Christina Webb-Schabow
owner, Sign Language in Play director, instructor
Christina has been working with children for as long as she can remember. She began teaching in a preschool in Brookfield, WI over thirteen years ago. It was then that she realized just how much she loved working with families to support parent/child relationships. Christina has her Masters of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology and holds a national Certificate of Clinical Competency from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. She has taught families and children ages birth through thirteen in county programs, preschools, private and public schools. Christina's experience includes teaching children who have special needs as well as typically developing children. Her extensive training and experience have given her a strong understanding of language acquisition, the developmental stages of infants, and how to be a passionate and effective teacher. In her free time, Christina enjoys traveling, reading and hanging out with her family. Christina lives in SW Portland with her husband Steve, their 5 month old baby, Nolan, and their feisty dog Parker!
Kara DeGiovanni
owner, Spanish Language in Play director, instructor
Kara was born and raised outside of Boston in North Reading, MA. She has been working with children since her teens, with her first formal experience as an educator being at Preschool of the Arts in Madison, WI following the Reggio Emilia philosophy. Later, she obtained a Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology as well as state licensure and Certificate of Clinical Competency from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She has worked with children ages birth through high school, with and without developmental delays in private clinics, county programs, preschools, public and private schools. With that training combined with her love for the Spanish language, Kara developed the Spanish Language in Play curriculum. A love for languages and travel has lead Kara to live and teach abroad in Bolivia, Argentina, and Italy, as well as travel extensively throughout South America. Her purpose within PELP is to empower children to use language - in all its forms - to better understand themselves and others, in hopes that they can inspire greater love and respect for our home planet and our collective humanity. In her free time, she likes to dance, garden, spend time with her extended family, and get educated on political and environmental issues. She lives in NE Portland with her ever-patient and supportive husband, Dominick.
Adriana Paredes
Spanish Language in Play (SLiP) instructor
Adriana recently moved to Portland from Colorado after 17years, but she was born and raised in Mexico City. Adriana has been working with children for most of her life. Her work with children began as an Art Teacher and as a children’s therapist twenty-some years ago. She holds a Masters degree in Human Development and Learning Disabilities, a Masters in Education with focus in Creativity, and a national Certificate as an Expressive Arts Facilitator. She has taught families and children ages birth through high school in county programs, preschools, private and public schools. Adriana has been described as an inspiring teacher by her many students. Her extensive education,training, and experience have given her a strong understanding of the developmental stages of children, and how to be an effective teacher. In her free time, Adriana enjoys her cat Ollie, a good book, music, dance (loves to salsa), paint, writing poetry, and hanging out with friends. Adriana lives in SE Portland with her good friend Marion and her dog Simon, and Adriana’s cat, Ollie.
Erika Kane
Spanish Langauge in PLay (SLiP) instructor
For the past ten years, Erika has taught K-8 Spanish and K-3 Language Arts at Two Rivers Farm School where her four children attended. She excited to be part of PELP where her love of working with children and teaching Spanish can continue. Erika holds a B.A. in Political Science from Brandeis University. Her love of learning languages and cultures have taken Erika to live, study and work in Guatemala, France, and China. Her most valuable experience was the two years living in Guatemala where she worked at a home for orphan girls. Teaching since she was seventeen, it was when she moved to Oregon that she began formally teaching Spanish. She has always used games, songs, and stories with emphasis on speaking to enrich the learning of her students. Erika has also studied the Waldorf approach to teaching foreign language to widen her teaching skills. Working with children gives Erika joy as she sees them absorb the Spanish language and be open to learning about other cultures. Her natural ability to engage and connect with children make her a well-loved and effective teacher. Erika lives in Canby with her 2 youngest of 4 children and her husband, Tom.
Jessica Swartz Amezcua
orchestrations guru & Spanish Language in Play (SLiP) instructor
Jessica feels she has found her niche in teaching with Spanish with Portland Early Learning Project, as it provides the perfect venue for her two passions: early childhood education and Spanish. Throughout her life, Jessica has been drawn to teaching; whether as a Teacher’s Assistant in Spanish at Earlham College, as a substitute teacher, or as a volunteer in her children’s classrooms. Jessica has studied abroad and worked in Mexico - a great personal success, as she was eager to create a life abroad, working and speaking Spanish while immersed in her community. Since returning to the US, Jessica has earned her M.A. in Latin American Studies at Georgetown University, worked at a binational, non-profit environmental organization as well as elementary substitute teacher in bilingual and immersion classrooms. When not teaching, Jessica can be found playing raquetball, reading, cooking, or taking advantage of Portland's many cultural offerings. She is married to her husband, Luis, and has three wonderful children: Raquel, Daniel, and Amanda.
Karina Guasso
Spanish Language in Play (SLiP) instructor
Karina is from Reynosa, Tamaulipas in Mexico. She obtained a B.S. in Architecture in Monterrey and enjoyed working in that field for many years. Her love for teaching, however, was revealed several years ago when she moved to the US and enrolled her Spanish-speaking son in an English-speaking kindergarten. Karina avidly tutored him at home in both languages and uncovered a true passion and appreciation for the way a young child learns, makes discoveries and connections, and simply grows. She began teaching Spanish to small groups of children, which eventually led her to Portland Early Learning Project. Karina has a patient yet energetic spirit that makes her a wonderful teacher. She lives in West Linn with her children, Adrian and Melissa, and her husband, Miguel.
Sole Ciganda
Spanish Language in Play (SLiP) instructor
Sole was born in Pamplona, Northern Spain where she was raised and later earned her Bachelors Degree in Economics. After that, she moved to Portland and worked for a few years in International Business with Latin America. Inevitably it was her love for teaching which lead to a big shift in careers, and she has dedicated the last ten years to education. Sole has taught GED classes in an Alternative Bilingual High School, and in more recent years Spanish language to students from 3 to 12 years old in Montessori schools and in Portland Public Schools. She is very energetic and teaches in a dynamic way. She aims to spark enthusiasm in her students for learning a new language, and incorporates songs, books, physical movement and engaging activities when teaching. Sole lives in SE Portland with her husband and her 7 year old son, Aritz. She loves African dancing and drumming, painting, studying herbal medicine, biking, and hiking with her family.
Magda Molina Rivas
Spanish Lenguage in Play (SLiP) instructor
Magda comes to us from Guatemala City. Her love for children inspires her to TEACH, and she is very excited to be part of this family of instructors. She studied in the University San Carlos de Guatemala and holds degrees in the Pedagogy & Science of Education, as well as Accounting. Magda has had extensive training and experience in pre-schools, private schools, and in high schools for over 15 years. She is a kind woman and teacher who goes out of her way to help others. She enjoys time with family and friends and lives in Portland with her two youngest children, Omar and Romeo, and her husband Rene. Playing guitar, listening to music, playing basketball, and traveling are amongst the things she enjoys the most.
Vilma Hervey Sarmiento
Spanish Language in Play (SLiP) instructor
Vilma was born in Huehuetenango, Guatemala to "the best parents in the world" in addition to her 5 brothers and 3 sisters. After obtaining her teaching degree in Guatemala, she began her career. She has been teaching preschool and elementary children in both Spanish and Spanish/English bilingual schools for 15 years now. She considers herself a warm and protective teacher with her best virtues being her love and patience. In addition to teaching, Vilma has worked as a family counselor and obtained a second degree in graphic design. This degree has enabled Vilma to start her own business printing promotional products for local businesses. In her free time, she likes to design, read, play basketball, ride horses, and in her earlier days, she used to motocross! She lives in Tanasbourne with her youngest 2 of 5 sons and her husband, Loris.
SIGN LANGUAGE