Laura Allen
is the Founder and President of Vision Education & Media. She has
worked with teachers and students and technology for over eighteen
years. An early interest in LOGO programming
led Laura to the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she
collaborated on projects with the MIT Media Laboratory and the
mathematician and educator, Dr. Seymour Papert, the founder of LOGO
programming and one of the world's foremost expert on instructional
technologies. Prior to founding Vision Education, Laura directed the
Computer Department at The Buckley School in Manhattan for fourteen
years and was Director of the Technology Program at the Little Red
School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School for two. In recent news, Enterprising Women
has named its 2006 Enterprising Women of the Year and Laura Allen was named one of forty.
Jonathan Monina is the Manager of Financial Operations at Vision Education & Media. In this role, he oversees all day-to-day finances at Vision and plans for the organization’s future. Jonathan also assists with several Operational and Human Resources aspects of the business, which help ensure things run efficiently in the back office. Jonathan is a graduate of Binghamton University, where he earned a double major in finance and global management. A native of Brooklyn, Jonathan is also a freelance writer, producer, videographer and filmmaker.
Lisa Whitmer is the Manager of Grant Based Programs. She began her twelve years in the field of education as a high school history teacher. After six years in the classroom, she worked as a video teaching artist for organizations such as Adobe Youth Voices and the Tribeca Film Institute, and managed the education department at BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn’s community media center. Lisa is also an experienced video producer and editor, having been part of the Media Factory, an Emmy award-winning video production company. Her directorial debut, No Strings Attached, screened at seven film festivals and won four awards, including Best Documentary and an Audience Award. Lisa holds a BA in Anthropology from Brown University and an MA in Education from San Francisco State University.
John Tsipouras is the Manager of fee-based Technology Programs for kindergarten through 8th grade and a Lead Instructor at Vision Education & Media. He coordinates all phases of offsite after-school programs and trains instructors in their new roles. John holds a MS in Educational Technology and a BS in Management Information Systems from Central Connecticut State University. His past work experiences include developing corporate learning software and integrating technology in public school systems in the Greater Hartford area.
Bonnie Bromberg is the Manager of RoboFun. She oversees the daily operation of activities in the RoboFun Studio including vacation week programs, after-school programs, summer camp and RoboFun birthday parties. She holds a NYS Permanent Teaching Certification and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. She also has a BA in Health and Human Services with a concentration in Early Childhood Education, and a minor in Women’s Studies. Bonnie has had experience as an in-classroom teacher for grades Preschool- 2. She also taught for 8 years as a Senior Instructor at the Central Park Zoo’s Education Department.
Lori Napoleon is a Program Manager and Lead Instructor at Vision Education & Media. In addition to developing new curriculum and teaching robotics and animation in the after-school programs, she is also a project developer and lead instructor of the GreenTech electronics and programming courses at GreenFab. Lori brings her multidisciplinary background into her work at Vision, ranging from fine arts, electronic music, interactive software development, and both analog and digital sensor-based technologies. Originally from Chicago with a BFA in studio arts from University of Illinois, she recently completed her Master's Degree from New York University's Interactive Telecommunications Program. Her passion for using science and technology as a creative medium has led her to hold a gallery show at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, lecture about Art and Physics at the Sigma Pi Sigma Quadrennial Congress for Physics Honors students, and demonstrate science-inspired work at Dublin's Trinity College Science Gallery, in addition to designing electronic music workshops for children and has teaching young girls how to use electronic music equipment.
Eun Jung (EJ) Park is a multimedia artist at Vision Education and Media. She develops robotic curriculum for kindergarten through middle school and develops LEGO® Mindstorms® projects for K-8 students. In addition, she designs all graphic materials for Vision such as advertisements, brochures and flyers. EJ holds a BA in Visual Communication design from Ewha Women’s University and a Masters degree from the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at New York University. She builds automata, moving sculptures operated by physical mechanisms such as gears, cams and pulleys. She also designs automaton-type DIY projects and kits for kids.
Allison Varrone is the Office Manager at RoboFun. In addition, she is a mentor for several of our off-site programs. Allison graduated from the University of Delaware with her Bachelors Degree in Childhood Education, and received her Masters Degree in Literacy from Touro College. Prior to joining the RoboFun team, Allison taught at an elementary school on Long Island for four years.
John Raymond Barker is the Birthday Party Coordinator. If you are interested in having a unique birthday party experience, he's the person you should contact! John holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Houston. When not planning terrific birthday parties, John enjoys creating and enjoying theatre, music, and film.
