Kids Share Workshops™

Shortly before the holidays, the winter she turned four, Sandra was gifted a pair of scissors, a jar of paste, a box of crayons and pad of construction paper by her grandparents; and while the adults enjoyed a peaceful afternoon, the child experienced an epiphany. It has been cut and paste, ever since. Artist and poet, Sandra Erickson studied illustration at Paier College of Art, paper making with Connecticut watercolorist, Sylvia Smith, and Ceramic Arts at CCV. .(Poetry just happens.) Her drawings, cast paper collage, fine prints and pottery have been exhibited in galleries throughout Vermont and in private and business collection worldwide.

Sandra's first Chapbook: Epiphany 47 was the winner of Shadow Poetry's (Shadow Ink Publications, Excelsior Springs, Missouri) 3rd biannual chapbook competition in 2004, her poetry and short stories have been published by University of Maine at Machais in The Binnacle,  2007 and 2009 publications, and included in Michael Ernest Sweet's Dances with Love , and recently in the anthology Darkness & Honey by Bill Poppen and Terri Verrette.

Ms. Erickson has made art with preschool and school aged children in Vermont and Connecticut for 40 years. She has been, and continues to be, the consulting editor for Montreal's Lester B Pearson High School's (Learning for a Cause Publications, Montreal, Quebec) annual poetry and short story anthology since 2005.

PAM SHEA (Director and US Instructor)

Pam has a bachelor's degree in quantitative analysis and professionally, over 15 years of actuarial and underwriting experience. Outside of Kids Share Workshops, Pam works as the underwriting director for a local non-profit. Pam believes in the healing power of positive thought, music, and other forms of art. She is passionate about helping children find and use their voice. This can be hard for some children, especially those who were raised in a neglectful, abusive, or otherwise dysfunctional home environment. She has found that the arts have a powerful way of bringing children out of their shells and helping them realize their value and connection with the human family. Pam lives in central Vermont with her children. In 2007 Pam lost her lovable Rhodesian Ridgeback to cancer and hopes to adopt another one soon, as she brought great joy to Pam's Family!  Additionally, Pam has been a dear friend to Kristina and her family for the past 10 years. Pam is enthusiastic about Kids Share Workshops potential to empower children, spread joy, and provide a positive growth experience for the children and adults involved with their work. Pam: pamsofxeq1@gmail.com

JEANNE ROSS ATCHINSON (Director, US & International Instructor and Webmaster/Webwriter)

Jeanne is our Web specialist!  Jeanne worked for the State of Vermont as its only Agency of Human Services Webwriter for 10 years, until the birth of her youngest child, five years ago, and then for the Agency of Natural Resources. She loves to travel, and has explored Germany, as well as spending some time in England, Holland and France. Recently, she and her teenage daughter traveled within Thailand to spend 5 weeks fully immersed in Thai and village life.  Their homestay visit allowed them to witness the needs, as well as the amazing strengths, of folk that honor the simple life. This year she stayed in Thailand for January through April, 2009 teaching English to Thai children, assisting Ubon University students with their studies, and helping older teens and adults to earn their high school degrees through the Thai non-formal educational process. While Jeanne was in Thailand she continued to manage the Kids Share website.

"I am so very pleased to be a member of the Kids Share team! What Kristina has done here has such potential for making serious beneficial changes in SO very many lives. I just could not believe that, in this time in my life when I want to "give" of myself, Kids Share Workshops has provided an exciting opportunity for me to do just that." Jeanne is a self employed web writer and consultant, and she teaches at the River Rock School in Montpelier. She is a member of the Vermont Beekeeper's Association. Her honey bee hives are in her back yard where they can pollinate up to 2 miles away!  Jeanne lives in Central Vermont with her very supportive husband, 18 year old daughter, 5 year old daughter, 3 dogs, 2 cats, 3 birds, and various other critters.  When she needs a break she hides out in her garden or up at her place on Camel's Hump Mountain.  Jeanne is a co owner of a piece of totally undeveloped riverfront forest in a small village in the Isaan Region of Thailand on the Moon River, which now serves as a home-base when she travels there. Please direct Web site questions/comments to Jeanne at:  KidsShare.Jeanne@gmail.com   *Pictured: 3/2009 Jeanne teaching Thai children. 

KRISTINA APPLEGATE LUTES (Founder and US & International Instructor) 

Kristina Applegate Lutes, founder of Kids Share Workshops, is a montage portrait artist who has been creating illustrations for over twenty years. In 1992 she graduated from the Art Institute of Boston. Kristina’s colorful career includes designing newspaper editorial art while in college, working for Sadlier Publishing on Wall Street as a junior designer, and employment with Scholastic Publishing's IPG in NYC. In 1995 while living in Colorado, Kristina and her husband Kurt created the greeting card company, Oryx Mountain Studios, Inc™. Their ABC Endangered Species collection™ was sold through national chain stores and Zoos. The Holiday and Endangered Species collection was later sold to Caravan International, located in Boulder, CO. Additionally, Kristina was part of the digital illustration boom of the 1990's and the early part of 2000. At one time she was creating one hundred spot illustrations a week for companies such as the Learning Company and Microsoft. Kristina’s herbal line drawings were also featured on the packaging of Celestial Seasonings’ Wellness Teas.

Kristina, her husband and two small children live on a hobby farm in the mountains of central Vermont. She enjoys gardening, raising birds, running, skiing, swimming and her horses.  Kristina, with the help of her Kids Share Team Leaders/Instructors, is working to grow Kids Share Workshops & Books www.KidsShareWorkshops.org. Kristina hopes to reach more rural coffee growing communities of Latin America by providing much needed after school workshops. She believes that her experience as an artist and entrepreneur will make Kids Share Workshops and Books a successful endeavor.

Please direct questions about Kids Share Workshops to Kristina at: KidsShareWorkshops@gmail.com or you can Skype Kristina at: KristinaApplegateLutes 802-485-8406

********************* Retired Portraits for Charity & Kids Share Workshops Team Leaders.

Newton Baker and Roger Crowley volunteered during the first two years of PFC & KSW by giving countless hours, much moral support and valuable teaching skills. They are dearly missed. We owe much gratitude to both of them for our success!  

NEWTON BAKER (Retired PFC & KSW Team Leader: Writing Project Leader)

Newton is a retired elementary school teacher of 35 years and a Vermont National Writing Project Teacher Leader. His passions are writing, especially with kids, and ultra-running where he is the National 24 Hour Run age group champion the past 6 years with a personal best of 120 miles. A native Vermonter and graduate of Middlebury College, Newton lives in Montpelier with his wife Diane, son Silas 13, and daughter Devin 9. He has two older children, Jessica and Jeremy and 3 grand-children. Newton donated much of his time and good spirits instructing a writing project for the Superheroes: Muscular Dystrophy & Union Elementary students. In addition, Newton initiated Portraits for Charity's™ first workshops at Union Elementary, with Ash Brittenham, and at Thatcher Brook Primary School. Later, Portraits for Charity became Kids Share Workshops. Many thanks Newton!!! 

ROGER CROWLEY  (Retired PFC & KSW Photojournalist)

Roger is a retired educator with 36 years of teaching in the public schools. He is from a large Maine family and made the big move west (Vermont) to get away from the snow and cold in 1972. He is currently a freelance photojournalist whose work can be seen in various Vermont newspapers. He specializes in sports and nature photography and is the official photographer for the Vermont Mountaineers baseball and Vermont Frost Heaves ABA basketball teams. Roger lives in Montpelier with his wife Louise. He has two children, Dan and Barb, and six grandchildren. Roger donated much of his time and good spirits photographing the Superheroes: Muscular Dystrophy & Union Elementary project and our Kids Share: Tibetan and Vermont Children's Narrative Workshops. Many thanks Roger!!!  

Kids Share Workshops celebrates all children of any race, gender, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, and does not discriminate. We believe all children are a gift and a reason to celebrate!