Andrew Bissland, Program Director Andrew has been managing daily operations at KidsTek for the past seventeen years. He leads a team of instructors teaching computer classes in the Denver and Aurora school districts. He has 30 years of experience in human services, working to improve the lives of children and families in under-served communities. He has managed several programs for children and teens in Colorado Springs and Denver. He has served two terms as an AmeriCorps VISTA; one in Michigan with an adult literacy program in 1994, and in 2005 as a Team Leader with a group of VISTAs implementing service-learning programs in schools throughout Colorado. Andrew has a B.A. in Mass Communications and a B.S. in Secondary Education from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Contact Andrew at: abissland@pcsforpeople.org
Emily Tow, Program Manager Emily Tow started with KidsTek in 2016, teaching elementary and middle school after school programs, moved into teaching KidsTek high school classes, and currently holds the role of Program Manager in 2022. Emily is originally from Iowa, but moved to Denver in 2013 after receiving her BA in English and Secondary Education from the University of Iowa. In her free time, she enjoys cultivating a jungle of house plants, knitting sweaters, and reading. Contact Emily at: etow@pcsforpeople.org
Katy Limes, Instructor Katy graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's in agricultural and biological engineering and two years of teaching computer science already under her belt. She currently teaches our “Intro to Computing” and “Intro to Programming” courses at Hinkley High School in Aurora. In her spare time, she likes making unwise computer programming decisions, walking her dogs, and playing video games.
Megan Frazier, Instructor Megan is originally from West Virginia, but she recently moved to Colorado and is loving it so far! She currently teaches our elementary program at two of our schools. She loves working with kiddos because they have the most creative minds. In her free time, Megan likes to go for hikes, hang out with her dogs and cat, and read books.
Jacob Clauson, Instructor Jacob is a Colorado native, and currently a student at CU Boulder studying Astronomy and Education. He has a passion for teaching, and for education in general. He has a wide range of experience in the field, including teaching English in Japan for two years. Jacob became interested in KidsTek because he loves the mission behind it: helping kids who might not have access to technology at home gain access and proficiency that will greatly benefit them in life. He's excited to start his high school teaching career at North High, and looking forward to meeting and interacting with the diversity of students there.
Kenya Velazquez, Classroom Aide Kenya is a graduate of Florence Crittenton High School and is an alum of the KidsTek program. Currently, she is studying massage therapy at Emily Griffith. In her free time, Kenya likes to hike and spend time with family. She is excited to see what she can learn from this experience!
Morgan Sauer, Classroom Volunteer Morgan is a born and raised Coloradan who grew up skiing and hiking, which fostered her love for being outside. She graduated from CU Boulder in 2020 with a degree in integrative physiology, and from Regis University with a degree in nursing in 2021. She is a pediatric ER nurse at a local hospital and loves her job. Morgan says she really enjoys the mystery of what brings a patient in to the ER along with being a supportive face for families. In her free time she loves to try new restaurants, going for runs in Wash Park, skiing, and spending time with friends. Morgan spends some of her volunteer time helping elementary students in our after school computer programs and she also serves on KidsTek's Scholarship Committee. She won KidsTek's 'Volunteer of the Year' award for 2022.
Scott Pantall, Classroom Volunteer Scott always wanted to be a software developer. He achieved that goal at age 38 in 2018 when he graduated from Regis University with a Computer Science degree and started at his first job as a developer. In 2022, Scott started volunteering at Hinkley High in Aurora helping with the 'Intro to Programming' course. In his free time, Scott likes to listen to local music and play tabletop games.
