JANET ANTONE, COMMUNITY MENTOR, RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Janet Antone is from the Oneida Nations of the Thames reserve and has attended Saunders Secondary school, Lambton College and is currently a student at Fanshawe College enrolled in the Music Industry Arts Program. She was first involved in the Fourth R Peer Mentor Program in high school as a mentor. Over the over the years Janet has stayed involved with the program, speaking at several conferences for both educators and students, as well as working as a youth liaison for the Peer Mentor Program.

^top

NAOMI BIRD, RESEARCH ASSISTANT, EDUCATOR

Naomi Bird is a graduate of Carleton University (B.A.Honours in French) and the University of British Columbia (B. Ed).  As a research assistant with CAMH-CPS, Naomi is the Project Coordinator for the Public Health Agency of Canada grant supporting a multi-systemic approach to promoting youth well-being and reducing violence and victimization.  Naomi has recently returned to the London area after working as a Secondary Teacher with the Vancouver School Board for the last 17 years.  Some highlights of her teaching career include spearheading district and school initiatives in the areas of literacy and student growth, as well as dedication to student development through continuous professional development in the areas of assessment, differentiated instruction and student motivation.  Naomi believes strongly in promoting self-reliance and building resilience in children and youth.

^top

CONNIE BRAY, B.A.,M.Ed., ED.D., TEACHER, CONSULTANT, WRITER

Connie Bray is a graduate of UWO (B.A., M.Ed.) and OISE/University of Toronto (Ed.D.) and currently works as a vice-principal in a TVDSB secondary school. She has been involved in 4thR curriculum development for the past several years and supports professional development for teachers, particularly related to the 4thR and English/Language Arts curriculum.

^top

SHANNA BURNS, B.A., B.ED., M.Ed., RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, TEACHER

Shanna joined the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Centre for Prevention Science in 2004. She obtained her B.A. Honours in English and Sociology and her Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of Western Ontario. Most recently Shanna achieved her Master of Education in Educational Psychology. Shanna's research interests include adolescent risk-behaviours, motivation, critical media literacy, and educational psychology. At CAMH-CPS, she oversees curriculum sales and distribution, assists with the development and implementation of programs, and designs presentations and promotional materials. She is one of the Coordinating Editors for the Child Abuse and Neglect International Journal. Shanna is also a highly accomplished dance teacher.

^top

CHARLENE CAMILLO, B.A., B.ED., COMMUNITY MENTOR, RESEARCH ASSISTANT, TEACHER

Charlene Camillo joined the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Centre for Prevention Science in October 2007. She obtained her B.A. Honours in Kinesiology and First Nations Studies and her B.Ed. from The University of Western Ontario.  As a research assistant for CAMH, Charlene is involved with programs for Aboriginal youth. While at UWO, Charlene was a member of the Women’s Varsity Basketball team. Charlene has continued to contribute to the sports community by coaching basketball at secondary schools in the Thames Valley District School Board and she recently joined the coaching staff of the Women's Basketball team at Fanshawe College. Charlene has worked with students in the past as a Camp Counsellor at the Ontario Educational Leadership Centre in Orillia, ON and UWO’s Indigenous Services Summer Youth Camps. Charlene’s family is from Moose Factory, ON, and she is a member of the Moose Cree First Nation.

^top

KATIE COLE, B.A., B.ED., TEACHER, CONSULTANT, WRITER

Katie Cole, a teacher with the Thames Valley District School Board, is currently the English Department Head at Medway High School in Arva.  She obtained an Honours degree in Kinesiology with English and a Bachelor of Education at the University of Western Ontario.  Continuing with her studies she earned a Specialist in Health and Physical Education through Western’s Faculty of Education and then a Specialist in English through the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University.  Combining her knowledge in the fields of Health Education and Media Studies, Katie became a member, writer and consultant for the Media Violence coalition (formed by the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association) in 2006.  As a result, Katie has produced curriculum for educators, parent resources, and workshop materials to raise awareness and promote critical media literacy in homes and classrooms.  Her recommendations for parents and educators have been published in Education Today magazine.  Katie has presented at numerous workshops across Ontario to help prevent the potential harmful effects of violent media on children and adolescents.

^top

SUSAN DALE, B.A., B.ED., TEACHER, CONSULANT, WRITER

Biography to come!

LINDSAY DOXTATOR, COMMUNITY MENTOR, RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Lindsay Doxtator is from the Oneida Nation of the Thames community located just south of London. She is currently in her 4th year at the University of Western Ontario, majoring in Health Sciences. While attending UWO Lindsay has been a part of both the Women’s Varsity Hockey and Lacrosse teams, and received a Bronze W for both sports last spring. Prior to attending Western, she completed a two-year Photojournalism program at Loyalist College. Lindsay has also worked as a research assistant in the Exercise & Pregnancy Lab at UWO. Lindsay is now working as a Youth Liaison Coordinator for the First Nations grade eight mentoring program.

^top

WENDY ELLIS, PH.D., PROFESSOR, KING'S UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

Dr. Ellis completed her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at The University of Western Ontario. Before attending Western, Wendy completed her B.A. (honours) at Memorial University of Newfoundland and M.A. (Life-span developmental psychology) at Brock University. Wendy is currently a post-doctorate fellow at the CAMH Centre for Prevention Science through The Faculty of Education at The University of Western Ontario. Wendy's research interests involve children's peer networks (peer groups and friendships) and their contribution to adjustment and high-risk behaviour. She is involved in several research projects to examine these effects. Wendy is also involved in a project to adapt the Fourth R curriculum to meet the needs of youth in the Alternative Education System. In addition to these on-going research activities, Wendy has been teaching several psychology courses at Western.

^top

PAT GIBBINGS, M.A. (ENGLISH), CONSULTANT, WRITER, RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Pat Gibbings graduated from the University of Guelph with a BA in English, and from the University of Western Ontario with a Diploma in Education and an M.A. in English. After 31 years as a department head and teacher, Pat joined the staff at the CAMH Centre for Prevention Science. She has been part of a number of writing teams, including those producing the Safe Schools Committee Manual, and Fourth R English curriculum units for grades 10 and 11. She currently is working on Fourth R English units for grades 9 and 12. Pat also works as an editor and as a research assistant on a variety of projects at the Centre for Prevention Science.

^top

ANDREW JUDGE, B.A., COMMUNITY MENTOR, RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Andrew Judge is a recent graduate of The University of Western Ontario Kings University College campus. Andrew obtained his honors degree in Philosophy and with that has set his sights on working closely with the youth of London. Andrew’s volunteer services include assisting in the organization of an annual First Nation’s Track and Field Day, held at UWO. Andrew has been apart of this event for the past three years, taking on organizational responsibilities. Working with First Nation’s youth is a strong passion of Andrew’s. Over the summer of 2008 he worked at Indigenous Services at UWO, where he took part as a counsellor in on Manitoulin Island and at UWO. Through these camps Andrew gained much insight into the needs of First Nation students. He looks forward to using the knowledge gained to contribute to the Fourth R program at CAMH, where he is currently employed as a Youth Liaison Coordinator.

^top

KATIE LIZMORE, B.A., M.Ed., RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Katie joined the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Centre for Prevention Science in August 2007. She completed her B.A. Honours in Social Justice and Peace Studies and History at King's University College, The University of Western Ontario, and recently defended her Masters of Education. In 2003, Katie was a recipient of a Thames Valley District School Board Violence Prevention Award. Katie was the University of Western Ontario Violence Prevention Co-ordinator from 2005-2007 and was responsible for recruiting, training, and supporting Western student volunteers as they taught local high school students about dating violence. She has also been a Big Sister through the Children's Aid Society. As a research assistant, Katie is involved with student conferences, including the Youth Safe Schools Conference and the Grade Eight Aboriginal Transition Conference, data collection, and curriculum orders. Most recently, Katie accepted the position of Coordinating Editor of the Child Abuse and Neglect International Journal.

^top

CAROLINE MCISAAC, Ph.D., POST DOCTORAL FELLOW, RESEARCHER

Dr. Caroline McIsaac is a Postdoctoral Fellow working under the supervision of Dr. David Wolfe at the CAMH Centre for Prevention Science. She underwent graduate training in Clinical-Developmental Psychology at York University and completed a predoctoral internship in Child and Adolescent Psychology at the Hincks-Dellcrest Treatment Centre in Toronto. Dr. McIsaac’s research focuses on adolescent romantic relationships, with the overall goal of understanding how young people’s participation in dating and romance can affect their mental health and social functioning in both positive and negative ways. She is particularly interested in learning more about the similarities and differences between boys and girls in terms of how they manage the challenges that go along with the world of teen dating (e.g., conflict, break-ups, peer pressure, sexuality). From an intervention perspective, Dr. McIsaac has been involved in many school-based and community initiatives designed to promote healthy, age-appropriate romantic development during the teenage years. She has given numerous seminars and workshops about healthy dating to groups of parents, educators, and health professionals, not to mention youth themselves! As a Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. McIsaac is overseeing the scientific evaluation of many programs targeting positive youth development and healthy relationships, including key expansions of the Fourth R. In addition to these ongoing research and prevention activities, Dr. McIsaac teaches courses in Psychology at the University of Western Ontario.          

^top

DARREN THOMAS, EDUCATOR, CONSULTANT

Darren Thomas is a Seneca Nation, Bear Clan from the Haudenosaunee.  He resides at the Grand River Territory of the Six Nations.  Darren currently works part-time for Wilfrid Laurier University as a Coordinator of Community Service-Learning.  He also owns his own consulting firm, New Orators Motivational Consultants.  He travels throughout North America delivering a motivational message to all people about trying to live up to their greatest expectations.  Darren specializes in working with First Nations peoples, inspiring them to be proud of their heritage and take a rightful place in modern society.  Darren utilizes humour in all his work as he feels we desperately need to lighten up and begin to enjoy life.  Darren is an Orator, Mentor, Actor, as well as a Certified Hypnotherapist and Stage Hypnotist. Darren has twenty years of experience working in Education, Addiction and Community Development.  Darren has presented at numerous conferences throughout North America, and has consulted and helped develop programs and initiatives throughout Canada.  Darren himself after years of hard living with drugs and alcohol has been sober for twenty-one years.  After dropping out of school, he returned as an adult part-time where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree Majoring in Psychology along with a minor in Sociology.  And this fall he has also started working towards his MA in Community Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University.

DEBBIE TOWNSLEY, B.A., B.ED., TEACHER, CONSULTANT, WRITER

Debbie Townsley is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario from the Kinesiology program and from the Education program at the University of Maine.  Debbie has worked with the Fourth R since its inception and is the lead author of the Gr.8 Fourth R Health and Physical Education program, Gr. 9 Fourth R Health and Physical Education program, Gr. 11 Peer Leadership program and the Youth Relationships After-School program.  She also worked with Ray Hughes to develop the teacher training program for the Fourth R.  Debbie presents across Canada and the United States training teachers in the Fourth R.  She is also a trainer of Master Trainers for the program.

Debbie has taught Health and Physical Education for twelve years in the Thames Valley District School Board, and has worked for the board for two years as a Teacher on Special Assignment for Safe Schools and the Learning Coordinator for Safe Schools.  She has assisted in developing school based programs and follow up activities for TVDSB in the area of safe schools.  Debbie has also written for Thompson Publishing, creating student and teacher resources for Healthy Living.

Debbie is currently a Guidance Counsellor at Banting Secondary School, TVDSB.  She also works at the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Education where she has written and teaches the Senior Additional Basic Qualifications Course and the Honour Specialist course in Health and Physical Education.

TONI WILSON, B.A., B.ED., TEACHER, CONSULTANT, WRITER

Toni Wilson is a Learning Coordinator for Safe Schools for the Thames Valley District School Board. She is responsible for coordinating and implementing violence prevention programs for 190 schools and 80,000 students across Thames Valley. She also provides professional development to school administrators, teachers, parents and students related to safe schools. She has been involved with the 4thR Project in the development and implementation of the 4thR English curriculum for grade 9 through 12. She has created 4thR role play videos to supplement the grade 7, 8, and 9 4thR Health and Physical Education programs. She has created 2 videos with Aboriginal youth demonstrating effective strategies for dealing with conflict as well as 1 video which focuses on Aboriginal youth and counselling. She has been a secondary school teacher of English and Dramatic Arts for 25 years and has been involved in violence prevention and forum theatre for the past 15 years. She has used interactive theatre extensively to allow the practice of effective strategies for dealing with adversity.

^top