Many new to Waldorf education often ask, “What is Eurythmy?” when they hear it is offered as part of the curriculum. At its simplest, students learn intentional movement through exercises, patterns and games that increase in complexity through the grades. They learn to move in thoughtful and disciplined ways in collaboration with others. While this […]
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Multi-year teaching in a Waldorf grade school allows teachers to take the time to make deep connections with students. Keeping the main lesson class teacher as a steady authority in a child’s life is beneficial to social and intellectual learning. Research on teacher “looping,” as it is often called, shows that rich and deep student / teacher
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Chicago Waldorf School alum, Ashlynn Boyce, has turned her senior project into a thriving non profit animal rescue. Her organization has saved 414 kittens, puppies, cats and dogs by placing them in foster or forever homes. Ashlynn created her nonprofit in May 2020 and the pandemic had drastically increased the need for more animal foster families. Now,
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Cyber Civics celebrated Media Literacy Week with the feature article — Waldorf Schools are Media Literacy Role Models — discussing Waldorf education’s approach to media access for children. “Waldorf schools have been quietly holding this conversation with intentionality and patience: asking families to be thoughtful, mindful, discerning, and slow with media access for children. Not to deprive them, but rather to
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Teachers, in all schools, find themselves as purveyors of the arts as they stand before their students. They work to cultivate a learning environment that encourages each student’s ability to think synergistically and create — compositions, experiments, or variable solutions to problems — in STEM classes and in the humanities. Erica Rosenfeld Halverson, Professor and
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Students at the Whidbey Island Waldorf School are building wood homes for local bat populations as part of their math block curriculum. The habitat construction combines lessons in math — measuring, math facts and more — along with science and learning about bats and their habitats. The idea came out of their Animal Block and a visit
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A new study out of Finland shows that adding natural elements to a preschool playground improved the immune systems of the three to five year old attending students. The study, coordinated by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), added forest undergrowth, lawn turf and planter boxes to a playground that had minimal natural elements. Doing
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Researchers in both neuroscience and education have noted the connection between music training and literacy skill building. Nina Kraus, a neuroscientist and author of the book “Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World,”establishes a key relationship between literacy and sound processing in her research — noting a direct connection between rhythm in
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Psychologists from the UK, Dr. Helen Dodd and Dr Kathryn Lester, recently published the paper — Adventurous Play as a Mechanism for Reducing Risk for Childhood Anxiety — in the Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review. Upon analyzing existing research, they argue that free play in young children that involves risk may provide vital learning opportunities that help
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Dr. Dale Clark Farran, a prominent early childhood researcher at Peabody College Vandebilt University, finished a decade long study on the effects of sending low income children to a preschool tailored to school readiness. The results taught her an essential lesson in education and equity. Where she once believed academic readiness was the gold standard for preschools, she
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Laura Posusta Sharp, special projects manager, found her way to Waldorf education and AWSNA years ago when her three daughters were young. With a BA in kinesiology from the University of Northern Colorado and a rich professional background ranging from law offices and government agencies to wellness spaces and early childhood settings, she meets the world with both practical skill and quiet reverence. Her talents are grounded in an intuitive sense for what is needed, and she likes to create spaces of calm, clarity, and quiet competence where others can thrive.
Outside of work, Laura finds nourishment in nature—tending flower and vegetable gardens, puzzling out crosswords, and spending meaningful time with her husband and daughters. She believes in beauty as a form of service, presence as a form of wisdom, and a well-timed pause as a form of magic.
Pam Leland brings a diverse and unique background to her role as AWSNA's Information & Systems Manager, where she has managed the organization's technology platforms since 2011. As a graduate of Macalester College with a B.A. in German, her career path started in education as a German language teacher and Fulbright scholar in Germany, teaching in public and private schools across the Midwest.
Her journey then led her to the field of leadership development, where she served as a certified Master Integrative Life Coach, a corporate leadership coach, and an adjunct faculty member in the University of Minnesota's Leadership Minor program. She discovered Waldorf education while homeschooling her own two children, which ultimately brought her to AWSNA, where her varied skills support the broader Waldorf community.
Pam is an avid organic gardener, balancing her work screen time with hands in the dirt, appreciating birdsong, buzzing bees, butterflies, and the occasional garden snake.
Emily Cohen is AWSNA's business manager, and brings more than two decades of dedicated expertise in accounting and financial management to the non-profit and education sectors. Her key specializations include grant fund accounting, financial reporting, payroll management, audits, and system implementation. In all her work, she is committed to ensuring compliance and executing effective process improvements.
Having held both leadership and supporting roles, Emily has consistently contributed to streamlining financial operations and enhancing reporting. She earned her BS in accounting from Northern Arizona University.
When not focused on work, she loves being outdoors with her children—paddleboarding, hiking, and cycling. She also pursues interests in amateur photography, exploring local history, and creating collaborative art with her family.
Stephanie Rynas brings a deep commitment to human development, organizational health, and educational access in her role as executive director, operations & member resources. Before joining AWSNA’s executive team, Stephanie served for ten years as administrator at the Waldorf School of the Peninsula, where she also taught woodworking and supported Northern California schools as a leadership council member.
Prior to entering the education field, Stephanie spent two decades in marketing and management in Silicon Valley, experiences that continue to inform her thoughtful and pragmatic leadership style. She is known for her collaborative approach, her ability to balance vision and execution, and her steady commitment to organizational integrity and care for people.
Stephanie holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Santa Clara University. She earned her Waldorf teacher training certificate from Rudolf Steiner College and maintains professional certification through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-CP).
Andrea Cooper manages the Teacher Education Loans and Grants program, is the accreditation administrative assistant, and notetaker for various meetings including the leadership council, teacher education delegate and institute circle, and all-association.
During Andrea’s first 33 years, she maintained a 200-km radius in Ontario where she was born, raised, and then attended university to receive a BASc (University of Guelph), followed by a BEd (University of Toronto). After a decade of living in Toronto working with newcomers and refugees to Canada, Andrea headed west across the continent. It was in Seattle after her son was born where she discovered Waldorf education and then began working for AWSNA.
Andrea loves playing flute in Irish traditional music sessions and banjo in old-time Appalachian string bands.
Melanie Reiser is the executive director, membership for the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA). In this role, she guides schools and institutes through membership processes, ensuring that the foundational philosophy of Waldorf education, anthroposophy, permeates every aspect of each institution.
Before joining AWSNA, Melanie spent eight years as a class teacher at Detroit Waldorf School where she led a group of students from first through eighth grade. Her extensive experience in Waldorf schools also includes leadership roles such as faculty chair and service on various committees, from finance to personnel, as well as directing outreach and enrollment.
Melanie holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction from the University of Denver, an MEd in Waldorf education from Antioch New England Graduate School, an MEd in value creating education for global citizenship, and a BA from the University of Virginia.
Beverly Amico, executive director, advancement for the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), is a seasoned leader with 25 years of dedicated service to Waldorf education. Her extensive experience encompasses roles as a teacher, administrator, and specialist in communications and strategy.
Beverly holds an MA in strategic innovation and change from the University of Denver and a marketing certificate for organizational leaders from Cornell University, complementing her formal university education and teaching certification.
An active contributor to the broader educational landscape, she serves on the board of the American Council of Private Education and on the National Council for Private School Accreditation. She had previously served as a commissioner on the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Council on Accreditation.
Outside of her professional life, Beverly is an avid long-distance trail runner and thru-hiker.
Siân Owen-Cruise brings 35 years of deep and varied experience in Waldorf education to her current role as director of accreditation for AWSNA. Her career has spanned numerous key roles, including class and high school teacher, as well as administrator for both the Minnesota Waldorf School and the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor.
Her leadership experience also includes serving as the director of the Waldorf Institute of Southeast Michigan, a board member at two Waldorf schools, and a colleague in the "Leading with Spirit" leadership training program. This extensive background is further enriched by her experience in public and higher education.
Siân holds a BS in technical communication, along with an MA and a PhD in rhetoric and argumentation. A Waldorf alum parent, her personal interests include long-distance hiking and running, traveling with her husband, and various forms of handwork.