FACULTY
Sam PrestianniSEL-first teacher, writer, editor, multidisciplinary artist, and founder of 21st Century LEARNING. For thirty years, Sam has taught Humanities--ELA, History, Media Studies, Creative Writing, Art, Music, and Social-Emotional Learning--in SF Bay Area classrooms, most recently at Marin Horizon, while leading summer workshops in writing, music, media literacy, executive function, and study skills.
A widely published former journalist and critic, his words have appeared in dozens of media outlets, including SF Weekly, New York Press, Village Voice, and JAZZIZ. Professional committee efforts include the MacArthur Fellowship Selection Jury. He has edited books (fiction and non-fiction), published fiction, CNF, and poetry (nominated for Best of the Net), and toured the country as a literary performer and multimedia artist. He's currently presenting a new music project and shopping a feature-length screenplay. He holds a BA in English, with a minor in Writing, from University of MD. Post-grad professional development highlights: Association of Writers & Writing Programs, Learning & the Brain, The Neuro Mastery Summit, and Global Vision Summit: The Power of Compassion. Read Parent & Student Testimonials |
Renee KirbyInspiring visual artist, arts educator, and special ed teacher. Renee earned her BFA in General Sculptural Studies, with a minor in Art History, from the Maryland Institute College of Art.
For more than three decades, she has painted with oils, acrylics, and watercolors. She also works in a variety of other mediums: charcoal drawing, pastel, colored pencil, clay sculpture, and jewelry-making. Her art has been commissioned locally and exhibited in galleries across Maryland. Her most recent solo show, "Awakening," was curated for the Luann Carra Gallery in Baltimore. Renee has taught small classes and 1:1 tutorials from her rural Westminster, MD, studio for more than a decade. She's also a special ed teacher for the Carroll County Public School District. She's currently painting stories rich with color and expression of her lived experiences. Read more about Renee's "powerful abstract expressionist" work in An Eye for Art, a profile of her life and art published in Baltimore Sun and Carroll County Times. See some of her paintings here. Read Parent & Student Testimonials |
