Our team
The after-school program team is made up of professional teachers and methodologists. We collaborate to design a program where lessons are connected by a common theme, rather than being isolated or disjointed.
Asya
The mastermind behind the program,
history and reading teacher
I graduated from Moscow State Linguistic University with a degree in educational psychology. During our after-school programs, I will teach history and art classes using a role-playing game called “Time Machine,” where we travel through time to explore everyday life and culture of different eras. On Thursdays, I will teach reading and writing classes in Russian, which many of you may already know. Outside of work, I am interested in art history and cinema. In my free time, I also enjoy playing the piano, skateboarding, and practicing yoga.
Lina
Program Assistant, Methodologist, and Science Class Teacher
"I graduated from Moscow State University's Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics—mathematics has always been my passion, especially problems that require unconventional thinking. My second love is biology: for me, they're two parts of the same picture, because in both, it's important to notice patterns to understand how the world works.
In our classes, we'll explore the environment through experiments, experiences, and STEM projects. I want to show children that science isn't about boring rules, but an exciting adventure that helps them understand why the world works the way it does.
Marina
Program Assistant
I am trained as a teacher of history and socio-political sciences, and later also trained as a family psychologist. I studied at Belarusian State University and Belarusian State Pedagogical University.
I love life and people—especially children. I always follow the principle: children are not someone else’s; they are our own. I have a grown-up family—a husband and two sons—but I approach every child I work with with joy, care, and attention.
Natalia
Art teacher
In our art classes, we’ll be creating costumes for musicals and history projects. Handicrafts run in my family—I grew up in a family of weavers and graduated from the Technological Institute of Consumer Services. In addition to fashion design and modeling, I’ve studied other applied arts, but creative handicrafts have always been my greatest passion.
I have been teaching crafts to children and adults for over 10 years. I completed Child Development courses at Foothill-De Anza Community College and specialized training for working with children with ADHD and ASD. At home, I have three children who serve as my primary “project testers.” In my free time, I enjoy traveling, hiking, and leading an active lifestyle.
Catherine
Music teacher
I am a vocal teacher and have been working with children for over 10 years. I have musical, linguistic, and pedagogical training.
In my classes, children discover a remarkable instrument—their own voice. We practice diction, breathing, and articulation, learning to hear and feel music. By the end of the course, students will have developed vocal skills, improved various aspects of musical ear, learned the basics of acting, and will be able to perform several vocal pieces. Each song tells a story, a small vocal miniature that should be presented to the audience as authentically as possible.