Our Facilitation Team

Cynthia Borja

Cynthia is a Project Leader at The Decision Lab and a Guest Lecturer in the
“Neuroscience of Learning” class at Harvard University. She is the “Sprouts Español”
YouTube channel lead and a Director at Conexiones. Cynthia was Dean of the School of
Psychology at Universidad de Las Américas Quito. She has been a part-time and full-
time professor at Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador) and Universidad de Las
Américas Quito (Ecuador) since 2009.

Carolyn Cory

Carolyn has served in the roles of Superintendent, Student Services Coordinator, and Curriculum Coordinator in Southwest Horizon School Division. Carolyn has extensive experience in rural Manitoba as a K-12 classroom, resource, and reading recovery teacher. She also has considerable experience with the mRLC as a participant in numerous learning networks, as a regional advocate, and as a former Board member. Carolyn is a passionate instructional leader who champions collaborative professional learning for teachers across rural Manitoba.

Lori Emilson

Lori Emilson has been an educator for over 30 years, most of that with Lakeshore School Division. As a classroom teacher, she has experience with every grade from Kindergarten through Gr. 8. For the past eight years, Lori’s role as Curriculum Support Teacher in her division has focused on Literacy, Numeracy and Technology.  Lori is a member of the Manitoba Reading Association, currently serving as that organization’s president.

Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa

Tracey is co-founder of Conexiones: The Learning Sciences Platform and is an instructor at the Harvard University Extension School where she teaches a course called “The Neuroscience of Learning: An Introduction to Mind, Brain, Health and Education”. She has taught Kindergarten through University. Her research focuses on the integration of Mind, Brain, and Education science into teachers’ daily practice and professional development; curriculum changes to enhance early math and pre-literacy skills; bilingualism and multilingualism, and the leveraging of technology to enhance learning outcomes.

Patti Lawrence

Patti Lawrence currently works as the Divisional Numeracy Coach in Portage la Prairie School Division.  She has over 30 years of experience working as a classroom teacher, literacy support teacher, resource teacher and teacher principal.  She is passionate about the Numeracy Achievement Program and looks forward to working with others who share the same passion.

Janet Martell

Janet Martell is the Numeracy Director of the mRLC and also the former Superintendent/CEO of Lakeshore School Division. She is a visionary leader whose passion for education fuels her desire for high quality learning and teaching in every classroom. As one of the co-founders of the mRLC, she sees the work of the organization as integral in achieving high quality teaching, learning and leadership. Her work as a teacher, consultant in high school improvement and in assessment, leadership at both the school and divisional levels, contributes to her understanding of teacher and student learning and systems change.

Denise Smith

Denise Smith has recently retired from Mountain View School Division after spending nearly 10 years as the divisional numeracy coach. She has over 30 years of experience working as a classroom teacher, resource teacher, UDL coach, and numeracy coach.  She is passionate about numeracy education is looking forward to sharing this passion with her students and colleagues. 

Allan Stevenson

Allan Stevenson is entering his 7th year as K-12 Numeracy Program Leader for Sunrise School Division. He has 15 years of classroom teaching experience prior to taking on this role divisionally. As K-12 Numeracy Program Leader in Sunrise, Allan is passionate about his numeracy residency and mini-residency work with students, teachers and schools in a variety of classrooms. Allan is an Early Years Representative serving on the Manitoba Association of Math Teachers (MAMT) Executive Committee. He has published articles in the Manitoba Education Research Network (MERN), Manitoba Association of School Superintendents (MASS) and Manitoba Association of Math Teachers (MAMT) journals.

Allan enjoys and appreciates all opportunities to learn from and share collaboratively while networking with colleagues from across the province and beyond.

Jim Strachan

Jim Strachan has been working with (and learning from) children for 39 years as a social worker, classroom teacher of grades 2 to 8, instructional leader for information technology, program coordinator for beginning teachers and as an education officer supporting mentorship and authentic learning for both new and experienced educators across Ontario. By modeling caring, compassion, cooperation and humour, Jim believes we can contribute to the success of all children. It is his daily challenge to live these beliefs! Jim starts each day in his kayak watching the sun rise on Lake Ontario.  In his current role as an education consultant, he’s finding lingering on the lake is more joyful now than ever.

Rachel Svistovski

Rachel Svistovski has over 10 years experience teaching at Southwest Horizon School Division, where she has been a classroom teacher in grades 3-7. She has experience as the Strategic Initiative Learning Coordinator for the division and is currently a Principal. She has a Master’s degree in Educational Administration, and is passionate about helping both students and teachers find success in their classrooms. She has implemented NAP principles into her own classroom since 2016, and has been able to grow that work throughout the division. 

Korina Peters

Korina has taught at the grade 1, 6 and high school levels, as well as been a Resource Teacher and a Vice Principal.  In the fall of 2016, the opportunity to take on the role of Numeracy Coach in Western School Division became available and finally brought both her passions, math and inclusive education, together in what she has always believed would be her dream job - being a Math consultant. Western School Division has been involved in the Numeracy Achievement Program since it began and Korina has seen the significant impact it has had in improving math instruction, strengthening student achievement and building teacher confidence.

Nicole Vinet

Nicole is currently the K-9 Numeracy Coach in Border Land School Division.  She loves working alongside teachers both in and out of classrooms and is passionate about empowering teachers to be the best math educators they can be.  She has presented extensively in her school division, elsewhere in Manitoba as well as internationally. She has been involved with the Numeracy Achievement Program with mRLC since 2015, both as a participant then as a facilitator. She believes that this program gives teachers a structure to begin with, that allows them to critically think about how to infuse best practice into their teaching. Nicole earned her Bachelor of Education at the University of Winnipeg and later her Post Baccalaureate in Special Education at the University of Manitoba. She has been in education for almost 30 years and is able to use her varied experience as a classroom teacher, resource teacher and an instructional coach to bring teachers professional development that they can apply to their individual situations. Nicole believes in the power of being a lifelong learner and that applying new learning from professional development is an ongoing process. 

Darlene Willetts

Darlene Willetts is a dedicated educator with over 25 years of service in the Lakeshore School Division. Having spent the majority of her career teaching grades 7 and 8, she has also imparted her expertise in mathematics across grades 5 through 12. For the past 5 years, Darlene has served as a Superintendent, focusing on enhancing literacy and numeracy within the division.