Mel Olsson Email and Phone Number

•Taught swim skills and pool safety to groups of children ages 18 months to 9 years in a fast-paced environment, creating structure by designing level-appropriate lesson plans•Acted as a lead coach when needed to address safety and behavioral issues

•Engaged a diverse group of up to 26 kids ages 4-7 in arts and crafts and lawn games, ensuring everyone was included and had a voice in what game we played•Personally connected to each camper through empathetic listening when they felt upset and actively played imaginative games with them

•Worked daily with small groups of children ages 4 to 11 to teach and enhance math and English skills as part of Americorps Builds Lives through Education•Facilitated intensive social and emotional interventions for a group of 22 sixth graders through the Positive Action curriculum•Assisted lead teacher in monitoring classroom safety and addressing individual needs of students when behavioral issues arose in both a preschool and second grade environment•Designed and lead summer science club four times a week aimed at promoting scientific concepts through experiential hands-on learning to 6 and 7 year olds

•Worked twice weekly to revitalize local riparian reserves by identifying and eradicating invasive plant species, caging existing native trees to protect from beavers, and planting sedges and grasses along creek to prevent erosion

•Helped maintain the half-acre educational garden by installing and extending drip line irrigation, pulling weeds, planting and harvesting vegetables, pruning berry bushes, digging trenches, and taking care of chickens

•Expanded the Herbarium inventory by repairing, mounting, and filing plant specimens; entered specimen information into the database; and worked with supervisor to identify plants.