Yanira is a conceptual artist who lives in Los Angeles and calls both El Salvador and the US her home. She did her undergraduate work at UC Berkeley, where she majored in English and Film. Yanira has been a teacher in the public education system for 11 years.  She continued her work as an educator teaching undergraduate seminars throughout her graduate work, at California Art Institute, where she received her MFA in fine arts.  Her experience has given her a thorough understanding of the need, importance and complicated nature of providing interactive, quality arts education particularly, for youth in Los Angeles facing several risk factors.  

Donna was a Senior Research Analyst for LA Best Babies Network. She evaluated seven home visitation programs that helped families have healthier life. Prior to joining the Network, Dr. Ayala-Escalante worked at the University of Southern California (USC) where she researched the effects of cognitive readiness in a simulation, and the effects of learning strategies embedded within a traditional college math class. Dr. Ayala-Escalante wok experience also involves many years of teaching students in kindergarten, high school and college. She is a lecturer at California State University, Los Angeles and Dominguez Hills under the Division of Child and Family Studies. Dr. Ayala-Escalante received her Doctorate of Education in educational psychology and a Master of Science in education policy from USC.

Ulises is an East Los Angeles native. He graduated from CSU Los Angeles with a BA in Urban Learning with a minor in Education. He later returned to pursue his true love, mathematics, and ended with an MA in Education with an option in Mathematics. Since graduating he has worked with students of all ages, teaching in elementary all the way to high school. Currently he teaches English at Griffith Middle School in East Los Angeles. To grade papers, he likes to sit on his comfortable leather couch, while a movie is playing in the background.

Sharon grew up in San Francisco and studied Comparative Literature and Ethnic Studies at Brown University. After graduating in 2001, she worked mainly in the fields of youth development, adult education, and domestic violence counseling. She also worked as a freelance writer for the local San Francisco Bay Guardian newspaper and other international periodicals, primarily contributing pieces about "abolitionist" politics. She moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to attend graduate school at UCLA, and later USC, where she just finished her Ph.D. in American Studies and Ethnicity. Her other interests include art, long-distance running, and taoist practices of health and healing. 

 

Juan majored in creative writing as an undergraduate at Long Beach State University and then followed it with a master’s in Twentieth Century American Literature.  Teaching enlightens and inspires Juan.  He has a deep passion for it since he’s been teaching for 12 years.  Although he currently teaches at East Los Angeles College and at Cerritos Community College, he has taught at all levels:  elementary, middle school, high school, and college.  There is so much he discovers about humanity and about himself when he teaches.        

 

Kathryn is a life-long resident of Southern California. She received her B.A. in English Literature from California State University of Long Beach, and went on to receive her Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing also at CSULB. Before receiving her M.F.A, Kathryn spent time substitute teaching in the Downey Unified School District and worked as an instructor of SAT and SATII preparation for The Princeton Review. As a poet, fiction writer and reviewer, Kathryn has published her work in a number of small-press magazines, including Spork, Red Rock Review, Nerve Cowboy, Pearl, Epicenter, Rattle, and Lummox. She has also contributed essays to the websites Momspeakup.org and Claudiarankine.com. Since receiving her M.F.A., Kathryn has taught basic English skills, composition, literature and critical thinking courses at various campuses in Southern California, including Long Beach City College, Orange Coast College, Cypress College and Cerritos College for the past seven years.

Lisa was born and raised in Orange County, CA, but enjoyed moving to different areas when it came to school. She earned her B.A. in English from Northern Arizona University, and her M.A. in English and her TESL Certificate from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. While in San Luis Obispo, she taught Composition at Cal Poly and worked as a tutor in the University Writing Center. Concurrently, she worked as a tutor at Cuesta College, where she realized the rewarding experience of working with community college students. Since finishing her graduate work, Lisa has taught classes ranging from Developmental Composition to Critical Thinking and Literature. Before 2004, when she joined the English Department at Long Beach City College, where she is an associate professor, Lisa taught at Orange Coast and Saddleback Colleges, as well as UC Irvine.

Raeanna is a Los Angeles native who graduated from UC Berkeley where she studied English and Women’s Studies. After graduating, she returned to LA to open a community center where she developed a youth program offering leadership training, art workshops, and political education to high school students. She is currently a graduate student in the USC English department, and her research focuses on the relationship between art and activism.

Raeanna has also taught  freshman writing at USC for the past three years. In her free time, she likes to read, cook, and cheer for the Dodgers.

 

Ruben is a Chicano writer from East San José, California. Since 1990, he has lived, worked, and performed in Los Angeles as a scholar, educator, community organizer, and digital documentarian and artist. His scholarly work focuses primarily on performance, urban space, and digital media production, in the decolonial conceptual/performance art praxis of contemporary Chicana/o artists. He has taught Chicana/o Studies at East Los Angeles College and English composition at California State University, Northridge, and will begin doctoral studies in English at U.C. Riverside in fall 2011.