Middle School U - Part of the Wisconsin Youth Company

Tommy Nani Kwashi Agbeli is a native of the Ewe’s in the Volta Region of Ghana. He received his dance and drum training from his father, Godwin K. Agbeli, who was the director of the National Arts Council, the founder of the Sankofa dance theater and the Dagbe Cultural Institute and Art center in Ghana. Nani also took lessons from artists at the National Arts Center in Accra. Nani has performed with and led the cultural group Sankofa Root II in Ghana where they have received many awards. He has been the lead drum and dance instructor at the Dagbe Cultural Center in Kopeyia, Ghana for 9 years, where schools such as Berklee College of Music, Tufts University, Bowling Green University, etc., send students. Nani has also been a guest artist at the University of Legon in Ghana, Edna Manley School of Dance, Music, Textile and Performing in Jamaica, Lawrence University, Berklee College of Music and many more.
Aldo Leopold Nature Center's naturalists are all experienced and well trained experts in their field. They offer year-round, hands-on nature experiences that include hikes, experimentation and crafts. The Nature Center serves school groups, individuals, both adult and student, scouting groups and camps. They plan each summer program with the appropriate age group in mind.
Archiver’s is a source for creative ways to organize, display and preserve your photographs and much more. They specialize in serving people who love to do scrapbooking, papercrafting, card making and finding ways to help preserve memories. The knowledgeable and friendly associates will help you create just what you are looking for.
Boulders Climbing Gym has over 8,000 square feet of sculptured climbing walls with some of the most varied and creative angles. Programs focus on teaching belay techniques, safety practices in climbing, climbing technique development, and possibly lead climbing. Instructors have a strong background in outdoor climbing and have taught belay skills and climbing techniques as part of Boulder’s weekly course programs. All instructors have American Red Cross First Aid certification and CPR training. The goal of the program is to offer youth an opportunity to explore new ideas, learn and develop skills, gain experience, and foster interest in life-long hobbies.
Cave of the Mounds - A long buried treasure, the Cave was discovered in 1939, when a quarry blast revealed the entrance to this sparkling underground wonder. Educational Programs are designed with the Cave experience in mind, encouraging individuals to make connections in relation to their actual experience; and that’s powerful learning.
Jean Colvin has worked with children and youth for nearly 30 years. She currently is a program consultant to Wisconsin Youth Company’s AFTER SCHOOL division. She is an avid gardener, growing much of her own food in her backyard garden and buying the rest from the Madison Farmer’s Market. She is a long time vegetarian and loves to cook. Her specialties are pasta, soups, salads and whole grain bread.
Tim Davis is a UW Madison graduate in secondary education and is currently teaching Social Studies at Middleton High School where he also leads student trips abroad during the summer. He has coached basketball for the past 9 years and is a sports enthusiast and participant. He has been an instructor at Middle School U for over 10 years.
John Doing recently completed the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in Percussion Performance. He will graduate in May of 2008 after adding a Concentration in African Studies. John currently plays drums and does all marketing for The Actual Quintet and The Red Quartet, and is an active member of Wadoma (West African Dance of Madison), Houses in Motion, The Rhythm Section, and other groups. The UW School of Dance recently hired John as a dance musician, playing piano and percussion. Performing at a professional level on both drum set and percussion, John blends his classical music background with West African, Afro-Latin, Jazz, and Funk styles. John has taught private lessons for several years to students of different musical backgrounds. Students have included: elementary to high school percussion students, local drummers, electric bass players, and band teachers. He has also been a musical mentor through several organizations including local schools and Wisconsin Youth Company. For more information, please visit www.johndoing.com
Essential Skills Outdoor School, LLC, Viroqua is an independent guide service that takes a mindful approach to rock climbing and wilderness education. ESOS specializes in custom programs that teach safety, responsibility, and respect for the environment. Bill Humphrey is the owner/ operator of Essential Skills Outdoor School, LLC. Bill began ESOS in response to a call from others to provide safe and fun outdoor adventures for people of all ages. Having grown up in northern Michigan, Bill possesses a vast array of wilderness experience. He has led outdoor expeditions throughout the US and Canada and enjoys canoeing, kayaking, winter camping and of course, rock climbing. His climbing experience is extensive, with over sixteen year’s experience.
Whitney Falk, a native of Verona, is a student at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where she is majoring in Nutritional Sciences in the Dietetics program. Whitney has experience working in food services at both a pizza restaurant and as a food assistant at St. Mary’s Hospital. She has worked with adolescents through her church youth program including a Mission trip to Jamaica where she worked with young girls in an information sharing and role-model capacity.
Michael Graveen is the Summer Director of Middle School U where he has worked for the past 3 summers as both a youth leader and an instructor. During the school year he is the Site Supervisor at the Leopold AFTER SCHOOL site, finishing his third year there. He is an experienced teacher of woodworking with Wisconsin Youth Company and enjoys sharing this hobby with the students. He is also a good cook and enjoys creating unusual soups and entrees. He attended UW-Madison, studying in Secondary Education—Math.
Diane Haas has a degree in Recreation Administration from UW-LaCrosse and has been a Site Supervisor for AFTER SCHOOL for the past 4 years. She has worked with children in community and military recreation programs, day camps and resident sport camps for almost 20 years. She loves any type of cooking and crafting, traveling and riding her bike in the hills of Wisconsin. She will be returning for her second summer at Middle School U.
Hawkwind Adventure Challenge Course, LLC, Baraboo is an experiential opportunity for individuals within a group context to explore their complexity and unique nature in a casual, safe setting, designed specifically to meet the goals of the group. The course is a natural tree course located on a 40 acre wooded site in the beautiful Baraboo Bluff s. This course is one of the most scenic and diverse courses in Wisconsin, with 9 high elements and 14 low. The staff is trained to meet the American Camp Association standards for adventure challenge programs.
Casey Hopp is a UW Madison graduate in elementary education and has been employed by the Madison Metropolitan School District since 2004. He has been involved with the Middle School U program since 2003, including three years as an Assistant Director. Additionally, he enjoys athletics and the outdoors and has been a boys’ cross country and track coach at Madison Memorial High School for the past five years. He looks forward to another fun and educational summer.
Erin Jobe is a UW-Madison varsity tennis player and one of the Middle School U Youth Leaders. She has experience with middle school students as a tennis instructor and a Young Life Leader.
Rose Johnson-Brown has supervised youth in after school programming for 2 years in Madison in computer club, cooking, homework club, arts & crafts, and recreation. Rose is a professional photographer and a freelance photo journalist who has been published in local newspapers and magazines. She currently leads the Photojournalism Club for the middle school youth BOOST program. Rose is a youth-friendly music Disc Jockey for Middle School socials. Rose enjoys swimming, traveling, drawing, piano, bass guitar and is learning the flute. She has completed photography coursework at UW-Memorial Union, MATC and the New York Institute of Photography. Rose says, “I first picked up a camera in the 3rd grade. Now, I help students see our community through the eye of the lens by taking pictures of activities, events, points of interest which affect how we live, play, share, learn and grow in our communities and how we can affect others through the photos we take. I look at photography as a way to build community.”
Michael Kraus has worked with youth for over 25 years. He has taught theatre arts with First Act Children’s Theatre for the past 7 years. Michael has been involved in community theatre for over 10 years as an actor, as well as with set design and construction and sound design. Michael owns his own photography and video production business. Michael has been a “DJ” as well as an “MC” for various events.
Deanne Dobs Lensert, who enjoys bowling, reading, and spending time with her family, was the Middle School U Director from 2002-2007 and currently teaches English and Social Studies at Baraboo High School. A graduate of UW-Madison, she was also a site supervisor for Wisconsin Youth Company from 2000-2006. Deanne has worked with children, ages 5-18, for 9 years in after school, day camp, and classroom settings; in addition, she has been a junior bowling coach. She is very much looking forward to returning to Middle School U.
Shannon Little (bio coming soon)
Andrea McMillen has many interests including cooking, traveling, camping, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, ultimate frisbee, and learning foreign languages. Andrea has worked with AFTER SCHOOL as a Site Supervisor at Conrad Elvehjem and an Assistant Director at Camp Madventure. She is currently the Assistant Director of Middle School U. As an Ameri-Corp Bonner Leader at Allegheny College, she lead the Girl Scout Program for a summer, and was an assistant leader for a number of day camp programs.
Joe Monarski is a certified teacher in the Stoughton District and coach of the Stoughton Community Fencing Club. In addition, he works as a tutor at Sylvan Learning in Madison. Since the 1980s, Joe has spent his summers in youth programs including Middle School U sharing his interests in topics like Fencing, board games and archeology.
Linsday Norrish is a UW—Madison student who has completed four years in the School of Education’s Middle Childhood/Early Adolescent Education program. She has volunteered at both O’Keefe and Cherokee Middle Schools in the areas of literacy and inclusive education. During the past three summers she has worked at Camp Luther where she helped plan and facilitate the outdoor activities and trained counselors. She loves cooking and sharing her personal experience with others. She particularly likes learning about multicultural cooking and dishes she has not tried before. She currently is a staff member at the Shorewood AFTER SCHOOL program.
Wayne “the Wizard” Peterson has been interested in magic since the age of 10. He has entertained professionally for over 35 years at restaurants, birthday parties and county fairs. Wayne has been teaching magic since the nineties and really enjoys sharing his skills. He belongs to the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Society of American Magicians, Houdini Club of Wisconsin and The Wizard’s Club of Chicago. You can find out more about Wayne the Wizard by checking his website at: www.waynethewizard.com
Tim Stengl is returning to MSU for his third summer as a youth leader and second year instructing courses. He is a combat veteran in the Marine Corps Reserves having completed one tour in Iraq. There he found that the children were the spark of life in Iraq as he found them creative, with new ideas, and giving others hope. He fully enjoyed working with them in Iraq. More importantly, he found that the same follows for children everywhere, especially back home. Tim is a senior at the UW majoring in neurobiology and biochemistry with hopes of attending an allopathic medical school. His hobbies include basketball, billiards, camping, all outdoor sports, and carpentry. In 2007 at Middle School U he was the Instructor for the basketball and active team games courses and assisted with the billiards courses.
Streets of Gold Productions is a production house owned by Executive Producer Arthur Richardson III. Streets of Gold Productions provides music programs for youth. Programs consist of Presentations, Artist Development and Music Production.
Andrew Stuht is the Program Director for AFTER SCHOOL. Andrew has a bachelor’s degree from UW-Madison. He has also been a program specialist and Site Supervisor. Andrew has directed rocketry projects with many AFTER SCHOOL programs and has been the rocketry instructor at Middle School U for more than five years. He often leads in-service training for school year and summer camp programs and especially enjoys the special creativity of the students in the advanced rocketry course.
Marge Stuht has a degree in Home Economics from the UW-Madison. She has been a Site Supervisor with AFTER SCHOOL. Her hobbies include sewing, knitting, quilting and, of course, making teddy bears for friends and family. She has successfully taught the Make Your Own Bear course at Middle School U for more than five years.
Supreme Water Sports’ watercraft instruction includes educational games and activities designed to enhance teamwork, self esteem, confidence and safety. Lead instructors are trained and certified in instruction with the American Canoe Association, US Sailing, Wilderness First Response with Wilderness Medical Associates, and Life guarding/First Aid/CPR for the professional rescuer with the American Red Cross. Supreme Water Sports has a rigorous spring training program for all employees to get them acclimated to teaching in the summer.
The Vinery is a teaching stained glass studio. They offer classes in stained glass, glass mosaics, glass fusing, beadmaking, flameworking and art silver clay. Over the last 25 years, the Vinery has taught thousands of students in all these areas. In each of these areas they have many samples to inspire and help with design ideas. They are committed to students learning and having fun!
Jennifer Washburn has s a Bachelor of Science degree from UW—Platteville. She has taken both formal and informal art classes from the age of 8 to 18; and art is both a life-long hobby and a skill she loves to share with students of all ages. She has broad experience working with young people including substitute teaching, teaching both Sunday and vacation Bible school and is currently a staff member at the Van Hise AFTER SCHOOL program. She was part of the education program of Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge where she did both school presentations and hosted children’s groups on the refuge site.
Michael Weinhammer (bio coming soon)
WYOU, Community Television Cable Channel 4, has a fully functional studio and control room that includes professional sound and video equipment. Every week, in addition to audio and video mixing, multiple productions utilize animation, chroma-keying, and soundtrack music. The WYOU staff has been teaching youth about television for years, from grade schoolers to college grads.
Tracie Zoll has been working with youth since 1998. She has worked with the YMCA School-Age after school program, planning activities for the YMCA Teen Center, and Day Camp Programs, and also worked with Middle and High School Youth in Youth Ministry and the Service Learning Program in both Milwaukee and Madison. She is currently the Site Supervisor at the Elm Lawn AFTER SCHOOL program, and also supervised the Wingra program previously. Tracie’s hobbies include camping, hiking, bicycling, scrapbooking, kayaking/canoeing, indoor/outdoor cooking, and fiber arts. She also enjoys traveling with family to cabins in the woods and across the country. Tracie finds working with Middle School aged youth rewarding because of their sense of creativity and enthusiasm for discovering new and diff erent ideas for art and cooking. This summer she hopes to spark interest in both multi-media art and creative cooking.

Course Providers - 2008