Dr Shari Popen
SKY ISLANDS FOUNDER AND SCHOOL DIRECTOR
A long time ago, I sat with my high school students in upstate NY and we designed our dream high school together. Of course much has changed, but not that dream. Sky Islands is in so many ways better than we hoped to imagine. Since that time I have worked to get a Masters degree in Educational Foundations at Kent State University and a PhD in Educational Philosophy at SUNY Albany. I have owned a bookstore in Berkeley and I ran the Central Receiving operation at UC Berkeley—complete with forklift and trucks. I have tried to live my life as a combination of hands-on and heads-on. You can expect to see that at Sky Islands in the integrated, project-based program of study.
I was a faculty member at Western Washington University for 8 years, taught at Prescott College/Tucson and at NAU/Tucson in the graduate Educational Leadership program. Prior to opening Sky Islands, I taught undergraduate and graduate courses at U of A in the College of Education for 10 years, and simultaneously taught in Political Science for 2 years. I continue to advise graduate students at U of A.
It is a thrill for me to welcome you to Sky Islands. Our staff is experienced and smart and we work well together as a team. Also, we laugh a lot. When you come to Sky Islands, you can expect to see a bit of creative disorder at any time of the school day. At least we hope so. But also people working together quietly in small groups, on projects, or off-campus in the desert, at any museum, or service work. Together we have to make the world that we want to live in.
Sandi Rosado
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
I am a native of Puerto Rico and fluent Spanish speaker. Although I was born on the island I became a world traveler at the early age of two. Over the course of my life I have traveled extensively acquiring a wide range of education and work experiences. Both have given me an expansive look at life and deep appreciation for its twists and turns. I am an experienced school office manager and take pride in working well with both students and parents. I make it hard to get anything past me, but I’ll be right there when you need me. As most of our students have learned over the past two years, I keep power/granola bars in my desk to help answer that sudden hunger pang.
I believe in the youth of today and have confidence that, if given the opportunity to make a difference in the environmental challenges they face, they will rise to the occasion. We at Sky Islands are committed to providing young people with the knowledge and opportunity to make choices that will improve the environment they live in, regardless of where their path takes them.
Lucas Bogard
SCIENCE
Lucas is a founding teacher at Sky Islands and has been instrumental in developing the science curriculum and the overall integrated educational program. He has degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder in American Studies and Ethnic Studies, and is a Highly Qualified science teacher. He is a graduate of a 35-year old alternative school in Denver, and taught integrated science classes in charter schools in Tucson for 4 years prior to joining Sky Islands. Lucas is responsible for developing the astrobiology, enthnobotany, ecology and earth science courses, as well as the school garden and the working relationship with the Tucson Village Farm.
Lucas is a proficient speaker of Japanese, conversational Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and he speaks various African dialects. He is a master gardener and has introduced students to organic, healthful foods. Expect his classes to go outside and bring the outside in— science at Sky Islands will open your eyes and minds to our living world, and especially the Sonoran Desert ecosystem.
2010-2011 New Faculty:
Jeffrey Wilson
SOCIAL STUDIES / HISTORY
Jeffrey comes to Sky Islands with a Masters’ degree in Anthropology from Columbia University, and a BA in International Relations from James Madison College, with a specialization in Peace and Justice Studies. He spent a year studying at Cambridge University in England, and has been teaching most recently at Pima Community College. Jeffrey brings experience in tutoring high school students in reading, writing, and math, and preparing students for the AIMS tests. He received the Elizabeth Jordan Award in Recognition of Leadership in furthering the Peace and Justice Studies Specialization at Michigan State University.
In his work with the Sawkill Historical Project, Jeff participated in archival research on buildings in New York City. He has conducted interviews with Spanish civil War veterans in Barcelona, Spain as part of a funded Spanish Civil War Project, and he has worked with the Harlem Children’s Zone tutoring high school students in history and social sciences. Jeff has a ‘history from the ground up’ approach and a creative capacity for teaching by telling stories and making economics come alive. This is not your dry history class! Oh, and Jeff plays soccer.
Amanda Proctor
MATH
Amanda received a degree in Astronomy from the University of Maryland, with minors in mathematics, physics, and history. She spent 3 years as a graduate researcher in astronomy at the University of Arizona analyzing data from observations and numerical models. In addition, Amanda has taught math at the middle and high school levels in Tucson, and at the college level, and has received a 2003 Planetary Science Graduate Teaching Award.
Amanda (she prefers Mandy) is a competitive level ultimate Frisbee player, and current tournament director of Tucson Ultimate. She has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, coached track and field and little league softball. Mandy brings vitality and a quick sense of humor to math at Sky Islands, along with experience in real world applications. She says ultimate Frisbee has taught her patience, organization, and to be able to ‘roll with the punches’. Bring your Frisbees!
Peter Burns
LANGUAGE ARTS / GOVERNMENT
Peter brings a degree from the University of Oregon in English Literature, and a Masters in Education from Quincy University in Secondary English and Social Sciences. He holds teaching certifications in Arizona (and Illinois) in English and Social Studies. He has teaching experience as a writing instructor in the University of Arizona’s CESL program, and at Pima Community College. In addition, Peter taught high school at International Schools in Myanmar and Thailand. He coordinated the service-learning program at S.T.A.R. High School in Tucson, and taught at Oregon Outdoor School in Eugene and in rural schools in Illinois.
Pete’s experience across Southeast Asia adds a dimension in human geography and world cultures to Sky Islands’ educational program. Through his interest in living sustainably, he helped create a school garden as part of his work in Sunnyside School District, and has taken high school students to work with the Southwest Conservation Corps on trail preservation. With Pete, get ready to ‘make history personal’.
Richard Taylor
LANGUAGE ARTS
Richard is a native of Galveston Island, Texas. He moved to Ohio and graduated from Ohio University with a B.A. degree in English and Communication Studies. During college, Rick was a reading tutor for the Federal program Upward Bound, working one-on-one with students to improve their preparation for college entrance. He has taught high school English in Tucson for the past two years and is a member and trained facilitator of the Pachamama Alliance, traveling with them throughout South America and working in the Amazon rainforest.
Rick has an admitted passion for teaching and for the environment. Before coming to Sky Islands, he worked with students to plan and build an urban garden in South Tucson, and constructed a green house on his school’s campus. His classes at Sky Islands will include Core English, Environmental Studies Literatures, Readings in American Transcendentalism, and Native Folklore. Rick is also a hiker, so you can expect to sign up for a hiking class for PE credits with him. He is a long-time drummer and has performed in jazz reggae and rock groups, so bring your drum! Oh, and he has a great smile that makes you smile right back.
Christine Washburn
BUSINESS SERVICES
Christine was a highly successful business manager at Christ Church United Methodist pre-school for 11years prior to joining Sky Islands. In that position she was responsible for the budget and accounts for one of Tucson’s first and longest-running non-profit preschools. She holds an Associate’s Degree in General Studies, with an emphasis in law and paralegal, from Pima Community College, and she studied finance at the University of Arizona for two years. Christine has also worked in Montana with children in Special Education, specifically children with autism and cerebral palsy. She is a highly qualified professional who sees education as an important intervention in the lives of young people and a solid preparation for their futures.
