WELCOME

Hey there! I'm Joshua!

I'm a passionate educator with a Master of Education in Elementary Education and a Master of Science in Business Design and Innovation. As the San Gabriel Valley Program Manager at Upstage Theater Schools, I combine my innovative mindset with over a decade of experience in youth programs to create engaging learning experiences. I'm committed to bringing creative, forward-thinking approaches to elementary education, preparing students for the challenges of the 21st century.

Pronouns: He/Him

Scroll down to learn more about me!

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ABOUT ME

I'm a recent graduate with a Master of Education (M.Ed) in Elementary Education, building upon my previous Master of Science (MSc.) in Business Design and Innovation. This unique combination of degrees has equipped me with a diverse skill set that I'm eager to apply in the field of education.

Currently, I serve as the San Gabriel Valley Program Manager at Upstage Theater Schools, where I blend my passion for education with my background in innovation and program management. In this role, I leverage my business design skills to develop and oversee creative youth theater experiences that foster growth and learning in our students.

My professional journey includes over a decade of experience working with children in after-school and summer camp programs. This extensive experience, coupled with my innovation background, has solidified my commitment to elementary education and prepared me to bring fresh, creative approaches to classroom teaching.

With my M.Ed now completed, complementing my MSc., I'm excited to transition into a full-time teaching position. In this role, I aim to apply my interdisciplinary knowledge to create engaging, innovative learning environments for elementary school students, preparing them for the challenges of the 21st century.

My background in innovation has instilled in me a problem-solving mindset that I believe is crucial in addressing the evolving needs of education. I'm particularly interested in integrating design thinking and creative problem-solving techniques into the elementary curriculum to foster critical thinking and adaptability in young learners.

Outside of my professional pursuits, I'm an avid runner. I've called Los Angeles home since completing my undergraduate studies, though I still maintain strong ties to my hometown of Chicago. I believe in savoring life’s simple pleasures, like a perfectly brewed cup of coffee, and I have a habit of catching up on "hit shows" just a little late!

I'm committed to continuous learning and professional development, always striving to stay current with educational trends and best practices. My dual expertise in education and business innovation positions me uniquely to contribute to the ongoing dialogue about the future of education. I look forward to connecting with fellow educators and exploring how we can innovate within our classrooms and educational systems to serve our students best.

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

January 2023 - Current

PROGRAM MANAGER, SAN GABRIEL VALLEY; UPSTAGE THEATER SCHOOL INC

Support a diverse team through the entire creative process of a youth theater show.
Communicate with parents, staff, community members, and partners about program needs, goals, and general information.

Maintain program budgets.
Market programs within the community and local schools.
Partner with South Pasadena Educational Foundation on South Pasadena Unified School District's 5th-grade musical.
Manage summer camp programming.

July 2021 - January 2023

ACTING DIRECTOR; UPSTAGE THEATER SCHOOL INC

Teach 50+ 1st-8th students weekly; working on acting, movement, and vocal techniques.

March 2022 - July 2022

PEOPLE ENGAGEMENT MANAGER; GHJ

DEIA

Collaborate with the Chief People Officer to accelerate and enhance DEIA strategy and amplify diverse voices and thinking. Provide oversight and guidance to employee cohorts (resource groups). Foster the growth of new and existing cohorts by building collaborative relationships with allies, leads, executive sponsors, and members to impact the business positively. Facilitate internal trainings/workshops and develop external partnerships to enhance awareness, learning and action planning. Serve as primary project manager, tracking, monitoring and quantifying the impact of all DEIA programs. Lead monthly DEIA Orientation for new hires

People Engagement

Design and develop people programs, including mentor and engagement programs, that align with core values to foster a positive workplace and to help our hybrid and remote team members feel connected. Collaborate closely with the People team on understanding the voice of employees and gathering feedback to identify actionable employee engagement opportunities while aligning with strategic objectives. Create and track metrics to determine the success of people programs

Early Careers

Design and facilitate summer internship experience from orientation to full-time candidate conversion, including manager recruitment, trainings, mid-point reviews and final presentation.

Employer Branding

Build a data-driven strategy that defines and develops employee value proposition to increase brand awareness.

July 2021 - January 2022

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING MANAGER (INTERNSHIP); GO ZERO WASTE APP

Contribute to marketing strategy by leveraging social media to identify and acquire customers. Maintain online community by organizing and developing social media content. Organize content through creation and utilization of editorial calendar. Collaborate with CMO to set, track, and analyze marketing department KPIs. Track social media’s ROI to ensure campaigns align with departmental goals.

June 2017 - September 2021

PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF AQUATICS AND YOUTH ENRICHMENT; SOUTH PASADENA SAN MARINO YMCA

Wide range of people management, budgeting, project management, planning, and department oversight. Manage a team of 30+ employees, both full and part-time, as well as 2 full-time coordinators. In charge of the entire lifecycle of all employees including recruiting, onboarding, training, and termination. Create, track, and analyze multi-departmental KPIs. Develop and oversee a budget of $400K annually in various departments. Oversee large community projects for the facility and developed from the ground up new programming that has increased revenue by 10% year over year. Regionally facilitate multiple employee engagement and training programs. Trainer for regional New Employee Orientation, Introduction to Leading and Coaching Others, and various specialty training.

January 2019 - September 2021

CHAIR, LGBTQ EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP; YMCA OF METROPOLITAN LOS ANGELES

Support DEI strategies for all Southern California YMCAs. Hold monthly meetings for diverse leaders to discuss, ideate, and bring action for DEI initiatives. Collect and analyze various ERG initiatives’ data. Co-Created the first annual SoCal ERG leadership Conference. Assist in the creation of Pride month messaging strategy for the YMCA's of Metro Los Angeles. Speaker at annual Youth Development Conference on engaging diverse youth in programs.

February 2016 - June 2017

COORDINATOR, AQUATICS PROGRAMMING; NORTH VALLEY FAMILY YMCA

Assist with a wide range of people and program management. In charge of employee training and onboarding as well as participant engagement and sales. While in this role, the facility developed the largest swim lesson program in the LA metro area.