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Kristine Fontes has dedicated her life to the field of art education. She is a retired secondary art educator continues to teach summer camps in Bucks County.
Residing in Erie, Pennsylvania, I have spent decades nurturing creativity in students and shaping the future of young artists. My journey in art began with a deep-seated passion for creativity, which I eventually translated into a career that combines my love for teaching and art.
Throughout my professional career, I have embraced various roles in education. My journey began at Seneca High School, where I taught art from 1993 to 1996. I then moved on to the Union City Area School District and spent 18 remarkable years shaping young minds as an art teacher for middle school and high school students. I developed and taught a range of classes from general art to graphic design and animation. I retired in 2014, cherishing the memories of countless students who fostered their artistic abilities in my classroom.
I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Commercial Art from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. This foundational education ignited my desire to use art as a means of expression and communication. Building on this, I pursued further education, receiving a Pennsylvania Certification in Art Education for grades K-12 from Edinboro University. Following that, I expanded my expertise by obtaining an Educational Instructional Technology Integration Certificate from Pennsylvania State University and a Master’s degree in Instructional Media from Wilkes University. Perhaps my proudest moment was achieving National Board Certification in Early Adolescent/Young Adult art. These academic achievements provided me with essential skills to integrate technology effectively into my teaching practices.
After retirement, my passion for teaching continued. At Bucks County Community College, where I have been an Animation Teacher since 2007, I conduct summer programs designed to engage children in creative endeavors such as stop motion animation, coding with SCRATCH, and comic creation. I also served as a Student Teacher Supervisor at Mercyhurst University from January 2016 to May 2018, guiding the next generation of educators in developing their teaching skills.
Alice in Wonderland.movMy commitment to the art education community extends beyond the classroom. I have been a member of the National Art Education Association and the Pennsylvania Art Education Association since 1999, taking on leadership roles, including serving as the president of PAEA from 2010 to 2012. My involvement with these organizations has allowed me to connect with fellow educators and share innovative teaching techniques through various workshops at national and state conventions.
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