Schedule

Grades 6/7

Grade 8

Grade 9

Courses Offered (Fall 2019)

All ILC classes are offered in-person

Grades 6/7 Core: STEM 6/7 C, Leadership 6/7 C

Grade 8 Core: STEM 8, Leadership 8

Grade 9 Core: Earth Science, Personal Leadership

Media Arts (with Jennylynn Diesen)
Students in this course will explore and play with watercolor, acrylic, pencils, markers, clay and more! Along the way, they’ll create projects such as a landscape painting, pottery, sculptures, and claymation. Students’ will also enhance their drawing skills by learning how to sketch faces, one or two-point perspective drawings, still-life drawings, landscapes, and visual illusions. Jennylynn will introduce students to great artists from history including Da Vinci, Monet, Picasso, Escher, and others.

Engineering Principles 1 (with Debbie Cluff)
Whether your student is interested in digital media, robotics, software engineering or alternative and renewable energy, this class will take their learning to the next level. Students in this class will tackle fun and open-ended projects, often using multiple technologies. They’ll get to explore circuitry (including electricity and electromagnets), computer graphics (including Photoshop and 3D design), web development, mechanics and machinery, robotics, app development, and more!

Electives rotation (includes Space Simulator, Life Skills, and PE)

1. Space Simulator – In this elective, students will join us on the bridge of Canyon Grove’s cutting-edge starship simulator! In the process, they’ll learn the STEM-related concepts they need to succeed in challenging missions that require teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking to save the universe.
2. Life Skills – Students in this class will develop practical life skills and gain exposure to a variety of projects that help them prepare for adulthood. Projects include cooking, sewing, changing the oil in a vehicle, changing tires on a vehicle, and completing minor home repairs (like fixing a leaky faucet).
3. PE – In this class, students will play games, sports, and do exercises that invigorate their bodies and minds. They’ll level up their teamwork and leadership skills along the way.

Mentors

Jason Hansen
HS Leadership/MS Leadership Mentor

As your student embarks on their educational journey, you want to know they’re supported by a mentor who knows how to guide them. Jason is that mentor. In his own words, “Leadership is about self-discovery and bringing others with you on that journey. It is about inspiring others, it is about embracing change, it is seeking inspiration and following that inspiration to the best of your ability and beyond.”

Jason has completed a Master’s Degree in Education Administration and has also earned degrees and teaching certificates in Elementary, Social Sciences Secondary Education, and Special Education. He enjoys acting, reading classic literature, and camping with his family.

McKenzie Stock
Science/STEM Mentor

As your student embarks on their educational journey, you want to find them a mentor who is passionate about their subject and skilled at guiding youth. McKenzie is that mentor. She has taught in numerous settings, including outdoor environmental education, alternative high school, elementary school, English as a second language, and special education.

As a science mentor, McKenzie understands the importance of creating an environment of growth and progression for her students. In her own words, “To facilitate growth in youth is an incredible honor, and I aspire to propel students towards their best in every context.” McKenzie graduated from Hope College with degrees in Geology, Spanish, and Philosophy.

Jennylynn Diesen
Art Mentor

Jennylynn loves helping students express themselves through the arts. She also loves seeing how art helps students succeed in other subjects and areas of their lives. She keeps a quote from Vincent Van Gough (her favorite artist) on her classroom wall: “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” You can find some of Jennylynn’s murals on display at Canyon Grove Academy.

Jennylynn holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah University and an art endorsement from the state of Utah. Prior to teaching, she had twelve years of experience as an interior designer, stager, canvas artist, and muralist in Washington, Arizona, and Utah.

Debbie Cluff
Engineering/SmartLab Mentor

Debbie is passionate about helping youth make the most of their potential. She is an educator, author, entrepreneur, wife and mother. Debbie has written books, hosted talk radio shows, coached high school cheerleading, been a successful blogger, and designed and built her own websites. She’s spent more than fifteen years teaching and coaching young minds and is excited to work with your student.

Born and raised in Pasadena, California, Debbie graduated from California State University Los Angeles with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and a master’s in Elementary Education. She has three teenagers and an amazing husband who keep her smiling. Her favorite thing to do is sit at the pool and drink a Diet Coke.

Staff

Jodi Burnett
Site Coordinator

Jodi is passionate about teaching students how to think rather than what to think. In her words, “The idea of students being in charge of their own education is very important to me, so I was thrilled to finally find a school that empowers students in that way.” For the past two years, Jodi has worked at Canyon Grove Academy first as a teacher, then as the curriculum developer for their Epic Day program. She is excited to use her experience to instill leadership skills and a love of learning in the classroom.

Jodi and her husband have four children, two of whom are currently participating in the ILC program. Her favorite hobby is reading. She and her family also love hiking and biking through the red rock canyons of St. George.

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