Jeff Zhou, a rising senior at San Francisco Waldorf High School, recently wrote an essay about his experiences with the Unistellar and SETI Institute science team at Seti.org. Zhou was inspired to do his senior project exoplanets and their potential habitability after a presentation given at school by SETI Institute Planetary Astronomer Dr. Franck Marchis. Zhou says, […]
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Toronto Waldorf School teacher Mary-lu Spinney was recently featured in YorkRegion.com for growing her vegetables in a manner that regenerates soil through indigenous planting methods. Once such method, called “Three Sisters,” involves growing corn until it reaches about a foot tall, then adding pole beans to grow up the stalks like a trellis, allowing the beans return nitrogen
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Aurora Waldorf School is in the news for the outdoor education they offer on their 31-acre campus in Western New York. Spectrum Local News reports that students of all ages are outside most of the day, rain or shine. Kathryn Lalley, the school’s Marketing and Communications Director says this type of education is more important than ever post
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The Alum Relations program mission is to support Waldorf alums in their personal and professional lives. The Business Directory on the Waldorf Alum Connect networking platform is one of the ways we are achieving this by offering directory listings to alums at no charge. If you haven’t yet browsed the Directory, we invite you to take a
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Alabama Waldorf School middle school students learned about the Civil Rights movement and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, AL during a field trip to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. This year commemorates the 60-year anniversary of the bombing. The field trip, created for all area middle school students, centered around Christopher Paul Curtis’
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Isadora Crane attended Waldorf school from age 3 to age 18 and has written an essay for theMonadnock Ledger Script about her experiences at Pine Hill and High Mowing School, joint Waldorf institutions in Wilton, NH. Isadora spoke of the importance of relationships, traditions, and individual encouragement in shaping who she is today and helping her thrive at Pitzer
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Cato Institute featured the Waldorf School of New Orleans in its Friday Feature blog series focusing on a conversation with Administrative Director Reginald Coleman. The blog highlighted hallmarks of Waldorf education including looping teachers, no tech environment in elementary grades, and hands-on curriculum. Reginald, who previously taught and led public schools, shared his personal experiences of moving his daughters from
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The Guardian has done an in depth interview with actress Tilda Swinton about her latest work, career, and life in their article, ‘I am all for strangeness’: Tilda Swinton on artistic integrity, acting and the afterlife. As part of the interview, writer Kate Kellaway asked colleagues and friends of Swintons to submit questions for the interview. One
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Ojibwe artist and Waldorf alum, Maggie Thompson, is expanding her knitwear business, Makwa Studio. She started with “two balls of yarn and a hat” and now uses vintage Brother knitting machines to make collaborative products for companies like Target. The business’ expansion is made possible by an industrial knitting machine that works with finer yarn. Thompson
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Tessa Prast, a sixth grade student at the Berkshire Waldorf School in Great Barrington, performed as Flavio during Hudson Hall‘s production of “Rodelinda” by George Frideric Handel. The Berkshire Eagle reported on Tessa’s experience in the New York opera’s first in a multi-year series of Handel operas. Tessa auditioned for the part of Flavio, the son of Rodelinda and King
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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.
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.
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.