Alithia Mentors 2020
After extensive interviews with amazing mentors from across the East Coast, we are delighted to introduce the following facilitators as of July 2020.
Tuesday - Friday:
Pinar O'Connor (Head Mentor / Coordinator)
Pinar is a youth mentor, yoga therapist, educator, and provisional counsellor. Pinar will be joined each day by a different mentor.
Children and young people are referred to Pinar for Yoga Therapy, which she continues to study, along with Art Therapy. She has worked with children with a variety of special needs. Pinar loves holding empowering spaces for youth, where they dive deep into a range of topics from sustainability and innovation to self esteem, creativity and mindfulness. She has mentored children in the field of nanotechnology, as well as worked as a camp coach following her passion for nature sports such as skiing and wind surfing. Holding a bachelor degree in Production Systems Engineering. Pinar has worked in a variety of fields such as technology commercialisation and corporate consultancy before her full-time youth work journey started. Pinar has a deep love of music, plays the violin and recently completed a training on "Nature Based Learning", organised by Bellingen Ecological Centre. Her interdisciplinary background is where she feeds her mentorship journey from, and enjoys linking a scientific understanding to her yoga classes, using it as an opportunity to share anatomical insights with young people.
Tuesday Program:
Camilla Ticehurst (Educator | STEMS & Nature Mentor)
Camilla has been running creative workshops at Alithia since January. These include STEM, cooking, arts, nature, building, gardening and crafts. Camilla also runs the Alithia Junior's Nature, Art and Mindfulness Programs (for 2-5 year olds) in Valla two days per week. Camilla holds qualifications in education and Alithia's communication training, as well as a deep awareness of positive holistic development and special needs. Camilla brings joy, fun and laughter to every environment, encouraging inclusiveness and understanding between children. Camilla provides a nurturing environment where children flourish.
Wednesday Program
Elintari (Early Childhood Educator |Nature Academy Mentor)
Elintari is a mentor from Nature Academy and has worked with 6-12 year olds on Wild Camps, 4-8 year olds at Bush Kindy and various ages at the Nature Playgroups. Her skills and interests include: fire craft and cooking, whittling, weaving lomandra grass, creating bush swings and slack lines, recreation, arts, permaculture gardening, imagination and hands-on building in nature. Elintari fosters a deeper connection with nature through child led play and exploration.
Elintari has undertaken training in Non-Violent Communication and Alithia's Positive Communication. Elintari worked as a facilitator in Out of Hours Care at Thornbury Primary School. In this program she offered movement or yoga postures to calm the mind or emotions and drew on her mindfulness training. She further assisted in helping the children to manage difficult emotions and social interactions. Elintari is Steiner educated and an experienced and qualified early child-hood educator.
Thursday Program
Alice (Environmental Education | Camp Creative)
Friday Morning
Bonnie Nilsson (Therapist | Music Teacher)
Qualified music teacher, Music therapist & Composer, Bonnie fills the room with laughter and musical games, flowing from sitting-down activities to rhythmic-movement as she reads the needs of the group, encouraging them to throw in requests and ideas.
Bonnie uses the Sol-Fa method of teaching, which easily translates across to reading music and uses the white board to visualise bars of music, her training as a therapist enables her to to recognise the natural ebb and flow of restlessness that children have; by working with this flow, the group remain intensely engaged.
Friday Afternoon
Ben (Design, Robotics, Music & Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Mathematics (STEM)
While Ben was raising his 15 year old daughter, he began to see the disengagement in schools and wished to inspire interest. He worked as a Student Learning Support Officer at Bowraville Central School. He ran a Makerspace where he designed and implemented learning opportunities for students from Kindergarten to Year 10. Some of these skills included: 3d printing, Construction, Electronics, Robotics, Music and Multimedia (STEM).
Ben has experience and qualifications in Architectural Design, drafting, Town Planning, Permaculture Design and Horticulture. Ben and his daughter were part of the Yarrahapinni choir and he is interested in sharing his love of singing, Ukulele and Djembe drums throughout his day.
Thursday Program Support
Bronya Marillier (Educator | Volunteer Parent)
Support on Request: Available Tue - Fri
Innica (Holistic Facilitator)
Innica supports children to find the expression of their natural gifts and creativity in a calm and nurturing way. Innica facilitates groups to settle or regulate the nervous systems so the body mind functions are operating in optimal states. Innica's work has shown that technique, creative workshops, play, and building trust to settle nervous systems, are the key for rapid growth and embodied presence. Innica is also a yoga and fitness instructor, as well as facilitates body movement and dance. Innica holds a degree in communications, and extensive training and experience that includes somatic therapy, meditation and life coaching.
Substitute / Casual / Future Mentors
Brony
(Educator | Arts Therapist)
"I have worked with children from Kindergarten through to Year 12, encompassing Primary, Secondary and Special Education Schools. My seven-year career as a teacher has been diverse; from supporting students with intellectual differences to students to youth ‘excluded’ from mainstream schooling due to behavioural challenges. I can see the disconnect that our youth are facing, and the continual pressures they are experiencing from our current schooling systems. My ten-year career as a Paramedic allowed me to interact on a daily basis with people from various cultures and social demographics".
Brony holds qualification in a range of therapy, including holistic counselling, and currently runs Self-Empowerment Programs for children. Her way of communicating creates mutual respect between children and mentor, and empowers children to make responsible choices. Brony's work has showed her ability to help children build deep connections (with self, nature and others). The Alithia Board were inspired by Brony's past experiences encouraging creative thinking and hands-on-projects with children, and her recognition of for innovation, holistic development, and a democratic environment. We are very excited to have Brony on board!
Lara Freeman
(Facilitator | Fitness)
Kylie Wachoupe
(Educating Mentor | Sub)
Kylie has spent the last 10 years working with 6-12 years olds in primary schools and will use this experience to coordinate four days of workshops and daily mentors. Kylie is excited to get creative with the kids, helping them to develop ideas, projects and their interests. Kylie enjoys finding ways to incorporate the natural environment to enhance understanding of concepts, and is looking forward to holding space for collaboration and learning through creative play. Kylie enjoys working with others to brainstorm and create exciting ways to enhance a child's learning journey.
Michael Jarrett:
Language and Culture Mentor / Educator
Michael is currently working full-time for the language centre and will join us for one full day every month. You can read his bio here
See our full mentor list here
From the Blog
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Alithia Learning runs a range of child-led programs designed for 5 to 12 year-olds. The defining characteristics of our programs are positive communication and freedom to learn.
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