Zilah Joslin, Founder and Director of Sprouts, has been teaching music and working with children for over 11 years. She received her BA in Music and Education from Indiana University and MBA from Loyola University Chicago. Zilah taught K-8 music in public and Montessori schools for over 6 years. Since that time, she has been a Wiggleworms teacher, Happy Child instructor, and teacher & birthday party entertainer at Bubbles Academy. Zilah has entertained at over 100 birthday parties in the past few years. Children and adults agree - the classes and parties are engaging, high-energy, and loads of fun for everyone!
"As a former music educator and toddler music instructor, I’ve taken the best of my experiences and have created an enriching fun program for little sprouts. I design my classes with your little one in mind ~ and tailor the programs to best fit their needs."
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Lauren Izaks is thrilled to have the opportunity to teach Art classes at Sprouts. She received her BS in Elementary Education with a specialty in Studio Art from Indiana University and her MA in Learning Disabilities from the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University. Lauren taught 7th and 8th grades in a Chicago Public School and children with learning disabilities in grades K-5 at Francis Parker in Chicago. Throughout her teaching career, Lauren has used art to help her students improve their academic performance and their sense of self. Lauren is a local mother of two pre-schoolers and for the past four years has loved making art with her own children. Lauren can’t wait to pass along her love of art to the children at Sprouts!
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Melissa Daniels is excited to be teaching her 2nd year at Sprouts as our Morning Out and Little Basics Teacher. She graduated from Indiana University as an Elementary Education major. She has had experience teaching in Elementary schools and Preschool camps. Melissa loves to add fun to her classes by singing and playing musical instruments as well as creating fun and imaginative art projects. She has loved every minute of her past year at Sprouts, and she cannot wait to meet the newcomers this year!
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Mindy Hester, is one of our guitar-playing, fun-loving Music and Music & Gym teachers! A Chicago native, Mindy began performing as an actor, graduating from the Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago in 1992. She went on to do theatre, television and film roles while living in Los Angeles and Chicago until 2000.(View her acting credits at www.imdb.com/mindyhester.)
She returned to Chicago and began teaching at The Old Town School Of Folk Music, in the adult guitar and Wiggleworms children's music program. She recorded her first children’s music album, ‘Box Of Sunshine” in 2004, following it with the Parent’s Choice winner “Keep On Rockin' In The Pre School” in 2006. She has performed all over the Midwest, has taught children’s music classes at Starland in Deerfield, The JCC Apachi Day Camps, the “Chavarim” program at Temple Jeremiah, Northbrook Park District Pre Schools, KinderKampus and numerous other schools and temples, as well as teaches private guitar instruction for “kids” of all ages. Mindy is hard at work on her third album “Juice Box Hero” due sometime this fall. She is thrilled to be part of the Sprouts staff!!
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Erica Schwab is excited to be teaching her 3rd year at Sprouts as our Basics, Little Basics, and Basics Separation teacher. She has a Master's Degree in Elementary and Special Education from Rutgers University. She did her training in Applied Behavior Analysis at the Douglass Developmental Disability Center in New Brunswick, NJ. Erica has worked in both public and private placements with children and adults with developmental disabilities and severe behavioral issues. She has taught preschool for several years both in New York and Chicago. Erica found Sprouts when her oldest was six weeks old and has been a Sprouts mom ever since. She is thrilled to be a part of the Sprouts staff and give back to others what her family has gained through Sprouts classes.
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