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About Us

CAROLE BERMAN

Executive Director and Founder

Director and Founder of the Gifted and Talented Development Center. Carole has been actively involved in Gifted Education for over 40 years, having served as a teacher of gifted and talented students in the High and Wide and BOCES programs. She was a reading teacher in Yonkers for 23 years. Carole served as a Board member of New York State Camp Directors Association for over 20 years and is a long standing member of the American Camping Association. Carole is proud that all 5 of her grandchildren have attended Challenge Camp!

MARC BERMAN

Director of Operations

Marc has been a Challenge Camper almost his entire life. The first summer of Challenge Camp in 1981, Marc grudgingly took the chess class. He went on to become a National Master and received an award for being the top-rated player in the country under 13 years old. Marc studied Finance and Marketing at the University of Pennsylvania. After working for over 15 years in Finance and Operations for Media and Technology companies, Marc returned to Challenge Camp. He is always on the lookout for innovative content, technology and instructors to improve operations and inspire our campers.

JOSEPH FIELDS

Director

Joseph is a full time professional magician performing over five hundred shows a year in the Tri-State area. He is an instructor in ten school districts in Westchester, teaching the art of magic. Joe has been associated with Challenge Camp for over 40 years.

MARCY GEISSER-WOLF

Director

Marcy has over thirty years of administrative experience in academic camps and has been with Challenge Camp for more than twenty. She has tremendous expertise in staff training and management and coordinates the Counselor in Training program. Marcy is an American Camp Association Visitor helping NY camps to be their very best.

Linda Andrews

I am the owner and dance instructor at Dance Connection in New Rochelle, a mixed media artist and freelance graphic designer. I have taught art and dance at Challenge Camp for several years and enjoy the opportunity to teach a variety of artistic styles and techniques.

Jay Alt

Chocolatier Jay spent 22 years working in higher education administration and currently teaches at several area colleges.  He owns Chocolate Works Scarsdale with his wife and loves teaching fun chocolate making workshops to youngsters in Westchester.  See more at http://www.chocolateworksscarsdale.com

Linda Andrews

Linda has owned Dance Connection in New Rochelle for 18 years. She is a dancer, painter and mixed media artist. She has most recently exhibited and had artwork published in Somerset Studio Magazine.

HUDSON Apotheker

Hudson is an Arts Integration teacher in Baltimore. He has been teaching and coaching children for several years in subjects ranging from all sciences and fine arts to wilderness survival and soccer. When he isn’t in the classroom, he is probably at the gym or cooking.

Christel Araujo

With over 16 years of experience in the fashion industry, Christel has had the pleasure of teaching at both SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology and SUNY Westchester Community College, where she shares her passion for fashion construction, from designing and making clothing to illustrating new ideas. You can find her on the water during the summer—She’s been part of a paddling team for over 12 years!

Reuben A. Bridges

For 20 years Reuben has been competing around the country, his robotics career started in high school as a student at Morris High School in Bronx, New York. He became a Mentor at his high school in robotics, passing down the knowledge he gained as a student on the team. During this time Reuben taught himself how to use the NXT Lego Mindstorms Educational and later began to teach Lego robotics.

Diana Capasso

As an artist with a love for creativity and community, Diana has had the joy of sharing her passion in so many rewarding ways. Yonkers Mayor Spano’s office shouted her out for her Love Wins kids tie-dye project while working with the Yonkers Parks Dept.  One of Diana’s proudest moments was creating a mural with the Art Club at PS153 while working for the Bronx Arts Ensemble, which was recognized by the New York State Art Council. She is so happy to be sharing her love of art with us and seeing it spark a new love for the arts in others.

Matt Cooke

Matt has been working at summer camps since he was 14 years old…he is happy, fun and engaging! He works as an afterschool enrichment specialist during the school year teaching chess, magic and more!

Frank Cortalano

Frank has been an educator for over a decade teaching music and technology classes reaching students of all ages in person throughout Westchester County, NYC, and Connecticut as well as online lessons teaching students all around the world. Frank is currently a Music Teacher for Armelle For Kids and the Operations Manager and Instructor for Computer Adventures. He has helped design and develop countless courses in areas such as music theory & performance, instrument skill development, 3D printing, coding, game programming, robotics, graphic design, animation, Minecraft, Roblox, and many more! He is passionate about working with children, parents, and instructors to help guide his community in enriching all students in learning and developing new and useful skills. When Frank is not teaching a varying array of courses, he spends his time writing and performing as a professional musician.

Michael Donovan

Michael is an elementary school teacher. He has been teaching at Challenge Camp, where his own children spent many wonderful summers, for over 20 years. Michael is also an accomplished musician, which is a passion he pursues in his free time.

Ellen Feig

Ellen Rosner Feig is a professor of English at Bergen Community College where she has taught for over 20 years. As a former attorney, Dr. Feig teaches afterschool and summer programs in debate, model United Nations, and the law.

Armelle Gloaguen

Armelle is an award winning artist, educator, and accomplished singer-songwriter. She provides educational multicultural musical shows for schools, libraries and private events. She has worked with international children for over 25 years and has recorded three albums of children’s music in several languages. See more at  www.armelleforkids.com.  

Marissa Goulbourne

Marissa is excited to return to camp this Summer for Yoga! She has worked in education for two decades and is one of the only RCYT-95 yoga instructors in Westchester County. She has been recognized locally and nationally for her work in the community and has taught yoga in 5 countries (and counting). In addition to traveling, Marissa enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her family. 

 Neil Grand

Neil teaches computer science at Challenge Camp. Prior to switching to the world of education almost 10 years ago, Neil worked in the financial world with leading Wall Street firms and hedge funds.  Neil really loves problem solving and working through projects with his students.

Rathi Gulati

Rathi is a cultural consultant, teacher, and leader, bringing over 15+ years of experience in the fields of diversity & inclusion and community engagement. She currently serves as the Cultural Arts Chair for the Harrison School District, leading inclusion work across the 4 elementary schools. She is also the children’s program director and instructor for the India Cultural Center of Greenwich.

Brenda Guy

Brenda is a registered nurse employed with the New Rochelle School District.  She has over 20 years of nursing experience with Challenge Camp’s campers.

Gen Katano

Gen is excited to be teaching his seventh year of ninja warriors. This class is about learning coordination, flexibility, stretching, and speed through physical challenges and circuit training. He has a background in sports, dance and personal training.

Chris Keefe

Chris has been teaching chess with the National Scholastic Chess Foundation since 2018. Chris has a USCF peak rating of 1939 and has defeated many chess masters in tournament play. He drew International Master Jack Peters in a simul in 2016. Chris is also a pianist and has been teaching and performing music since 1998. He graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with a BA in jazz studies and earned his master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

Bonnie Lee

Bonnie has had the pleasure of working with many well known chefs and is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute. This is her sixth summer at Challenge Camp and knows that cooking can instill confidence, creativity and pride in campers. She believes “People from different cultures and backgrounds will come together through the sharing of food.”

Jessica Mainhardt

Jessica brings over a decade of teaching experience as a voice instructor to all ages. While earning two degrees at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Jessica was awarded prestigious accolades like the Music Merit Grant and Dean’s Scholarship and sang in nine operas with the Indiana University Opera Theater. Beyond her academic journey, Jessica has performed operas and recitals on national and international stages. With a diverse repertoire spanning classical, jazz, and musical theater, she’s so excited to have a great time making music at Challenge Camp!

Tasnia Monir

My name is Tasnia and I have both worked as a web developer and have been teaching programming for nearly a year. I currently work as a drone instructor and as a tech enthusiast I am excited to teach the courses Challenge Camp has to offer. I am excited to be teaching this summer! Aside from teaching, I enjoy painting, crocheting, and playing board games.

Anne Pasquale

(actress & playwright) trained at L.A.M.D.A. and the New York School of the Arts. Anne has been with Challenge Camp, writing and directing campers in theater for 15+ years. Ms. Pasquale creates and tours her repertoire of Living History Programs for audiences of all ages in venues along the East Coast. She is a recent recipient of the Broadway World Best Actress and Playwright Award for her Solo Show BOB . This summer Anne will present and perform the role of Annie Sullivan in her original one act play ‘entitled Out of The Dark’. You can find out more about anne@annepasquale.com

Al Pearlman

Al has 40 years of teaching earth science, biology, bioethics and the ” love of life” to thousands of lucky students.  His 30+ summers at Challenge Camp include teaching CSI, origin of life, human anatomy, kitchen chemistry, entomology, genetics, the Galapagos, ornithology and probably more. “I Have discovered that I really enjoy teaching these subjects to the younger (K-2) minds.” 

Kirk Petrie

Kirk attends Hamilton College pursuing a degree in psychology and religious studies. At school, he is a member of choir and acapella, works at Hamilton’s community outreach office, the climbing wall, and as a private piano instructor. He is returning to Challenge Camp as an Instructor and is a trusted member of our Camper Wellness Team.

Natalia Potter

Natalia received her BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College, and was the recipient of their Ian Lipkin ’74 Science Prize in 2023. She is currently working towards a Master of Science degree in Applied Neuroscience at King’s College London. In my free time, I enjoy playing guitar, drawing, and theatre.

Jason Pritchett

Jason is a Graphic Arts and Computer Animation Instructor with 15 years of experience teaching high school students in Westchester County. He is thrilled to spend his second summer at Challenge Camp, looking forward to inspiring creativity and helping students explore their artistic potential.

Ana Saura

Ana has a BFA degree in advertising and Commercial art from Pels School of Art/Cooper Union, as well as a teaching degree from Liceo Moderno San Carlos University, Guatemala. After a successful career in advertising/graphic design, Ana founded Children’s Creative Corner in Larchmont.  She currently teaches at museums and colleges in addition to the Pelham Art Center. A 20+ year teacher at Challenge Camp, Ana’s beautiful artwork has been exhibited at numerous shows and galleries.

Rachel Schultz

Rachel is a seasoned hospitality professional with a Fine Arts degree from the School of Visual Arts. Growing up in the restaurant industry, including her family’s establishment, she deeply appreciated the intersection of food, art and culture. Rachel’s extensive experience spans event planning, marketing and team leadership in hospitality, exploring the creative and business aspects of the industry.

Liz Steger-Hartzman

Based in New York, Liz has been shooting professionally for over 25 years. She built her career on food photography and still life by photographing many of New York’s finest eating establishments and chefs, including JeanGeorge, The Brasserie and the restaurants at the Waldorf-Astoria. Larry King, Marc Anthony and the Duke of Edinburgh have also posed for Liz’s lens. Liz’s mouth watering books, Serendipity Parties, Serendipity Sundaes and Sweet serendipity: Delicious Desserts and Devish Dish (Rizzoli) have been featured on Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The New York Daily News, The Today Show and Fox & Friends. Her other published books are American Sideshow: An Encyclopedia of History’s Most Wondrous and Curiously Strange Performers and Found on eBay: 101 Genuinely Bizarre Items From the World’s Online Yard Sale (Universe,) both written by her husband, Marc. Liz also served as the photo editor and photographer for the popular guide book, Avante Guide New York (Empire Press.)

Regina Talbot

Regina holds a Master Degree in Music Education and has taught music for many years in public and international schools. She currently teaches vocal music in the New Rochelle School District and is a recent Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award recipient.

Jennifer Walford

Jennifer has taught science, social studies, technology and library skills for 24 years. She has taught students from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th Grade and particularly enjoys teaching students technology skills they can apply to enrich their lives.

Lida Y. Zimmerman

Lida was born in Shanghai and has lived in America for many years. She is a graduate of the University of China where she studied painting. She has been a student of the most famous artists in China. As an art teacher in Shanghai, she taught watercolor, pencil drawing, as well as the ancient art of “paper cutting”. She has written books on “How to Paint” and contributed to art textbooks for elementary and middle school in Shanghai. Lida teaches art in New York. She has exhibited her artwork in Westchester.

Challenge Camp – challengecamps.com
1250 Central Park Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10704
United States
info@challengecamps.com

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