Conrad Rehbach — School Coordinator/Administrator/Deutschunterricht

M. A. in Social Pedagogy, Polytechnic University for Social Pedagogy, Berlin, Germany (1981); ANSWA Certified Waldorf Teacher, Waldorf Teacher Training/Antioch New England Graduate School, Keene, New Hampshire, USA (1993); Founder and Director of the Viroqua Foundation Courses in Anthroposophy and the Arts (2000-present); Administrator/German/Math/Life Skills Teacher, Youth Initiative High School, Viroqua, Wisconsin (1998-present); Class Teacher/Tutor (Camphill Village Minnesota School), and Co-worker in the Camphill Movement for Curative Education and Social Therapy in the USA and Canada (1985-1997); Social Worker at Department of Justice, and Refugee Orphanage, Berlin, Germany (1981-1984) Self-employed, Export Business, Munich, Germany (1982-1983).

Ben Agar — Photography

M.D., works as a physician. He has a lifelong love for photography, and is eager to share his skill and knowledge about photography with the students.

Julee Caspars Agar — Español

B.A. Spanish/Latin American Studies and Elementary Education, University of Minnesota-Morris; Bilingual Specialization, University of Minnesota-Minneapolis. Professional Experience: Bilingual Class Teacher and Tutor; Step Dance Instructor; Performance Dancer.

Lerie Alstad-Van Ells — Movement/Sports/Spatial Dynamics™

Has been with the YIHS for many years. She is trained in Spatial Dynamics™

Deborah Baer — Psychology

Deborah Baer lives in Viroqua and is a tutor, licensed counselor, and registered nurse, with a B.S. in Nursing from UW-Madison, and an M.A. in Counseling from Louisiana Tech Univ. As a nurse she worked with terminally ill patients, then with psychiatric patients in Madison. Later, in private practice as a counselor, she worked with clients using a humanistic/Jungian/transpersonal approach and was also at that time an assistant administrator at a Montessori school in Louisiana. She has been a private tutor since 1991 in math, English, science, social studies, study skills, ACT/SAT preparation, and the writing of essays and research papers.

Mary Bard — Humanities

Raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I received my degree in English with a minor in French from the University of Wisconsin—Madison in 1974. After teaching English and living in the Washington, D.C. area for four years, I returned to Wisconsin and pursued various interests, including professional baking, gardening, birding, more teaching, and many outdoor activities. My family (husband Neil and sons Nathan and Jonathan) has lived on an old farm northwest of Richland Center since 1980.

Lars Bergan — Humanities

Has been teaching History and English at the YIHS since 2001. He received his BA in History, English, and Economics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Since then, he has worked as a researcher at the Library of Congress, a stock analyst on Wall Street, and a Fulbright Scholar in Jamaica.

Philothea Bezin — Français

Annie Brennen — Architecture

Spark Burmaster — Physics

Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, with High Honors, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (1969); Extensive environmental and technical consulting for homes, businesses, and farms, including coordination and technical implementation, through Environmental Options, Inc.

Chris Cox — Math/Drafting

Liz Cox — Development Coordinator

Char Elderkin — Social Studies

AnnaJo Doerr — Phys Ed

Howard Duckman — Chemistry

Lives on his farm near Viroqua, and teaches chemistry, physics, calculus, and statistics as a substitute teacher at Viroqua High School. Howard has a BS degree in chemical engineering, and decades of work experience in industrial, governmental, and not-for-profit agencies in engineering and science, including 17 years with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where his duties included conducting inspections, and assessing and reporting environmental deficiencies.

Colleen Gilgenbach — Art/Drawing/Painting

Studied at the Fine Arts University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. Colleen has extensive experience as a painter, mechanical designer, and doing drafting work. She has been teaching drawing classes for a number of years to mixed age groups. Her work has been at exhibitions at galleries and art shows in Wisconsin and Kansas.

Peter Hodapp — Art/Printmaking

I was raised in Minnisota where I studied arts of all kinds through internships, personal study and academic means. Growing up with a printmaking grandmother introduced me at an early age to it's possibilites. I am really excited to try and pass that wonder to the students I will be teaching this year. I now live near LaFarge working constantly in many mediums of graphic and fine art.

Jacob Hundt — Program Director

MA in Social Sciences, University of Chicago. Jacob is a founding member of the YIHS. After graduating from the YIHS, he attended Deep Springs College, the American University in Bulgaria, and the University of Chicago.

Potluck Schools: Alternative Education and Civil Society in Viroqua, Wisconsin by Jacob Hundt

John Karlstad — Life Skills/Construction

John Madden — Math/Humanities

Joined the YIHS faculty in 2002. He holds a B.A. in History, English, and Mathematics, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ; computer specialist, web page designer, freelance writer, playwright, producer, actor; manager, Richland Community Food Pantry; teen mentor.

John Murphy — Physics

K O'Brien — Art/Drama

Maureen O'Connor — Math

B.A. in Socioeconomic Policy w/minor in Math, Michigan State University; Graduate Work in Sociology at UNC-Chapel Hill; Research and Teaching Assistant at UNC; Treasurer, Board Member, and Math Teacher at Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School.

Vicki Lynn Ramsay — Sciences/Ecology/Math

Vicki is state certified to teach Broadfield, Biological and Environmental Sciences for middle and high school students.  Her undergraduate work focused on the study of Plant Community Ecology. She received her Bachelors of Science in Biological Aspects of Conservation in 1997 from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She has worked for many years as an advocate for women and children who have experienced domestic violence and as a tutor for children in school. She and her husband Sam, first settled in the Kickapoo Valley in the spring of 2000 where their son, Kele, was born.

Rebecca Rekward — German

Raelene Roberts — Art/Metalsmithing

Has been a student and artist in the medium of metalsmithing since 1985. She obtained a BA in fine arts degree in 1992 at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Raelene has presented three formal gallery shows, numerous demonstrations of her work at such places as Renaissance faires and at schools. Raelene taught at the Sacramento Waldorf School to adults in 1997, studied the Foundation Course at Rudolf Steiner College, Fair Oaks, CA in the weekend program 1996-1998. She studied in the summer 2004 at Tenland College of Crafts in North Carolina (under an amazing 82 year old Master metalsmith Mary Jenne Scherr).

Mark Shepard — Biology

Studied mechanic engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA, and ecology and outdoor education at Unity College in Unity, ME; presently he is a certified organic farmer, growing a variety of produce concentrating on permaculture systems, perennial crops, and tree crops, and he is active in permaculture and agroforestry consulting, farm management, and conversion plans consulting.

Jane Siemon — Nutrition

B. A. in Food Science and Nutrition. Teacher of Foods/Nutrition at YIHS since 1996; She graduated from the Foundation Course in Anthroposophy and the Arts in 2001, Dietician, Organic Farmer, Teacher of Sustainable Living; Continuing self education in natural foods and holistic health.

Donna Simmons — Humanities

Donna attended a Waldorf school in New York City from kindergarten through 12th grade. She graduated with a BA from Sarah Lawrence College where she studied creative writing, political science and history. After finishing an independant study project in London (where she did an oral history paper on the political activity of Jewish immigrants at the turn of the century) she fell in love with Britain - and stayed for almost 20 years. While there she was involved in a number of Waldorf initiatives (which included teaching) and was also a Camphill housemother. She now lives in Viroqua with her family and writes and publishes Waldorf curriculum materials for homeschoolers. She has been an anthroposophist for more than 10 years.

Nancy Sky — Yoga/Office Coordinator

Is a certified teacher of Integral Yoga - which includes the physical postures, breathing practices, Yoga philosophy and meditation. She recently studied at the Satchidananda Yoga Ashram in Buckingham, VA. Nancy has been a practicing student of Yoga since 1992.

Tom Vanderhyden — Native Cultures <1500_s

Matthew Voz — Humanities