Prapanna Smith – Founder of the Center for Integral Education
Prapanna Smith holds a Masters Degree in Education Administration from the University of Redlands, a California Administrative Credential, and a California Teaching Credential. During a 5-year career in California public education he taught all the subjects of the curriculum with at-risk middle school children, and social studies in the regular and GATE programs.
Prapanna lived at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram from 1998 to 2001 and, during that time, he was a teacher of History, Geography, Philosophy, and Study Skills at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (SAICE). During his tenure at SAICE, Prapanna was highly involved with the school’s latest experiment in Free Progress Education, a truly student-centered approach to learning and teaching that is being developed and refined at the school. Prapanna is currently a graduate student in the UC San Diego-CSU San Marcos Joint Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership.
Prapanna is principal of Integral Elementary School & Rainbow Kids Integral Preschool.
Wendy Cotton – Lead Teacher at Integral Elementary School
Wendy Cotton holds a B.A. degree in education with an emphasis in early childhood development and fine arts, and a multiple subjects teaching credential. She also holds an A.A. degree in music, and is an accomplished cellist having performed in many southern California symphony orchestras over the past two decades. Her previous experience includes teaching K-3 in the Oceanside School District for fifteen years. She has most recently worked as a reading intervention specialist for the Carlsbad Unified School District. She is also the owner/director of Curtain Call Kidz, a creative dramatics performing arts program for children.
Her responsibilities as lead teacher at IES include curriculum development, student assessments, and parent education. She also teaches Orff Schulwerk music and drama classes in the afternoons. Wendy appreciates the uniqueness, creativity, and beauty in every child. She loves to inspire children to push beyond their boundaries and reach for their greatest dreams. Wendy is excited to be part of the IES teaching team and is very dedicated to supporting the school’s vision and growth.
Karen Fine – Part of the Integral Community & Passionate Cook
Karen Fine writes about her simple solutions for busy families, specializing in cooking gluten free. Born out of a desire to heal her sick child, she has devoted years to the study of the gluten free diet while incorporating flavor and nutrition. She is passionate about eating gluten free, as well as the importance of including natural, organic produce in meals. She has been cooking gluten free for years and maintains an active blog called “Mom Cooks Gluten Free.” Her blog includes recipes, meal suggestions, gluten free product reviews and healthy eating references for a better life. She has published two children’s books on healthy eating, featured as a guest speaker at Rady Hospital’s Chidlren’s School, conducted book-signings and has made appearances on NBC news. She is in the process of releasing her third children’s book and publishing her first gluten free menu book.
As an advocate for children, and those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, Karen provides simple recipes that include many naturally gluten free ingredients. In an effort to further help instill new habit patterns for a gluten free life, she includes a variety of flavors from around the world and easy-to-find ingredients.
Karen is the Executive Director of the Gluten Free Foundation that she co-founded with her husband. The nonprofit organization’s mission is to help increase awareness of gluten intolerance and to provide a world-class outreach website. The site provides gluten free basics, as well as references for additional resources.
Carla Gerstein – Co-Founder of Integral Elementary School & Rainbow Kids Integral Preschool
Carla Swan Gerstein is responsible for business operations, community relations, networking, school newsletters, and grant writing. Carla holds a California Teaching Credential, and a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She spent 13 years as a computer programmer, project manager, department manager, and customer liaison. She acquired her teaching credential in 1999 and has had experience teaching second and third grades. She has two daughters of her own who are or were students at Integral Elementary. Carla also is a nationally competing athlete in barefoot water-skiing, ranked fifth in her age division in the United States in 2003. In 2000, she visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and attended the annual Cultural Program and Physical Education Demonstration, both of which moved her deeply. She is very committed to the new vision of education that CIE is creating in the US.
Nancy Walsh – Rainbow Kids Integral Preschool Director
Nancy Walsh, Rainbow Kids Integral Preschool Director since 2002, holds a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and serves as a member of the executive staff. She has had experience teaching in preschools, with an emphasis on children with special needs. For many years, Nancy worked in post-secondary education administration holding positions in Admissions, Financial Aid, Academic support, Placement, Student/Alumni Services and as a Campus Director. She also served as secretary to the Board of Directors of a Non-Profit organization developing vocational training for adults. Helping young people reach their potential through education has always been her passion and the philosophy of integral education provides her with a new avenue to assist students in finding themselves and becoming what they want to be.
