Amy is the founder of Enriching Kidz, which she started in 1993. She started her career as an RN working in cardiac care. The best part of her job was teaching patients and families the skills needed to live a healthier lifestyle in her role as a Cardiac Rehab nurse. While a nurse, she started teaching CPR and First Aid classes to area nursing students, factory workers, dental offices, and more which led to her love of teaching.
The class Better Baby Sitters was born when a co-worker asked her to create a babysitting class for her Girl Scout troop. She did so with the help of others, and the scouts loved the class! Amy was excited to be able to incorporate her CPR and First Aid knowledge in the class along with her knowledge of childhood growth and development, empowerment and marketing skills. Amy took this class to other area schools and scout troops and then started creating other classes such as Kidz Home Alone, Empowering Girls with Confidence, a Manners class, a class teaching problem-solving and decision-making, and so many others. She has added other classes to her offerings, such as Pottery Wheel 101, Stitch and Sew Kidz, Discovery Pride Kidz, Discovery Pride Parents, and Stress-Less Kidz.
In 2016, Amy wanted to help kids learn these skills from all over the country, so she started offering some of her classes online using Zoom. She LOVES creating and teaching classes that teaches kids life skills that will last a lifetime!
She is married to her very supportive husband Robert, and the mom to three wonderful sons, Alex, daughter- in-law Lindsay, Jack and Eli.
Amy's interests include traveling, the arts, hiking, reading, and hanging out with friends and family.
Breanna Ellison graduated from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a minor in Medicine and Society. She and her husband moved back to Ohio after her graduation to be closer to some of their family.
She enjoys working with youth to teach them life skills and is very excited for every class! She has two adorable cats that are most definitely spoiled. And she enjoys crafting, reading, gaming, and spending time with loved ones when she gets the chance!
Teaches: Kidz Home Alone & Better Baby Sitters
As a pottery wheel teacher and maker of all things clay, Darcie Davis likes to say she's enjoyed having dirty hands for years! Her favorite students are elementary school-aged kiddos who happily show their amazement at the process of making their own bowls! Plates! Cups! Spaceships! Sea monsters! To infinity and beyond!
Teaches: Pottery Wheel 101 classes
Emily Cline is a ceramic artist, educator, and founder of Daphnia Ceramics, living and creating in Columbus, OH. She is known for her functional ceramic work that combines hand drawn screen printed patterns with clay, using a fusion of techniques that make her trademark style. She is an enthusiastic arts educator, who has over 10 years of experience teaching art to children and adults alike. To learn more about her or her work go to www.daphniaceramics.com and @daphniaceramics on facebook and instagram.
Teaches: Pottery Wheel 101 Classes
Kathy Manzer has taught for over 20 years. She went to Mt. Vernon of the Nazarene University to receive her BA in Education and received her Master's Degree in EducationMiami University as a graduate assistant to receive an MA.
It is a privilege to teach children new concepts and skills. She enjoys teaching, painting, reading, and being with her grandchildren. She has lived in several states, such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Indiana, which has been a blessing to teach in a variety of communities and schools.
Teaches: Better Baby Sitters & Kidz Home Alone classes
Laura Whitfield has been working for Enriching Kidz for nine years. She began as a teacher and then became the Administrative Assistant.
And she says, "Like you, I am a parent. I believe that these experiences help me understand the needs of both sides of Enriching Kidz, the parent–student side and the teacher–operations side."
She and her husband retired to Lake Norman, NC, in 2015. With Amy’s trust, a computer, and a telephone, she can continue to do what she loves – work for Enriching Kidz!
Lynelle Czarnecki has been a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist for 30 years. She received her Bachelor's in Recreational Studies with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation from Ohio University. Lynelle has been practicing Recreational Therapy for 30 years, with the majority of her career in the fields of adult and adolescent psychiatry. She has worked at The Drake Center, Deaconess Hospital, the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, and the Lindner Center of Hope. In the past, she did contract work for Cincinnati Children's Hospital in the department of adolescent psychiatry. Lynelle also has experience teaching Spinning and TRX fitness classes. She and her husband have three adult children between the two of them. Lynelle enjoys exercising, walking/playing with her three dogs, riding her bike, spending time in Chicago, and growing orchids.
Teaches: Resilient and Calm Kidz, Kidz Home Alone & Better Baby Sitters Classes
Mary Stocker has spent 20 years in education as an educational assistant and job coach primarily in special education. She has worked in elementary through high school and in transition programs.
She has two daughters, 34 and 32, along with four rescue dogs. In her spare time she enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, sewing, tennis and pickleball. One of her favorite places to visit is the Cincinnati Zoo.
Teaches: Kidz Home Alone & Better Baby Sitters
Robin is a fiber artist with over 20 years of felting experience. She has worked with children in elementary classrooms for the past several years and loves working with kids! She specializes in various felting techniques including wet felting, needle felting, nuno felting and blended felting. Using wool fibers, she creates art pieces that resemble watercolor paintings, often embellished with needle work, and beading.
In addition to felting, Robin also enjoys wool rug hooking, painting, cooking, reading, making puppets, and visiting her family’s farm in Wisconsin. Robin and her husband have two adult daughters and a son in High School. She is excited to share her passion for felting and help others discover the joy of this versatile and expressive art form!
Teaches: Felting Fun 4 Kidz
Robin Hartmann began her career after graduating from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY in 1978. After working in the theater industry creating and building costumes for many Broadway shows of the 1980’s (A Chorus Line, The Wiz, Pippin), she found herself working among frogs, bears and pigs at Jim Henson Puppets. For 5 years, she helped pin, stitch and design and create the puppets, costumes and sometimes props that delighted children and adults alike. Some projects include Sesame Street, Fraggle Roc, various Muppet movies and TV specials. Robin worked as a wardrobe assistant for a son on Saturday Night Live (1985). She then became interested in toy design and came to Cincinnati to work as a designer for Kenner Toys.
Robin has worked on many successful projects while in Cincinnati. She has worked on toy development for Kenner, Hasbro, Gibson Greetings, Empire Toys and Idea development. She has worked on feature films here in Cincinnati including “A Rage in Harlem”, and "Shawshank Redemption." She has also designed costumes and puppets for The Cincinnati Museum Center, The Dallas Children’s Museum, Artworks and The Smithsonian Institute.
Robin recently retired from her position as Art Teacher at the New School Montessori after 27 years. She is now concentrating on her new line of dolls called Voodatudes TM . You can find them on Facebook, Instagram or www.Voodtadues.com
Teaches: Puppet Magic for Kidz
Wesley Strobel is a college graduate of Otterbein University with degrees in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, English Creative Writing, English Literary Studies, and Religion, along with minors in Race and Ethnic Studies and Leadership Studies. Along with a Masters in Library and Information Science from Kent State.
Wesley has been working with Enriching Kidz creating content, teaching classes, and engaging with students since high school. Wesley Strobel focuses his energy on helping your tween(s) and family discover, question, and be proud of their most authentic selves.
In his personal time, Wesley cuddles with his adorable cats, reads poetry & fiction, and spends much of his time writing.
Uma Raghavendran is a master seamstress. She owns a custom design and tailoring business in Mason, Ohio. She was the head of costumes for two local theater groups in Mason. She was also a former sewing instructor for Joann Fabrics and Crafts. She also worked as a pattern maker in the Fashion Industry in California.
Her hobbies include hiking, cooking with her kids, Embroidery, Gardening, and Reading
Teaches: Stitch and Sew Kidz