Cierra Kaler-Jones. Kaler-Jones is a social justice educator, writer, and researcher based in Washington, D.C. Her research explores how Black girls use arts-based practices as mechanisms for identity construction and resistance. She is the director of storytelling at the Communities for Just Schools Fund, serves on the Zinn Education Project leadership team, and has hosted many ZEP “Teach the Black Freedom Struggle” classes. Her most recent article for Rethinking Schools magazine is “Coming Home to Ourselves: A Review of Cynthia B. Dillard’s The Spirit of Our Work: Black Women Teachers (Re)member. Her dissertation at the University of Maryland, College Park, is titled “‘You Can’t See Me by Looking at Me’: Black Girls’ Arts-Based Practices as Mechanisms for Identity Construction and Resistance.” 

After living, teaching, and learning in NYC for 8 years, Cassie has returned to her home state of Iowa to share her love of music, theater, art, and yoga with the children and families of her home state. With a Masters Degree in Opera Performance from UNI and many years teaching Kindermusik classes and at Camp Music Mania prior to her move, Cassie is so excited to share all the expertise she acquired from that time as well as during her years in the Big Apple to the children, caregivers, and educators in Iowa.

With 16 years of work in early childhood arts enrichment and numerous certifications focusing on infant and early childhood developmental movement and social emotional learning under her belt, Cassie is now in high demand as a music, art, storytelling, and movement educator specializing in teaching children aged 0 to 4 years old and their caregivers. 

Cassie strives to create a nurturing environment and facilitates educational experiences that are imaginative, collaborative, and joyful. With a multi-disciplinary performance and movement background, she utilizes whimsical props, puppet play, live ukulele and singing, storytelling, and mindful yoga inspired movement in every engaging class.

Christina Farrell received a BFA in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University and an MA in Educational Theatre from New York University. She a Master Teaching Artist with the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts and has led arts-integration experiences across the United States, as well as Singapore, India, South Korea and Mexico. She attended the 2018 Leadership Lab with Lincoln Center Education under the direction of Eric Booth and is a recipient of a 2011 Fred Rogers Memorial Scholarship. Christina serves as a consultant, artist trainer and professional development provider for many arts organizations. Her collaborators have included Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, Turnaround Arts Des Moines, ArtsBASICS Davenport, Toledo Opera, Any Given Child Iowa City, Iowa Arts Council, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Cedar Rapids Opera, Des Moines Ballet, and PNC Grow Up Great. In 2020, she founded Throughline Arts to foster teaching artist partnerships in her home state of Iowa.

Since January 2022, Jennifer has served as the community relations manager at the GBPAC at UNI. Jennifer leads the educational programming and community outreach efforts of the center and guides collaborative community projects throughout northeast Iowa. Jennifer also serves as the campus liaison for Imagining America, a collective of colleges, universities and community partners dedicated to using public scholarship to create more just and equitable communities.  A longtime volunteer in the Cedar Valley, Jennifer has served on several local boards dedicated to equity and justice, including the city’s human rights commission, the school district’s equity committee, an regional economic inclusion council, and other area boards that address the concerns of marginalized groups.

Travis Gratteau-Zinnel currently serves the Waterloo Community Schools as the district's Instructional Coach for Fine Arts. Under his umbrella of responsibilities, he supported K-12 art, music, and physical education teachers. Additionally, Travis supports arts integration initiatives through a partnership with the Kennedy Center and the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. Travis is a former music educator, with experiences of PreK-12 vocal and 5-12 instrumental music. Travis has adjudicated festival choirs and directed middle school honor choirs.

In addition to his K-12 education career, Travis is a PhD candidate at Iowa State University. As part of the social and cultural studies of education program, Travis focuses on the ways in which students and communities are represented and sustained through curricular experiences.