Staff

Our staff is an exceptional group of individuals brought together by their commitment to educating young people about civic engagement and social responsibility. 

Program Staff
Program staff members are selected through a highly competitive process that weighs such factors as academic background, community service experience and experience working with youth in a residential setting. Instructional staff members are typically high school or college teachers, or professionals with notable backgrounds in fields related to youth development and experiential education. All instructional staff bring with them experience with service-learning pedagogy. Residential staff members are typically older undergraduate students or recent college graduates who have significant experience with youth-oriented work at summer camps, academic summer programs, colleges and universities around the country.




Permanent Staff
Permanent staff work year-round to coordinate all the behind-the-scenes aspects of the programs, such as recruiting and selecting participants and program staff and setting up meaningful service experiences in cities around the country.

		Jody Koizumi Program Assistant, Civic Education Project As program assistant for the Civic Education Project (CEP), Jody manages day-to-day operations, corresponds with students and families and does whatever else she can to support the work of CEP staff in organizing school break and summer service-learning programs. Jody is well suited for the job, having worked in non-profit/educational settings for more than 10 years including as a middle school teacher for the Chicago public school systems and as an ESL teacher for immigrant adults. Obviously Jody has put her bachelor in arts in sociology in race and ethnicity from Macalester College and her masters in education in instructional leadership to good use. She is inspired by working with amazing CEP program staff who embody civic engagement in their personal lives and seeing kids in the programs engaged, intellectually challenged and motivated to take what they are learning back to their communities.
		Jill Manske Assistant Coordinator, Civic Education Project Jill Manske has been involved with service-learning and leadership development since she was an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. After graduating with a degree in biopsychology, she spent several years working with the Walt Disney Co., where she led tours, assisted with event planning, consulted on executive leadership development programs and facilitated educational programs in the Magic Kingdom. When she wasn't "making magic" at the Happiest Place on Earth, she kept herself busy with graduate coursework in counseling psychology. While earning her master's degree in higher education and policy at the University of Maryland, Jill worked in the school's Office of Community Service-Learning, implementing their first schoolwide Alternative Spring Break program. Subsequently exploring the field of outdoor experiential education in the Washington, D.C., area, she facilitated challenge course activities and camping trips. Jill has played several roles in various national youth conferences on leadership, including that of faculty advisor, office coordinator and site director.
		Katrina Weimholt Project Coordinator, Civic Education Project Katrina Weimholt has been involved with the Civic Education Project (CEP) since its inception. Katrina has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and political communication from Northwestern University and is currently pursuing a master's degree in public policy and administration. During her 10 years with CEP, Katrina has served as a program staff or administrator on numerous spring and summer service-learning programs throughout the country.  Katrina also spent several years with a community-based education reform initiative on Chicago’s northeast side, where she worked with Chicago Public School teachers to help connect classrooms with the world outside the school walls. Most recently, Katrina has helped to create a network for young, Chicago-area nonprofit professionals.