Instructors
Ms. Annie Alvarez
My name is Annie Alvarez. I am a dedicated mother, educator, artist, and scoutmaster with over 16 years of teaching experience. I specialize in making science and art engaging and accessible through hands-on learning, real-world applications, and creative exploration that spark curiosity and critical thinking. In addition to my classroom work, I teach survival skills and robotics, helping students develop practical knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and confidence. My approach emphasizes inquiry, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning. As a mother of three young adults, I value resilience, independence, and compassion, principles I bring into both my teaching and leadership. I am committed to inspiring others and making a meaningful impact through education, creativity, and mentorship.
Ms. Stephanie Barth
I have a BA in Art from Florida State University, and worked as a computer programmer, software developer and project manager for 10 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. I have been homeschooling for over 10 years and have taught classes at Schaumburg House and Little Red Homeschool co-op in subjects such as Book Club, Art, and STEM. I was a Scout Leader for a few years as well. I love art and books, and I enjoy seeing the creativity of children. At GROW I am advising the student newspaper.
Ms. Liz Cassidy
Liz is a 23 year veteran homeschool mom of nine, with a BS degree in Math/Computer Science from University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana. A love for math and discovery of learning for children makes teaching a joy for her. She has taught religious education, and supplemental math and science to all different levels of education. She also teaches at Champs Homeschooling Co-Op. She is actively involved with church and loves to cook, read, and garden.
Mr. Guy Desaulniers
Guy's educational background is in Psychology and Statistics. After graduating from the University of Connecticut he attended graduate school at the University of Illinois in Psychology. During that time he was a TA and an Instructor at the University of Illinois. A lecturer presents to a class but a TA works with students one on one. Subsequently he worked in the business world for many years. As a manager he was extensively involved in training, to the point that his company had a nickname DesMac U because of the emphasis on training. He has for the last 10 years worked as a tutor at Discovery Learning Institute. His emphasis has been in math and test preparation. Test prep, in addition to math, includes English, Reading and Writing. Teaching Philosophy: Like most teachers his philosophy of education is a Socratic approach. He is trying to help the student figure out the answer on their own. Fortunately this is much easier to do in a small group, such as a co-op class. We all remember information that we have discovered on our own much more easily than when we are “zoning out” while we listen to something. Of course information does need to be presented briefly. But then the emphasis is on practice and integrating the material into one’s thinking.
As a final note he will mention that he generally believes that math is easy for most students. Problems arrive from a couple of sources: The way we communicate about it, the vocabulary and notation, and the cumulative nature of the knowledge. He does his best to be watching for those issues and thus minimize the the barriers to a student’s success.
Ms. Masha Furmanova
Eight years ago, in search of an improv class for my daughter I was given the opportunity to create such a class for her and other homeschooler at Champs Homeschooling Co-Op. This led to my developing theatre classes for youngsters that isn't quite improv, but employs improvisation.
My involvement in theatre goes back to college days where I performed in stage plays each year. About that same time, I took upon myself to produce and direct church Christmas pageants and did so for 18 years. For the past 14 years I have been a student of improv. For about 5 years I have taught, these same classes offered here, at Champs Homeschool Co-Op. I absolutely love theatre - but the joy in children's eyes as they come to life through imagination and creativity is what really makes it worthwhile.
Ms. Kinga Maciejewski
Kinga has homeschooled her two children since 2019. She has had experience working with children of all ages in many group settings. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she worked as a speech therapy paraprofessional at a school for children with developmental disabilities. She enjoys using adapted and interactive books, as they create a fun and positive learning environment. Kinga is very passionate about homeschooling and likes to take on new challenges.
Mrs. Chi-Li Quinteros
Chi-Li has been homeschooling for 13 years. Before her children were born, she worked for a decade as an elementary school teacher while earning a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and an ESL degree. Her passion has always been working with children and she’s been so fortunate in her life to do that in so many capacities including teaching dance, gymnastics, and soccer. Teaching is her lifelong passion and being able to dedicate time to that while her children enjoy co-op is amazing!
Ms. Rebecca Reid
Rebecca is starting her twelfth year of homeschooling. She has a degree in English and teaching experience as a writing tutor and as an elementary-level teacher at local homeschool co-ops, where she’s taught language arts, Spanish, history, and STEM. She has two decades of Spanish language experience. Over the years, she has been a member of GIFT, Fox Valley Free Learners, Champs, Little Red Homeschool, Barrington Area Homeschoolers, and more. She loves creating games and hands-on activities for her own kids and her students, and she sells games and printables on TPT. For the 2023-2024 year, she’ll be homeschooling 1.5 of her three children.
Mrs. Ainara Solana Moreno
I am a native Spanish speaker from Spain with a Cambridge language-teaching certification. My professional background includes teaching in language schools, private tutoring, and editing for educational publishers. I am also a homeschool mom of four, with two children currently homeschooled and two teens attending public high school.