One of my favorite aspects of my job at Saturday Academy is that I get to meet with our amazing instructors to find out more about their passions and hear their stories. Saturday Academy’s focus on bringing community experts in as instructors to share their expertise with curious students in a hands-on, exploratory environment means that kids have the opportunity to experience a variety of disciplines with adults that are enthusiastic about what they do. Carolyne Haycraft is one such instructor.
I had the opportunity to spend an hour with her over coffee. The depth of her experience and the focus that she has in the area of social justice was inspiring. I had some knowledge of Carolyne as an instructor before I started working at SA. My son took her Living Newspaper class as part of the TAG Challenge Camp. I saw how engaged and excited Ethan was to work collaboratively with other students like him to create a piece of theatre.
“I teach theatre to encourage confidence, self-esteem and critical thinking skills in students. It’s not about training actors, it’s about creating emotionally intelligent people,” says Carolyne.
This summer she is teaching:
Carolyne and I share a passion for theatre and social justice. We have both been immersed in Augusto Boal’s work using improvisation to bring communities together. After nearly 10 years working for the Portland Police Bureau, she and her partner developed EMERJSafeNow, a non-profit with a focus on violence prevention in local communities.
I am proud to work for an organization like SA that allows students the opportunity to work with dedicated professionals like Carolyne. Whether your student is interested in STEM or the arts, her classes will give them the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence in a team environment.