricula ranging from introductory to advanced levels. Additionally, she practiced calligraphy throughout her school years in Japan. |
| Paul Martin | has been teaching regularly since 2000. He has trained under internationally recognized Masters in QiGong, Tai Chi, and Healing Arts. He has taught several times at the prestigious National QiGong Association Conference. |
| Rachel Martin | is the founder of Clutter Tonic: The Easy, Refreshing Way to Organize Your Home. She finds tremendous pleasure in teaching people to organize and maintain the homes they crave. |
| Jen May | has been practicing yoga for 20 years, and she is sure that yoga has helped her balance her physical body, create a more resilient nervous system, and be more present for all the moments of life. With a background in biology research and teaching, Jen loves learning and teaching about bodies and movement. Jen has a 200 hr. certification in vinyasa yoga from Wake Up Yoga. She has also completed a 300 hr. Yoga Wellness Educator Training from Yoga U. Online, which emphasized teaching beginners and older beginners how yoga can benefit body awareness, posture, and healthy aging. |
| Henry "Hank" McCoullum | is a retired Master’s Class Table Tennis Instructor from Pennsylvania State University. He is a credentialed coach and umpire for table tennis events. Currently, he is an active tournament participant and enjoys competing as a lifelong member of the United States Table Tennis Association (USTTA). Hank has also served on the National Governing Body of Table Tennis as Vice President of Collegiate Affairs. In this role, he coordinated and organized national competitions for the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and the Association of College Unions International. |
| Neil McDevitt | DHCC accomplishes their mission through communication access services, education and advocacy. DHCC advocates for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to help them gain communication access to services, businesses, educational institutions and their own places of employment. All DHCC ASL classes are taught by experienced Deaf instructors who look to not only teach ASL, but will also cover key ideas and stories about Deaf culture and history. |
| Tony McFadden | began dancing 50 years ago, and for over 20 years he has taught dance. He finds fulfillment in teaching students how to groove to great music and have fun. Since retiring eight years ago, he's been traveling nationwide, competing in dance competitions and leading dance events. Alongside line dancing, Tony teaches classes in Bop, Cha Cha, Salsa, Strand, 2-Step and Basic Line Dance. He also enjoys teaching basic Waltz, Bachata, Tango, Hustle, Foxtrot, Chicago Steppin, Etc. |
| Teresa McKnight | is the founder of For My Girls, an empowerment organization that provides workshops and programs for girls and women. Her journey began in the wake of her own divorce, a turning point that led her to rediscover her strength, independence, and joy in life’s second chapters. She has over 20 years of experience in mentoring, workshops, and coaching. She is the Director of a student success program for first-generation students at LaSalle University, as well as an adjunct professor at Harcum College. |
| Kelly McLeod | is a devoted Qigong practitioner with over a decade of experience. After spending 33 years in the pharmaceutical field, Kelly decided to pivot her career towards her deep passion for the fascinating ancient Chinese healing arts and obtained her certification as a Holden Qigong teacher. Kelly believes that Qigong should be a fun and accessible experience for all. She aims to create a comfortable learning environment that appeals to her students while making the practice enjoyable and relatable. |
| Lexie Ruth Mitchell | is an end-of-life doula, hospice volunteer, and teacher passionate about living intentionally and dying consciously. |
| Paul Mladjenovic | is an educator, national speaker and author of Stock Investing for Dummies and the owner of RavingCapitalist.com. He has taught with MALT for over 25 years |
| Eric Moore | is an experienced real estate professional who has sold houses for the past eight years. Before that he was a co-founder and chief technology officer at TLA Video for 32 years. He loves Philadelphia with a passion. |
| Susie Moore | is a licensed professional counselor, with 8 years of experience working with teenagers and adults. She utilizes active listening skills with her clients on a daily basis, believes strongly in the power of these skills, and is eager to share her knowledge about this topic with others. |
| Walter Moyer | has owned and operated his own tax accounting firm since 1987. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from LaSalle University. Having developed many long-standing relationships with other small business owners, he continues to cultivate contacts in the local community and uses his acumen for finances to support his clients and their businesses. He has taught and continues to teach Tax, Accounting, Bookkeeping, and multiple small business courses. |
| Daniel Nemer | , L.O.M. is the owner of G-town Acupuncture and currently celebrating 20 years as a licensed practitioner of Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal and Oriental Medicine. He has practiced various styles of Taiji (Tai Chi), Qigong, meditation and Yoga for over 30 years. Since September 2022 he has been studying Taiji Qigong Shibashi, the 18 movements, in the lineage of its creator Professor Lin Housheng and is certified to teach Set 1. |
| Ericka Neville | , "The Money Coach," went from bankruptcy to becoming an award-winning licensed financial expert. She has been conducting money management workshops, seminars and Bo$$ Money Challenges for the past twenty years. Ericka is co-creator of the 2019 Millionaire Mind Set Dream Big Summit. |
| An Nichols | is an established performer in the Philadelphia community. Within the world of Improv, she trained at Philly Improv Theater and the Magnet and has performed in the PA & NJ Ren Faires, Bright Invention Ensemble, Philly Improv Theatre Conservatory, Lancaster Improv, and more! She has served as the diversity advisor for ImprovUtopia and directed Improvised Star Trek for ImprovFest Ireland. In the world of dance, she is a certified BellyQueen bellydance instructor who started in 2001 and went onto study with June Seaney, Tessa Myers, Habiba, Kaeshi Chai (BellyQueen), Oreet (bellydancer of the year) and Zoe Akili. She specializes in body positivity, teaching veil, floor routine, and assisting beginners in enjoying the basics of the dance. |
| Sarah O'Connor | has been writing since childhood, making little chapbooks, and leaving them on public transit for others to find. She loves sharing the experience of writing with others through an in-person connection. Sarah has led writing workshops for women living in shelters due to family violence, and in doing so, discovered the inspiring power of poetry. She has studied creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania and recently completed a diploma in creative writing at the University of Oxford. |
| Y'vonne Page-Magnus | has many years of experience in this field. She has a BA in Fine Arts from the Inter-Continental University in London where she learned jewelry making, knotting and silk threading from a private instructor. She also studied geology on her own and is deeply passionate about semi-precious stones. |
| Grace Perkins | developed the chair yoga class at the request of the Chestnut Hill Senior Center in 1985. She has created a unique program that integrates posture, metaphors, poetry, seasonal energetic awareness and stories to enhance the basic Integral Yoga approach she teaches. |
| Moneek Pines | has many years of experience in teaching art to children and adults. She currently teaches young children through Art Mt. Airy and believes everyone is an artist. Moneek has a BFA from Moore College of Art & Design. |
| Lindsay Pinter | earned a master’s in clinical mental health counseling, is a board certified coach (BCC), and became a certified hypnotist (CH) after having her own amazing experience with hypnosis. Her work has focused largely on people experiencing anxiety, feeling “stuck”, and general life dissatisfaction. Hypnosis has helped Lindsay in ways that other remedies did not and she hope to teach others all the ways hypnosis can help them too. |
| Nancy Post | , MAc, PhD, has taught health and energy seminars since 1985, is a licensed practitioner of Chinese medicine, executive coach and has taught at Temple, U Penn and the Wharton Schools. She helps individuals and organizations develop their energy. |
| Clayton Prince | is the owner and operator of The Philadelphia Musical History Tours. For more information, see www.themusicalhistorytours.com. |
| Eric Prine | worked as a professional interior and architecture photographer for over 15 years. He began real estate investing and doing property management over a decade ago. As a Realtor®, Eric is able to combine his love of architecture and real estate. |
| Bea Quindlen | learned from her high school art teacher that success can come from the learning process rather than the “perfect finished product.” Those high school “discovery projects” led to a lifetime of crafting – and isn’t life a “discovery project?” Bea is happily retired after a 47-year career at a data company. She attended a MALT class way back in 1994 but not again until 2008! Since then, she has taken over 20 classes. In 2017, she made the switch from student to instructor, teaching a variety of introductory craft classes. |
| Nancy Rasmussen | has taught non-fiction writing courses at three universities in addition to her long-running memoir class for MALT. She has also written short pieces for several magazines along with personal essays for her writers' group and online contests. Currently, Nancy edits for and coaches various clients, helping them share their stories with others. |
| Rebel Potters | Rebel Potters Studio, newly arrived on Germantown Ave., offers a variety of professionally led classes, workshops and private events, in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. |
| Amy Ricci | holds an MA in Historic Preservation from Boston University and has worked on preservation projects in Boston and Philadelphia. Since 2012, she has focused on conservation with the Fairmount Park Conservancy and advocacy with the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. Currently, she serves as Executive Director of Historic RittenhouseTown, a National Historic Landmark. Amy is passionate about empowering homeowners to preserve distinctive features, like historic windows, in their homes. |
| Laura Richlin | , a life-long student of the mysteries, is a practicing cranial therapist, Reiki practitioner, certified teacher in the School of Integrative Energy Healing, and a university professor of psychology and communications. |
| Christopher Ridenhour | has over 30 years of experience as a national trainer on workforce development, emotional intelligence and leadership development Christopher Ridenhour and Dr. Amber LaJeunesse are colleagues who share a passion for empowering and serving others. |
| Karen Rile | is a writer, editor, and yoga teacher. She is a practitioner and Level 2, 500-hour certified instructor of the LYT Method, the only yoga system created and mentored by physical therapists. She is also a certified Flexibility Coach, Yoga Trapeze, and Yoga Breathing coach through Yoga Teachers College, where she earned her first 200-hour yoga teacher certification. |
| Elise Rivers | Esq., MAc, has practiced holistic medicine for more than twenty years and is the founder of the Northwest Center for Food As Medicine, teaching people how to prevent and reverse the chronic diseases of our time. Learning from renowned functional medicine doctors, she has studied the benefits of plant-based nutrition since 2013, and is certified by Cornell University's program in plant-based nutrition. |
| Max Rivers | is the lead mediator at Two Rivers Mediation where he is a professional couple’s mediator. He is the author of “Loving Conflict.” |
| Sara Robbins | , a Mt. Airy native, is an award winning fiber artist who has been weaving baskets for over 30 years. |
| Marisia Robinson | is MALT's Office Coordinator, an avid urban gardener with 5 years of experience, as well as the secretary for Aspen Farms Community Garden. Marisia brings a wealth of knowledge about vegetable and herb growing and has taught for PHS, PASA, and the Philadelphia Free Library. Her teaching approach is interactive and pragmatic. She is passionate about the transformative power of urban gardening and advocates for its role in fostering community connections and cultivating an abundance mindset through sustainable food and seed production. |
| Etja Ruth | brings the spiritual and practical guidance of dreams and Tarotpy® to the issues of everyday life, personal and professional. She is also an artist and writer, helping clients source dreams for creative projects. Etja has been working with dreams for over 20 years and is an Embodied Imagination Practitioner, as well as a dream interpreter. |
| Mindy Shapiro | is a papercut, Zentangle® and book artist. Mindy's love language is her art and she strives to share that with others through her work, teaching, engagement and communication. View her website at www.mindyshapiro.com |
| Tracy Shearer | is an AADP Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, certified Holistic Nutrition, Health, and Wellness Coach, graduate of the T. Colin Campbell Foundation Plant-Based Nutrition certification program at Cornell University. She is a graduate of the yoga teacher training programs at The Kaivalya Yoga Method Academy (Ashtanga), and the Yogamu Global Yoga Teaching Academy (Meditation & Kundalini). She is a 500hr Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance and a Certified Meditation Teacher with Meditation Alliance International. |
| Orr Shtuhl | is a James Beard-nominated food writer and educator. He has taught beer classes at Murray's Cheese, the Bedford Cheese Shop, and with his own beer tours project, The Bestest. He was the Washington City Paper's first beer columnist, and his writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Gastronomica, Serious Eats, and NPR. |
| Alan Silverblatt | Alan Silverblatt has been a caseworker and an attorney. More recently he's had a decades long career in information technology, serving as a programmer, technical instructor and writer, and now an independent computer consultant to individuals, small businesses and nonprofits. After retiring from his last day job, he's enjoying model railroading, hosting a rock and blues show on G-town Radio, playing in a band, and sharing with others his knowledge of technology, car buying and investing. |
| Cheri Skipworth | is the owner of the HandmadeU Studio. HandmadeU inspires creativity in others through offering a monthly craft subscription box as well as craft workshops. Cheri has been an avid crafter for more than 30 years and has been teaching arts and crafts for more than 20 years. |
| Greg Smith | is a financial analyst at Commons & Commons LLP, a Mt. Airy resident, and professor of Real Estate Valuation at Jefferson University. |
| Kathleen Smith | , JD, is an experienced educator and attorney. She is an associate professor at Chestnut Hill College and has received numerous awards recognizing her contributions to legal education, jurisprudence, civic engagement and public service. |
| Maggie Snyder | has been knitting for the last 12 years. She particularly loves to knit sweaters for herself and her 18 month old son. She moved to Mount Airy in 2019 and loves the community and all the fiber folks! |
| Rick Spector | founded Moviehouse Productions in 1983, educating and delighting community groups throughout the Delaware Valley with his multi-media nostalgia programs. His core works includes a multi-part series on the popular history of Philadelphia. His website is www.moviehouseproductions.com. |
| RowZone Staff | The Rowzone Fitness workout is a perfect combination of cardio, strength, and technical rowing training with the use of Concept2 rowing machines. We add in body toning exercises. Our upbeat classes are taught by rowers, rowing enthusiasts and trainers, suit all levels and ages, and will challenge your mind and body while giving you a work out that you will never forget. |
| Anne Stevenson Smith | has been playing ukulele for 15 years. As a music major, with a history of singing and playing other instruments, she found the ukulele to be a perfect fit. She is a leader of the Philadelphia Mainline ukulele meetup group. Anne focuses on sharing basic chords and best practices, and has been teaching and doing uke workshops for years. As part of the duo Ten Strings Two Hearts, Annie is playing professionally with her partner as a member of the Philadelphia Folksong Society's Musical Artists Cooperative. |
| Janice Strawder | MFA, has been teaching the art of ceramics for over thirty years. She enjoyed a five year artist residency at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, where she continues to teach. Janice is a co-founder of Rebel Potters in Germantown where she manages the studio and teaches clay classes. Janice’s ceramic works include wood and salt fired functional pottery, mosaic, with an emphasis on decorative surfaces. |
| Kaniesha Thomas | , MSW has been an entrepreneur for the last four years. The mission of her business is to create art that embodies spirituality, healing and self care. www.revolutionaryratchet.com |
| Lyssa Thompson | has worked in kitchens for almost a decade, and has been studying bread since 2019. She apprenticed at San Francisco Zen Center and has worked at PARC, Dead King Bread, L’imprimerie and the James Beard nominated She Wolf Bakery in New York City. Her area of concentration is naturally leavened doughs, however she also has a wide range of experience including yeasted doughs, laminated products, pastry, and, of course, focaccia. |
| Muyiwa Togun | is the Founder and CEO of Roy Urban Kollection (RUK), an African textile, art and fashion manufacturer and brand. He is an artist, textile and fashion designer, pulling inspiration from his Yoruba roots and his lived experience as a Nigerian youth assimilating into a new culture as a recently immigrated resident to the United States. |
| Nicki Toizer | was the Technical Director at MALT for ten years. She has loved photography for more than 25 years and enjoys teaching others how to use their cameras.
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| Hildy Tow | is the Curator of Education at Woodmere Art Museum. |
| Carolyn Wallace | an interpreter, educator, and collections manager with over ten years of experience working with historic sites. In her current role as Education Director for Cliveden of the National Trust, her work focuses on research and interpretation of diverse narratives through sustainable programming for youth and adults and exhibit design. Carolyn is passionate about making connections between past and present and helping visitors to do the same. |
| Lynne Williams | , EdD candidate is the executive director of the Philadelphia Area Great Careers Group, which provides online career education and networking. She writes resumes, LinkedIn profiles and company pages, and focuses on keywords. She is writing her doctoral dissertation on LinkedIn. Connect on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/lynnewilliams |
| Marjorie Winther | recently performed at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts as part of the Story District “Real Hot Girl Sh*t” show. She has won the title “Best Storytelling in Philly” four times after winning four First Person Arts Grand Slam competitions. She has performed at the Act II Playhouse, Catch a Rising Star, the WHYY Connections Festival, The Women in Comedy Festival at Plays and Players and at the Risk! Show. Her humorous stories have been featured on the NPR show Commonspace. Off stage, Marjorie has been fired from dozens of corporate and academic jobs. |
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