Author: Katti Theriault

Katti Theriault, originally from Massachusetts, moved to Buffalo in the summer of 2018 to be a teacher in the Buffalo Public School system through the AmeriCorps program Teach For America. Katti has worked in the field of education since 2013. She has a wide range of experience including working with preschoolers as a JumpStart Corps Member, a preschool teacher at HeadStart, a museum teacher at the Tsongas Industrial History Center, paraprofessional, and most recently as a special education teacher. Katti currently has a Master’s Degree in education and is continuing her education in the field. Acting as an ambassador for equal educational opportunities for all, Katti wants to advocate for the youth of Buffalo by highlighting the educational programs and everything Buffalo has to offer its youth.

In the Fall 2019 semester, Villa Maria College will launch a new four-year degree program, the Game Design (FBA)​. This is the first full program of its kind in the Buffalo area. Video games continue to grow in popularity, so it only makes sense that the need for game designers is also growing. From 2016 to 2026, employment of multimedia artists and animators is projected to grow 8 percent, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. This projected growth is due to an increased demand for animation and visual effects in video games, movies, and television. Multimedia…

Read More

Champion /ˈCHampēən/: a person who advocates for a cause on behalf of someone else In 2014, the late Robert G. Wilmers, former Chairman & CEO of M&T Bank, had a vision for change in education in Buffalo. His vision included investing in the development of leaders who would directly impact students in the classroom and lead educational systemic change. Now, 5 years later, Teach For America Buffalo’s network of over 150 leaders is reaching over 10,000 students. TFA Buffalo has grown from 15 corps members to 60 plus corps members in their first and second year of service with over 100…

Read More

The Creative Education Foundation, CEF, focuses on teaching individuals to cultivate a mindset of deliberate creativity. Each year CEF hosts the Creative Problem Solving Institute (also known as CPSI, pronounced Sip-See), a week-long interactive training, in Buffalo. Beth Slazak, the Manager of Education and Events at the Creative Education Foundation, is very personally invested in Buffalo and the people here. Back in the day, Buffalo was a bustling and prosperous industrial hub. Growing up in Buffalo in the 70s, Slazak saw how much Buffalo had to offer. The economy started to decline as the industries started closing, causing the population…

Read More

City Year, a national education nonprofit, aims to #makebetterhappen right here in Buffalo. I had the pleasure of talking to Michael Stevens, City Year Buffalo’s Startup Director, to get the facts on City Year’s launch in Buffalo. What is City Year? City Year was founded 30 years ago in Boston, Massachusetts under the belief that “young people in service can be a powerful resource for addressing some of America’s most pressing issues.” The pressing issue City Year tackles? Making sure that all students have the resources and support they need to thrive in school and beyond. We believe all students…

Read More