Clara Coppola Prior to homeschooling my three children for the last several years, I taught public school. I have a degree from SUNY Geneseo in Education with a focus on Natural Science and a minor in Biology.

Donna Engstrom taught elementary and secondary art for 14 years at the Charyl Stockwell Academy. She owned a retail art store for eleven years. Donna continues to share her

love for art and has classes at the CoBACH building in downtown Brighton.

She is a self-taught artist, a signature member of the National Collage Society, and a founding member of the Brighton Art Guild.

Krista Smith has a background in outdoor education and youth program development. She has been homeschooling her children for several years. 

Margo Veenstra started Minds in Action and has enjoyed teaching and interacting with students and families. She has been homeschooling her children for many years and has taught at her church and in her community since high school. Margo has her degree in Social Work and experience working with children and adults with all levels of abilities.

Melissa Swieringa has been teaching piano for more than 14 years and has been playing piano, since she was young. She has been homeschooling her children for many years. Melissa also enjoys strategy and plays games with family and friends as often as she can. She has her degree in accounting. 

Sam Wilson is a certified teacher, with 20 years of experience working with students of all ages. She has worked in schools, at Ann Arbor Hands On Museum, and Leslie Science and Nature Center. Currently she works with college students, is active in theatre, writes songs and owns a tutoring business.

Sissi Alanis has grown and flown two adult children, and now works in a variety of places teaching Spanish to students. A native Spanish-speaker, she enjoys teaching both language and culture. 

Grace Meineke Grace Meinke is a public policy consultant and project implementation coordinator with a passion for helping young children learn and grow. She holds a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she focused on education policy, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. She has worked on state and national projects in curriculum evaluation, designing learning experiences, facilitating educator professional development, and advocating for early literacy initiatives. Grace first fell in love with education while working with young children and is driven by the goal of creating joyful, engaging opportunities for curiosity and growth. She believes every child deserves a strong, supportive start in school—one that nurtures a lifelong love of learning.