The Summer Institute is an affiliated Teacher CoSer of Erie One BOCES, Jane Ogilvie, Division Director and Bob Carlson, Operations Manager, (716) 821-7550
| OUR STAFF | |
 | Andrew Beiter is an 8th Grade Social Studies teacher at Springville Middle School in Springville, N.Y. Together with being Project Director for the Summer Institute, he is a board member of the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo, as well as Buffalo for Africa. Graduating with a BA in Political Philosophy from Michigan State University and a MA in Education from Fredonia State College, Mr. Beiter was the national winner of the 2008 Irena Sendler Award for Repairing the World, the 2009 Toby Ticktin Back Award for Holocaust Education, and the 2009 NYSUT Local Leadership Award. In addition to being a Teacher Fellow of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Lowell Milken Center for Tolerance in Kansas, he has organized numerous workshops on the Holocaust and genocide prevention. Having travelled to Germany as well as Poland, in 2009 he joined Summer Institute co-chairs Matt Meader and Lori Raybold to go to Rwanda with humanitarian Carl Wilkens. He is the proud parent of Maggie and Mitchell Beiter, and has been married for 15 years to his wife Mary. |
 | Matthew Meader is Curriculum Director for the Summer Institute and is an English teacher at Hamburg High School in Hamburg, N.Y. He received his Bachelor's degree in English from the State university of New York at Fredonia and his Master's in English education at Buffalo State College, completing his thesis on Social Justice in the English Classroom. Matthew attended the 2007 Day of Learning on Darfur at Daemen College, and the 2008 Genocide Education Conference at Yale University. He is on the Board of Directors for Buffalo for Africa, the Global Citizens Institute in Western New York, and is also a Faculty Advisor of Student Activists at Hamburg High School. In 2009, he joined Summer Institute co-chairs Lori Raybold and Drew Beiter to go to Rwanda with humanitarian Carl Wilkens. He lives in Hamburg, NY with his wife, Angela, and his three children, Hannah, Morgan, and Evan. |
 | Lori Raybold is Program Director for the Summer Institute and is also an English teacher at Hamburg High School. She earned Bachelor degrees in English and Education from Penn State and her Master's Degree in English from SUNY Fredonia. Lori has been a part of the 2007 Day of Learning on Darfur, the Yale Conference on Genocide, and the Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Educators. She is on the Board of Directors for Buffalo for Africa and she is the co-advisor for Student Activists at Hamburg High School. In 2009, she joined Summer Institute co-chairs Matt Meader and Drew Beiter to go to Rwanda with humanitarian Carl Wilkens. Lori lives with her husband, Troy, and enjoys hiking and playing the clarinet. Her talents took her to the 1995 Rose Bowl and Parade where she performed with the Penn State Marching Blue Band (Go Lions!). |
 | Benjamin J. Higgins is Technology Director for the Summer Institute and is also the Educator/Technology Integrator at Springville-Griffith Institute in Springville, NY. He earned his Bachelor?s degree in Elementary Education at SUNY Geneseo and received his Master?s in Educational Computing from Buffalo State College. An innovator and leader in the field of educational technology Benjamin has presented at numerous conferences throughout the North East. What makes Benjamin a highly effective and sought-after speaker is that, at heart, he is a teacher with a contagious passion and enthusiasm for helping people discover a brand new world of teaching and learning. Benjamin's specialty through the Summer Institute is connecting students and teachers to human rights issues through video production, social networking, web development and other 21st century tools. He lives nearby with his wife Allison and son Jonah. |
 | Stephanie Brown is Admissions Director for the Summer Institute. After earning her BA in Social Studies Education from Buffalo State College, she is currently pursuing her Master's in Literacy Specialization at the same school. She helped organize the 2007 Day of Learning on Darfur at Daemen College, and has also attended the 2008 Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Educators held at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. In 2005, she was part of a humanitarian delegation to Costa Rica, doing the same in 2008 to the Dominican Republic. Outside school, Stephanie currently performs in semi-professional choir here in Buffalo. |
 | James Gang is the Director of Development for the Summer Institute and is a History Teacher at Hamburg High School. A graduate of Fredonia State College, Jim has a Masters degree in Education from Canisius College, and is currently developing curriculum for a Holocaust and Genocide class at Hamburg High School. Outside of the classroom, Jim enjoys playing the guitar and the bagpipes, as well as tinkering with classic cars and motorcycles. |
 | Colleen Coster is the graphic designer for the Summer Institute, where she has created its posters, brochures, and webpage. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from SUNY Fredonia in 2001, and is on the Board of Directors for Buffalo for Africa. Currently a Graphic Artist in Chicago, IL, Colleen focuses on web design, brand development, and marketing. She has also attended and planned numerous human rights workshops in Western New York, and is involved with creating the websites for several other humanitarian groups. |
 | Lara Sweeney is a graduate of Fredonia State College where she majored in Social Studies Education and History. In addition to interning at the Summer Institute, Lara has attended the Teaching American History Conference in 2006 and the Day of Learning on Darfur Conference in 2007. In her sophomore year at Fredonia, Lara was one of the co-chairs who planned and executed a weeklong series of events on campus to raise money and awareness for Darfur. She currently attends Buffalo State College where she is pursuing a Master's in Social Studies Education. |
 | Michael Baronich is a junior at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, where he is majoring in Secondary Education and Social Studies, with an emphasis on the history of the Holocaust. In addition to his Intern role in the Summer Institute, Michael helps run Unity, a Canisius club that supports Human Rights around the world. Michael has played the lead role in several local theatre productions including Julia Childs in Nuncrackers, and has completed a semester abroad studying history in Italy. Upon graduation, he looks forward to a career in education. |
 | TJ Rogers is also a junior at Canisius College, where he is pursuing a major in Communication Studies with minors in International Relations and Peace & Justice. In addition to interning at the Summer Institute, TJ is the president of his college's chapter of Amnesty International, where he works to advocate for peace and educate his peers on human rights violations worldwide. He was also recently appointed a Board Member of the Western New York Peace Center. After college, he wants to volunteer in Africa for a year before working for an international humanitarian organization in human rights, poverty, community development or HIV/AIDS. |