About us
Art Play Learn is the culmination of 30 years of teaching and learning. Meredith's path to founding Art Play Learn is long and convoluted and includes living and teaching in Japan for almost 4 years, working as a contract actor and teaching at almost every gig for 3 years, coaching professional stage performers on audition techniques in NYC, leading a team of arts integrators to create state and Common Core-aligned workshops for Kaiser Permanente, creating an Infant and Toddler Enrichment Program through PGParks, and then developing a Japanese curriculum that has enjoyed so much popularity it sometimes keeps her up at night. Meredith's goal is to change the world through education and she knows she cannot do it alone. That is why she works hard to find the world's best teachers, to empower them to share their brilliance with the world and to find students for them to share their brilliance with.
Meredith Kaunitz
CEO, Master Teacher
With 28 years of teaching experience, a curiosity about Neurology, Psychology, and Cognitive Science, and exposure to a wide variety of teaching strategies, Meredith has become a thought-leader in education. Developing and implementing new teaching strategies, Meredith has become a popular teacher and sought-out education consultant.
Meredith has developed a distance-learning program, including 9 levels of Japanese (for 8-12 year olds, and for teens) with 2 writing supplemental classes, that has garnered the attention of almost 700 families and a 5-star rating.
Inga Paredez
Dance & Piano Teacher
Inga has over 20 years of experience dancing, beginning with classical ballet and expanding to the world of ballroom where she is a Virginia State Champion. She is passionate about helping students find the joy in dancing and build self-confidence. Her primary dance styles include classical ballet, international latin and standard ballroom, east coast swing, and salsa. Inga also teacher Suzuki method for piano.
Michael Kessler
Brass Instrument Teacher
Michael Kessler is an Instrumental Music Teacher for Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) where he is currently assigned to three elementary schools where he teaches beginning Band and Orchestra to grades 4, 5, & 6. Mr. Kessler believes that everyone has musical ability in them even if they are not aware of it, and that they are capable of learning music and an instrument with a little dedication and hard work. Mr. Kessler earned his Bachelor of Science in Music Education (2006) and a Master in Music Performance (2013) from Towson University. He currently holds an Advanced Teaching Certificate from Maryland State Department of Education.
In addition to teaching for PGCPS Mr. Kessler maintains a private lesson studio. As part of that studio he previously taught private brass instrument lessons at the Music and Arts Center in Bowie (2014-2020) and at St. Anne’s School of Annapolis (2007-2011). In addition to teaching Mr. Kessler was the Principal Trumpet of the Londontowne Symphony Orchestra (2009-2016) and a member of the Anne Arundel Community College Band and Orchestra (2008-2010).
Ryan Hu
Chess Instructor
Ryan loves chess and has been playing for more than six years. He is very proud of winning first place in the school county championship when he was only nine. He likes to share his passion and skills with others, and he teaches chess both face-to-face and online. He also helps out at his local church as a teacher's assistant, where he works with children from 5 to 12 years old on different subjects. Ryan is not only a chess champion but also plays soccer as a goalkeeper at a competitive level. Ryan is also curious about new technologies and enjoys reading about them.
Mariana Cecilia Morales Zarate
Spanish Instructor
¡Hola! My name is Mariana Cecilia Morales Zarate, a dedicated a passionate Spanish teacher with 12 years of teaching experience, and deep love for my career, the beauty of my language and culture. During my years of experience, I have had the privilege to work with students from very different cultures and backgrounds.
Experience:
In my time as a Spanish teacher, I successfully helped my students to immerse in the language learning experience in order to attain their goals. I have crafted engaging lessons that integrate all the communication skills necessary to succeed in acquiring proficiency in another language, as well as cultural elements, intertwined with real-life experiences and examples. I also have adapted many activities and resources that adapt to different learning styles and ensure student success.
Teaching Approach:
Being an English language learner myself, I understand the struggles and challenges that students face, therefore I strive to provide many resources, but overall understanding, empathy and patience to create a comfortable learning atmosphere.
Credentials:
I hold a bachelor's degree in Tourism Management, from the Universidad Católica Boliviana. In 2011 I got certified to teach Spanish as a foreign language. I also hold a Certificate in Teaching for Superior Education, a Master´s in Education for Teaching Multilingual Learners and I am a Licensed Spanish Teacher grades PREK-12. I am passionate about teaching and learning. I am always looking for new opportunities to increase my abilities and skills as well as staying up-to date with best practices.
Sophie Petersen
Art Teacher
My name is Sophia Petersen, and I am a self-published graphic novelist, as well as the eldest of three children from a queer, neurodiverse family. I am very passionate about homeschooling and art, as I myself was homeschooled K-12 and was given the freedom to emphasize art as a subject. In February of 2023, I published my first graphic novel.
I started Taekwondo in 2017, and that was the starting point in my teaching career. Through Taekwondo, I learned how to effectively and efficiently communicate with children. With the skills I had acquired by teaching, I felt confident enough to take my first job as a babysitter, which I did for several years for the parents in my neighborhood. In 2019, my mom started an in-home childcare business, where I gained experience in caring for children’s basic needs. By the time Covid hit in early 2020, we had moved from Hawaii to Maryland; due to everyone going virtual, I was given the opportunity to mentor private Taekwondo lessons for two years.
Nykira Parham
Game Design & Coding Teacher
Hi! I'm Nykira (they/them) and I'm a 3D artist, illustrator, and game designer. I have a Master's in Game Design from Full Sail University. When not being creative, I am often playing video games such as Destiny 2 and The Sims 4. I mainly play RPGs, MMOs, and simulation games as well as tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. My goal is to teach some of the fundamentals of game design while also making a simple game using the Unreal Engine. Hope to see you soon!
Suzanne Butler
Restorative Practices Instructor
Suzanne is an experienced educator who is driven to help communities. She began as a fifth grade teacher over twenty years ago. She quickly realized that building relationships with each student was a core value of a successful learning community. After ten years of teaching, she wanted to expand her impact schools so she became a school counselor. It is through these educational experiences that she developed and deepened diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging advocacy. Suzanne’s restorative practices journey began professionally as an equity coordinator in a middle school. Collaboration and connection are two of her guiding values and she believes any success is rooted in relationships. Suzanne is currently a restorative practitioner and trainer who offers workshops and consultations for families and organizations.
Patrice DiChristina
Art & Farm Science Teacher
Patrice received a BA in Art and Psychology from Oberlin College in 2018. Since then, she has worked as a studio assistant, an art teacher, an artist, and a farmer, sometimes all at once. Patrice loves reading, painting, hiking, and hanging out with her cat.
Teresa Sedano
ASL & Contemplative Art Teacher
Teresa Sedano is a resident of Santa Rosa, California and has been a certified ASL interpreter for over 20 years in a variety of settings, most specifically for the California State Department of Rehabilitation and post-secondary settings. Teresa was founder and executive director of Stagesigns, Inc., which provided theatrical interpreting within the Sacramento community to Deaf and Hard of Hearing audiences. Stagesigns was one of the first West Coast organizations to utilize Deaf Interpreters as part of their many interpreted productions, most particularly, the Children’s Fairytale Theatre at Sacramento Community College. She is a retired adjunct faculty at American River College, instructing sign language interpreting students in the area of Ethics and Professional Standards as well as Service Learning.
She holds a Master’s degree in Contemplative Education, and has trained specifically in contemplative art, which includes concepts such as mindfulness, presence, and breath work in order for each individual to explore the joy of self-expression during the creative process.
Teresa has a passion for art and its’ healing and de-stressing properties, and is a member of the Northern California Art Therapy Association. She holds a certificate in “Expressive Art Therapy”, and has taught art to young pre-school children at “Young Rembrandts”, an after-school art program.
Teresa has enjoyed a long collaboration with the Crocker Art Museum, including coordinating a mentorship program for interpreting students from American River College; pairing them with docents for tours which allowed access to the local Deaf community. She is the owner of Awakened Heart Designs, providing group workshops and 1-1 instruction in contemplative art concepts and basic meditation instruction.
Michael Chodos
Theater, Art & Intergrations
Michael is an educator and artist who loves helping people find their confidence through creativity and genuine connection. With a background in theatre, including a B.A. from Kalamazoo College, he brings a mix of artistic heart and practical, "let’s-get-it-done" energy to everything he teaches.
He’s a firm believer that the best work happens when you combine big-picture creativity with thoughtful, organized support. Whether he’s working behind the scenes to streamline a project, teaching the art of storytelling, or guiding a group through an improv exercise, Michael’s focus is always on making sure the process is inclusive and empowering for everyone involved.
Outside of the classroom and the stage, Michael is deeply rooted in his community. As the President of the West Lanham Hills Citizens Association, he spends his time bringing neighbors together, solving problems, and building a stronger, more connected community. He’s all about leadership that listens, leads with kindness, and focuses on people first.
Tanya Harris
Japanese, French, English as an Other Language Teacher
My name is Tanya Harris. I have been a Japanese Teacher at Waipahu High since October of 2002. And I have been a proud Marauder for 18 years. I have a bachelor of Science in Languages and Linguistics Degree from Georgetown as well as a Master’s Degree of Comparative Culture and Language Research from Kurume University. And I have a Master’s degree in Education from Chaminade University.
I grew up here in the islands on the best side of the island, the windward side. I actually came to Hawaii when I was 1 years old and celebrated my 2nd birthday in Waikiki. My father was a scientist and was quite renown in his field. His name was Dr. Ernest James Harris. My mother was an activist and is also quite well known. Her name is Bettye Jo Harris. I have two brothers older and younger, which puts me right in the middle. We as a family constantly traveled around the world, because of my father’s position as an entomologist with the Department of Agriculture. I was exposed to other cultures at a very young age. I learned French and then later on in my life I learned Japanese. I am happily tri-lingual. I have learned the importance of speaking another language as well as the importance of social justice via the opportunities I have had to travel the globe. It is important to treat each other fairly no matter where they come from, what their beliefs are, or what color they are. I look forward to teaching this class and learning about all of you.
CarrieAnn Petersen
Yoga, Theater & PreK Teacher
CarrieAnn is a wellness life coach, yoga instructor and a homeschooling mom. She has a varied educational background, achieving a BA in Musical Theatre (2004) and a B.Sci in Psychology
(2023). She is a registered yoga teacher (RYT200), including Yin and Restorative practices through Online Yoga School (2023). CarrieAnn was awarded a diploma in Gourmet Cooking and Catering from Ashworth College (2020). She worked as an in-home childcare provider for the U.S. Navy from 2018-2019 and is a certified Montessori Instructor for ages 3-6 (2013) through United Montessori Association. Currently she is working on a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and nutritional coaching certification. She believes learning is a lifelong activity and
aims to help provide the tools for each person to grow emotionally, socially, and mindfully.
Scott Baker
Drums & Percussion Teacher