Featured Speakers & Authors
2018 Ohio Teacher of the Year. Finalist for 2018 National Teacher of the Year. Art Educator. Artist. The Art of SEL Podcast.
https://wosu.org/classroom/drawing-with-mr-j/
Jonathan Juravich is the 2018 Ohio Teacher of the Year and was one of four finalists for the 2018 National Teacher of the Year. He believes that by taking advantage of seemingly small moments, we can significantly impact others. Juravich is in his sixteenth year as the art educator at Liberty Tree Elementary in Powell, Ohio. Known as Mr. J, he challenges students to make the world a better place through art.
Juravich is the Building Environment Team leader at Liberty Tree Elementary School—overseeing school culture, partnerships, and social and emotional learning. As the district Elementary Visual Art Department Chair, he facilitates professional development, advances curriculum, and advocates for arts education best practices.
Juravich reaches out to the community locally and statewide by developing art programs with the Columbus Zoo, the Columbus Arts Festival, and the Ohio Art Education Association. He mentors future art educators as an adjunct instructor at Otterbein University, his alma mater. Juravich partnered with WOSU (PBS) to develop the digital series, Drawing with Mr. J, where students explore their emotions through simple and hilarious drawing challenges. The videos and lesson companions can be found at www.wosu.org/mrj.
Alex Gino
Award-winning Author https://alexgino.com
Alex Gino loves glitter, ice cream, gardening, awe-ful puns, and stories that reflect the complexity of being alive. They would take a quiet coffee date with a friend over a loud and crowded party any day. A former LSAT tutor who never touched law school, Alex can still talk your ear off about sufficient and necessary conditions.
Alex has been writing stories since before they knew the alphabet, dictating stories to their parents. They have always considered themself a writer, but it wasn’t until 2014, with the sale of MELISSA’S STORY (GEORGE) that they had any idea that authoring books would be how they make their way in the world. They are grateful for the ability to spend their time and energy on something so close to their heart.
Alex has been an activist and advocate for LGBTQIAP+ communities since 1997, when they became co-chair of what was then called the LGBA at the University of Pennsylvania. (It was renamed the QSA the year after they left.) They are proud to have served on the board of NOLOSE, a fat-positive, queer, feminist organization dedicated to supporting radical fat acceptance and culture. Alex would like to thank the Black women and other amazing BIPOC folk of NOLOSE who raised their consciousness about race and how racism permeates our culture. They are currently a member of We Need Diverse Books and PEN America.
Born and raised on Staten Island, NY, Alex has lived in Philadelphia, PA; Brooklyn, NY; Astoria (Queens), NY; Northampton, MA; Oakland, CA; and even in an RV on an 18-month road trip through 44 states. They are now happily settled in the Hudson Valley, NY, with their two black mischievous but loving cats, Thunderbolt and Lightning. (And yes, they are very, very frightening … when they are awake.)
Dennis Mathew
Elementary school speech pathologist, singer-songwriter, and author
Dennis Mathew is a husband, father, elementary school speech pathologist, singer-songwriter and author.
For over 20 years Dennis has had the joy and honor of working with children in public schools and through non profit work.
In 2018, he launched his authorship, bringing children’s stories integrating social emotional wholeness, language enrichment, critical thinking, conflict resolution and character development to life.
His published works so far are “Bello the Cello”, “My Wild First Day of School”, and “How Grizzly Found Gratitude”.
He is also a singer-songwriter with a published music album for schools called, “The Let’s Roar Experience”.
Through his books and music Dennis has reached tens of thousands of students worldwide since 2018.
He eagerly looks forward to hearing from you, to work with your school community to spread joy through story and song!
Kim Johnson
Author Speaker Educator
https://www.kcjohnsonwrites.com/
Kim Johnson held leadership positions in social justice organizations as a teen and in college, and is now an author and incoming interim vice provost at the University of Oregon. She maintains engagement in various organizations while also mentoring Black student leaders and serving as a graduate advisor and member of an historically Black sorority.
This Is My America is her bestselling novel that explores racial injustice against innocent Black men who are criminally sentenced and the families left behind to pick up the pieces. She is an award-winning novelist, with 2021 accolades that include the Pacific Northwest Book Award, YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction, and the ILA Notable Books for a Global Society. Her novel also received recognition as a NPR Concierge Best Books and Kirkus Best Fiction, Amazon Teacher's pick, and a Junior Library Guild and Project Lit Community Book selection. Her novel has also been selected for the Spirit of Texas and Humanities of Tennessee 8-12th grade reading programs for their respective States.
She holds degrees from the University of Oregon and the University of Maryland, College Park.
Debbie Williamson-Smith
Jordan Schnizter Museum Communications Manager
With over twenty years of public relations and communication experience, Debbie Williamson-Smith is a leader in arts marketing and advocacy. She is currently the Communications Manager for the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at UO and previously managed public relations for Travel Lane County and the Willamette Valley Visitors Association. She recently served as Director of Communications for the multi-year, public art initiative, the 20x21 EUG Mural Project, which created over 40 new works of art in her community all while earning her degree from the University of Oregon in Arts Management. In her free time, she and her flock of fluffy hens, are social media “henfluencers” with their brand, FusterCluck Farm.
Kelsey Bogan
Award-winning high school librarian, Speaker, Social Media Super Star
Hello from Southeast Pennsylvania! I most enjoy teaching media literacy, utilizing social media for advocacy and community building, and implementing antiracism and equity work into our collection & program development efforts. I'm the kind of librarian who loves weeding, hates "shushing," and who believes that graphic novels and audiobooks count as "real reading." I love technology (except when its being a jerk) and think social media is the single greatest tool in our "librarian advocacy toolbox." I enjoy the absolute privilege of teaching, learning from, and working closely with teenagers every day. There is no other group of humans I'd rather spend my time with. They are the most curious, clever, outrageous, compassionate, challenging, adaptive, talented, fearless, creative, and interesting people on the planet. I see the world differently when I see it through their eyes, and what I see gives me hope for our future.