Youth Equity Stewardship Consultants

Benjie Howard

Benjie Howard is the founder and executive director of New Wilderness Project, a wilderness based education program on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon. He is the co-architect of Youth Equity Stewardship (YES!), an arts based inter-generational process preparing youth to be full partners in the work of school transformation. Benjie is the managing Deep Equity consultant with Corwin Press. He is the author of Separation Point, At the Edge of Wildness, Poems and photographs from the American Southwest. He’s a touring singer-songwriter with 3 albums, including his collaborative release BORDERLESS with Wade Antonio Colwell. Benjie is a river guide and wilderness educator and has been designing and leading educational expeditions for teachers, leaders and youth since 1999.

CERTIFIED CONSULTANTS

Willie Adams

Willie is an honest and passionate educator who is deeply committed to helping all students achieve their educational goals and aspirations. He has spent much of his career as an instructor, mentor, and leader to diverse learning communities in Oakland, California.

Stephanie Anne Johnson

Stephanie Anne Johnson is an award-winning singer and songwriter. She is a teaching artist as a vocal and guitar instructor and as a songwriting lecturer. She received her Bachelor of Art in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University.

Wade Antonio Colwell

Wade Antonio Colwell is a learner. His calling to education involves serving school communities as a "creative catalyst" for deepening and healing relationships across generation and difference. As a rising advocate for systemic equity, inclusion and excellence, Wade understands the power in engaging the artistic modalities of song, spoken-word, movement, ceremony and restorative practice. He is the co-founder of Youth Equity Stewardship (YES!), an arts-based, experiential and inter-generational process of collectively uplifting our learning environments. His touring multi-media performance Borderless, with YES! Co-Founder Benjie Howard, is a cross-genre musical journey of folk & hip hop that examines the intersections of race, class, identity, immigration, sexual orientation and gender while rooted in environmental & indigenous peoples' justice.

Matt Alber

Matt Alber is a two-time Grammy® Award-winning singer/songwriter, filmmaker & youth educator based in Portland, OR. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Truman State University. He has served as an artist diplomat of the United States State Department in six countries including Sudan, Russia, Hungary and Kosovo.

Chelsea Packard

Chelsea is a Professor of Musical Theatre at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, specializing in Voice. She is also an actress with Broadway performing credits and numerous roles in various regional theatre productions across the country. Chelsea and her husband Geoff founded The Broadway Intensive, a series of summer workshops that aim to connect students in the Midwest to working Broadway performers. She has traveled the world teaching young people the power of artistry and activism with organizations such as Broadway In South Africa, Broadway For All, and ASTEP (Artists Striving To End Poverty.)