Meet Our Team
To facilitate the implementation of legislation concerning a new middle school civics course requirement and sustain the support of the high school civics requirement, the McCormick Foundation has hired Civics Instructional Coaches to represent 10 designated areas throughout Illinois.
Civics Instructional Coaches receive in-depth training to support middle and high school civics/social studies teachers in their respective regions. Civics Coaches will also be responsible for ongoing engagement with Regional Offices of Education, teachers, schools, districts, and pre-service programs in their area via newsletters, workshops, and conference presentations throughout the school year.
We are delighted to collaborate with teacher preparation programs to prepare our future educators through our pre-service liaison. We welcomed a Stevenson Center Fellow from Illinois State University for the 2022-2023 school year to enhance our research-practice partnership with the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning at Engagement at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University.
Contact a Facilitator
Jason M. Artman has been a High School Social Studies Teacher for 22 years, the last 20 at Mendota High School, where he is Department Chair. Successfully led a team through becoming a Democracy School. Illinois Civics Mentor Teacher and Instructional Coach for the last six years. In his spare time, Jason enjoys Marvel and Star Wars movies and comics, as well as spending time with his wife and two children (both students at Wisconsin-Whitewater).
Mary Ellen Daneels is a National Board Certified teacher who taught at West Chicago Community High School for 27 years. She serves as the Director of the Illinois Civics Hub and Illinois Democracy School Network, leading efforts to support the implementation of the middle and high school civics course requirements and Illinois social science standards.
She has been recognized as the Law-related Educator of the Year from the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago, Teacher of the Year by the 19th District of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Civic Education Teacher from the Center for Civic Education and the Illinois Education Association Teacher of the Year. Mary Ellen has presented on the proven practices of civic learning throughout the nation. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and highlighted in numerous publications such as Education Week, Social Education, and Educational Leadership.
Mary Ellen has advocated for civic education before federal and state lawmakers. She served on the Board of Directors for the National Council of the Social Studies and worked on both the Steering Committee and Pedagogy Committee for the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap.
Candace Fikis attended the University of Illinois for her undergraduate degree and received a master’s degree in education administration from Aurora University. She has taught for 26 years and has taught a wide variety of classes including an interdisciplinary American Studies course, Criminal Justice, Current Political Issues, Economics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, Government, and U.S. History at West Chicago Community High School. She has served as a Student Council Advisor and coach of the school’s nationally ranked Economics and Personal Finance Challenge Teams. She has been recognized as a Visa Practical Money Skills Educator and 3M Outstanding Economic Educator from Econ Illinois. She has served as a Civic Mentor teacher for the state and presented at many local, state and national conferences. In her free time, she loves to travel with her family and cheer on her daughters at their numerous sporting events.
Jason M. Artman has been a High School Social Studies Teacher for 22 years, the last 20 at Mendota High School, where he is Department Chair. Successfully led a team through becoming a Democracy School. Illinois Civics Mentor Teacher and Instructional Coach for the last six years. In his spare time, Jason enjoys Marvel and Star Wars movies and comics, as well as spending time with his wife and two children (both students at Wisconsin-Whitewater).
Mary Ellen Daneels is a National Board Certified teacher who taught at West Chicago Community High School for 27 years. She serves as the Director of the Illinois Civics Hub and Illinois Democracy School Network, leading efforts to support the implementation of the middle and high school civics course requirements and Illinois social science standards.
She has been recognized as the Law-related Educator of the Year from the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago, Teacher of the Year by the 19th District of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Civic Education Teacher from the Center for Civic Education and the Illinois Education Association Teacher of the Year. Mary Ellen has presented on the proven practices of civic learning throughout the nation. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and highlighted in numerous publications such as Education Week, Social Education, and Educational Leadership.
Mary Ellen has advocated for civic education before federal and state lawmakers. She served on the Board of Directors for the National Council of the Social Studies and worked on both the Steering Committee and Pedagogy Committee for the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap.
Candace Fikis attended the University of Illinois for her undergraduate degree and received a master’s degree in education administration from Aurora University. She has taught for 26 years and has taught a wide variety of classes including an interdisciplinary American Studies course, Criminal Justice, Current Political Issues, Economics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, Government, and U.S. History at West Chicago Community High School. She has served as a Student Council Advisor and coach of the school’s nationally ranked Economics and Personal Finance Challenge Teams. She has been recognized as a Visa Practical Money Skills Educator and 3M Outstanding Economic Educator from Econ Illinois. She has served as a Civic Mentor teacher for the state and presented at many local, state and national conferences. In her free time, she loves to travel with her family and cheer on her daughters at their numerous sporting events.
Tracy Freeman is a National Board Certified Teacher who recently retired after 34 years in the social studies classroom. Last few years as a teacher and Department Chair at Normal West HS. Successfully led a team (post covid) through a Democracy School Renewal. Has worked as a mentor (with the IEA) and an Instructional Coach. Spare time enjoys reading political (specifically Supreme Court-related) Podcasts and spending time with her husband, dogs, and adult children (2 amazing strong women).
Chris Johnson is entering his 18th year teaching social studies. This will be his first teaching at Rochester Junior High School, where he will be teaching social studies at both the 7th and 8th-grade levels.
Teaching history and government is a real passion for Johnson, who looks for creative ways to combine teaching topics in social studies with modern technology tools. He is an active member of ISTE and their state affiliate IDEA. He draws inspiration from these outstanding groups of educators to find new ways to empower students to become active and engaged members of their global world. He looks forward to working with educators across the state to develop effective civic education for our junior high students!
Sue was the Social Studies/World Language Department Chair at Geneva High School for 26 years and led efforts in 2006 to have the school recognized as one of the first Democracy Schools in the state. She was awarded Kane County Educator of the Year in 1997 and Golden Apple Teacher of Distinction in 2007. Since retiring from teaching in 2015, she has served as the Illinois Democracy Schools Manager, where she interacts with educators across the state who are deeply committed to creating exemplary civic learning programs in their schools. She serves as an AP European History reader for the College Board and is a Volunteer Trainer at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Tracy Freeman is a National Board Certified Teacher who recently retired after 34 years in the social studies classroom. Last few years as a teacher and Department Chair at Normal West HS. Successfully led a team (post covid) through a Democracy School Renewal. Has worked as a mentor (with the IEA) and an Instructional Coach. Spare time enjoys reading political (specifically Supreme Court-related) Podcasts and spending time with her husband, dogs, and adult children (2 amazing strong women).
Chris Johnson is entering his 18th year teaching social studies. This will be his first teaching at Rochester Junior High School, where he will be teaching social studies at both the 7th and 8th-grade levels.
Teaching history and government is a real passion for Johnson, who looks for creative ways to combine teaching topics in social studies with modern technology tools. He is an active member of ISTE and their state affiliate IDEA. He draws inspiration from these outstanding groups of educators to find new ways to empower students to become active and engaged members of their global world. He looks forward to working with educators across the state to develop effective civic education for our junior high students!
Sue was the Social Studies/World Language Department Chair at Geneva High School for 26 years and led efforts in 2006 to have the school recognized as one of the first Democracy Schools in the state. She was awarded Kane County Educator of the Year in 1997 and Golden Apple Teacher of Distinction in 2007. Since retiring from teaching in 2015, she has served as the Illinois Democracy Schools Manager, where she interacts with educators across the state who are deeply committed to creating exemplary civic learning programs in their schools. She serves as an AP European History reader for the College Board and is a Volunteer Trainer at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Dr. Bonnie Laughlin-Schultz taught high school in the St. Louis area prior to earning a Ph.D. in history. She was a James Madison Fellow, Class of 1999, and graduated from Knox College with a BA in history and secondary education. She is the social science teaching coordinator and an associate professor of history at Eastern Illinois University, where she teaches social studies methods courses as well as the U.S. history survey, women’s history, research methods, and writing, and courses in the online MA for teachers. Laughlin-Schultz organizes an annual fall conference for IL social studies educators and writes about the teaching of history and civics in addition to research and writing focused on 19th century America, the broad Civil War era and its memory, and women’s rights in US history.
Heather Monson teaches at United Township High School in East Moline, IL. She teaches sophomore College Prep World History and a Critical Thinking Course for seniors titled Western Civilization, where students earn one semester of dual credit history. It is a two-hour course taught by an English teacher and includes philosophy, the great plays, Constitutional Law and British Lit. She has been excited to be working on a MA in Political Science to teach Dual Credit Political Science. Heather is particularly interested in teaching the Constitution and Constitutional issues. She has a great love for world history and especially the French Revolution and World Religions. Heather has Master’s degrees in History, Museum Studies, and Political Science. She is a Golden Apple Teacher of Excellence Award Winner (2019) and a Golden Apple Mentor throughout Northwest Illinois.
Grace is a Research Partner with Illinois Civics Hub and CIRCLE, where she will be working on evaluating Illinois Middle School civic education standards and supporting the Democracy Schools project. She is a second-year graduate student from the Stevenson Center at Illinois State University, pursuing her M.S. in Political Science and Applied Community and Economic Development. Her research centers on youth civic engagement, youth voter turnout, and youth participation in community development. Before joining CIRCLE, she worked with multiple community development organizations, including serving as a Youth Development Promoter in Peace Corps Costa Rica. She holds a B.A. in History and International Studies from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She currently lives in Chicago with her partner Jon and their dog Beans. In her free time she enjoys biking, climbing, and playing board games.
Dr. Bonnie Laughlin-Schultz taught high school in the St. Louis area prior to earning a Ph.D. in history. She was a James Madison Fellow, Class of 1999, and graduated from Knox College with a BA in history and secondary education. She is the social science teaching coordinator and an associate professor of history at Eastern Illinois University, where she teaches social studies methods courses as well as the U.S. history survey, women’s history, research methods, and writing, and courses in the online MA for teachers. Laughlin-Schultz organizes an annual fall conference for IL social studies educators and writes about the teaching of history and civics in addition to research and writing focused on 19th century America, the broad Civil War era and its memory, and women’s rights in US history.
Heather Monson teaches at United Township High School in East Moline, IL. She teaches sophomore College Prep World History and a Critical Thinking Course for seniors titled Western Civilization, where students earn one semester of dual credit history. It is a two-hour course taught by an English teacher and includes philosophy, the great plays, Constitutional Law and British Lit. She has been excited to be working on a MA in Political Science to teach Dual Credit Political Science. Heather is particularly interested in teaching the Constitution and Constitutional issues. She has a great love for world history and especially the French Revolution and World Religions. Heather has Master’s degrees in History, Museum Studies, and Political Science. She is a Golden Apple Teacher of Excellence Award Winner (2019) and a Golden Apple Mentor throughout Northwest Illinois.
Grace is a Research Partner with Illinois Civics Hub and CIRCLE, where she will be working on evaluating Illinois Middle School civic education standards and supporting the Democracy Schools project. She is a second-year graduate student from the Stevenson Center at Illinois State University, pursuing her M.S. in Political Science and Applied Community and Economic Development. Her research centers on youth civic engagement, youth voter turnout, and youth participation in community development. Before joining CIRCLE, she worked with multiple community development organizations, including serving as a Youth Development Promoter in Peace Corps Costa Rica. She holds a B.A. in History and International Studies from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She currently lives in Chicago with her partner Jon and their dog Beans. In her free time she enjoys biking, climbing, and playing board games.
Logan Ridenour currently teaches at Dupo Jr/Sr High School in Dupo, IL. The courses that he teaches are U.S. Government and Civics, World Geography, U.S. History, and Sociology. Logan has been teaching for roughly 13 years and enjoys the process very much. Logan is part of the iCivics Educator Network along with being a civics instructional coach for Illinois Civics.
Mary Jane Warden has been in education for 26 years, serving over the decades as a middle school social studies/Language Arts teacher, staff developer, and district-level technology director in Illinois. She found her inner geek when the Internet first hit the scene in 1994 with a Museum in the Classroom grant integrating technology with the social studies curriculum. Her energies since then have been invested in supporting students and teachers in integrating technology tools into teaching and learning. Mary Jane has led initiatives to develop instructional “better” practices and build robust digital learning ecosystems, including Google Workspace, data-informed instruction, inquiry-based learning, assistive technology, VR/AR in the Classroom, and 1:1 EdTech learning environments. She has presented at local and national conferences as an educator, technologist, and instructional coach. MJ currently leads a team of 33 members that support innovation and instructional technology in Park Ridge-Niles District 64.
Matt Wood teaches 7th grade National Civics at Leman Middle School in West Chicago. His 16 years of teaching experience in the community also includes coaching track and sponsoring various clubs. This is his second year of also working with the McCormick Foundation and Illinois Civics as a middle school regional mentor teacher. Matt loves to read, spend time with family, and is passionate about American politics.
Logan Ridenour currently teaches at Dupo Jr/Sr High School in Dupo, IL. The courses that he teaches are U.S. Government and Civics, World Geography, U.S. History, and Sociology. Logan has been teaching for roughly 13 years and enjoys the process very much. Logan is part of the iCivics Educator Network along with being a civics instructional coach for Illinois Civics.
Mary Jane Warden has been in education for 26 years, serving over the decades as a middle school social studies/Language Arts teacher, staff developer, and district-level technology director in Illinois. She found her inner geek when the Internet first hit the scene in 1994 with a Museum in the Classroom grant integrating technology with the social studies curriculum. Her energies since then have been invested in supporting students and teachers in integrating technology tools into teaching and learning. Mary Jane has led initiatives to develop instructional “better” practices and build robust digital learning ecosystems, including Google Workspace, data-informed instruction, inquiry-based learning, assistive technology, VR/AR in the Classroom, and 1:1 EdTech learning environments. She has presented at local and national conferences as an educator, technologist, and instructional coach. MJ currently leads a team of 33 members that support innovation and instructional technology in Park Ridge-Niles District 64.
Matt Wood teaches 7th grade National Civics at Leman Middle School in West Chicago. His 16 years of teaching experience in the community also includes coaching track and sponsoring various clubs. This is his second year of also working with the McCormick Foundation and Illinois Civics as a middle school regional mentor teacher. Matt loves to read, spend time with family, and is passionate about American politics.
Corie Yow graduated from Illinois State University and received her Master’s from the University of Illinois-Springfield. Yow is beginning her 20th year of teaching in the Ball-Chatham CUSD #5, located in Chatham, IL. During her tenure, she has taught middle school U.S. History, World History, and English Language Arts and was an Instructional Coach for the district.
Yow was one of the task force leaders who developed the Illinois State Social Science Standards. As the leader for the middle school level, she presented the standards to the Illinois State Board of Education for adoption. Since adopting the new standards, she has continued working with Illinois Social Science Stakeholders, provided professional development at the DuPage County Social Studies Conference and several ROEs, and consulted school districts across Illinois with the implementation process and curriculum alignment.
Corie Yow graduated from Illinois State University and received her Master’s from the University of Illinois-Springfield. Yow is beginning her 20th year of teaching in the Ball-Chatham CUSD #5, located in Chatham, IL. During her tenure, she has taught middle school U.S. History, World History, and English Language Arts and was an Instructional Coach for the district.
Yow was one of the task force leaders who developed the Illinois State Social Science Standards. As the leader for the middle school level, she presented the standards to the Illinois State Board of Education for adoption. Since adopting the new standards, she has continued working with Illinois Social Science Stakeholders, provided professional development at the DuPage County Social Studies Conference and several ROEs, and consulted school districts across Illinois with the implementation process and curriculum alignment.