Meet the Team: A New Class of Educators

-Lesliee Parker, Education Coordinator

As we say goodbye to summer and parents, children, and teachers shift back into their school year routines, your IVDM education staff are preparing as well.  Over the past year we've had more change in our education department than in the last four years. So let's talk a little about our Education Coordinator and Education Specialists -- Lesliee, Luis, Cory, and Rebecca -- and introduce or re-introduce you all to the amazing members of our team this school year.

(Left to Right) Rebecca, Cory, and Lesliee reconstituting red clay.

If you've picked up a copy of the Spring 2019 edition of Imperial Valley Alive!, you've seen a picture of our curator, Ryan, showing a history student cassettes from the Morlin Childers collection.  This excited student is Rebecca Santiago, one of our newest additions

Rebecca and Lesliee reconstituting red clay.

 to the team.  Rebecca attends SDSU's Calexico campus and is currently working on a Bachelors in History.  With this degree, she hopes to pursue a career in teaching or further her education through Museum Studies, specifically focusing on either curation or education.  We're very excited to accompany her on her journey.  Rebecca identifies as an American-Mexican-Puerto Rican and has learned about many different cultures thanks to her father's military career.  She is most interested in seeing the different ways history affects young students and is excited to help them learn how history isn't just something that happened in the past, but something we're creating right now!

Cory at Ocotillo Water Day.

Cory Fitzsimmons recently graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a Bachelors in Biochemistry and a minor in Mathematics Education.  He is interested in becoming a high school chemistry teacher here in the Imperial Valley.  One of Cory's goals is to help our community reconnect with nature, specifically nature right at our fingertips that we somehow overlook every day.  This is why he's excited to be part of the team.  Aside from his amazing professional goals, Cory has a few hobbies including playing the trumpet, tennis, and video games.  He also sketches, paints, dabbles in gardening and, as if that weren't enough, he's always willing to help out his friends with their own projects.  

Luis leading an educational hike.

Don't worry, it's not all new faces this school year.  Luis Landeros has been with us for a year now.  Happy Anniversary Luis!  Over the last year, Luis has been key in achieving inter-departmental goals; in addition to being the longest-serving employee on our current education team, he's a constant aid to every department in the museum.  He truly is a jack-of-all-trades!  Luis is currently attending Imperial valley College, majoring in Mechanical Engineering for Transfer.  His goal for this year is to make an impact with under-served youth through the museum's partnership with the Imperial Valley Probations Department.

Lesliee leading tie-dye booth at
Ocotillo Water Day.

Last but not least, Lesliee Parker is the IVDM Education Coordinator as of November 2018.  This year has brought a lot of opportunities to learn from, educate, and connect with our community.  Before officially joining the team, Lesliee has volunteered with the museum since 2015.  The museum staff really are like a part of the family at this point.  Lesliee strives to meet and surpass the mission and vision of the Imperial Valley Desert Museum every day.  Next time you're driving by Ocotillo, try to stop by and meet our education staff in person.  Every encounter is a learning opportunity!

Museum of Tolerance

~Marcie Landeros, Museum Manager

Kris Haugh in Anne Frank Exhibit

This week, myself, IVDM’s Education Coordinator Lesliee Parker, and US Navy Public Affairs Officer Kris Haugh, took a road trip to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, California, for some professional development. Kris is also the Communications Director for the Center for Genocide Research and Education, along with working on his PhD in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, so this was a fantastic opportunity to work with our community partners to expand our understanding of history, and explore how other museums create exhibits that focus of challenging history. 

Gas Chamber inside of Museum of Tolerance

The Museum Tolerance had 3 exhibits running, one focused on the Holocaust, one focused on Anne Frank specifically, and one that covers the bigger ideas of hate crimes, genocide, and violence, called The Hall of Tolerance. While all three were fantastic, the Holocaust exhibit was the most moving for me as a museum professional, and for my own personal experiences. Having family of both German and Jewish descent, I found myself deeply moved by the exhibit, particularly as I walked through a hallway marked for children, and walked into a gas chamber. 

Lesliee Parker in Anne Frank Exhibit 

The Anne Frank exhibit I found fascinating, because it a much lighter feel. When talking about her story, it is easy to imagine it as very dark, and terrifying, but after reading her words, and the words of those who truly knew her, I realized that telling her story in that way doesn’t begin to do her justice. She kept a positive outlook, even when things were terrifying for her, and the lighter air of the exhibit reflected that. It was an amazing trip, and I look forward to returning in the future.