Who We Are
Laurilea McDaniel - Visual & Performing Arts Facilitator
Laurilea McDaniel is the Visual and Performing Arts Facilitator for District 11. This is her 20th year in education and she has taught all levels from kindergarten to college. She holds undergraduate degrees in Theatre, Journalism and Education, and a master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction for Secondary Theatre Education from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. She is also a Freddie G. Fellow, Class of 2017.
She passionately believes in the power of the arts and how transformative they can be. Everyone has a story worthy of being heard. Arts programs encourage confidence and give students a voice!
Phone: (719) 520-2027
Email: Laurilea.McDaniel@d11.org
Jillian Murphy
Jillian Murphy is a visual art educator for Colorado Springs School District 11 and a teaching artist at Bemis School of Art at The Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. The emphasis of her personal artwork lies in the three dimensional world of mixed media and photography. Over the years she has used conceptual ideas and social issues as the motivation for her teachings; using aspects of art theory and art history as the cornerstone of her work and the work of her students. Jillian possesses a passion for community art and arts integration. She has worked tirelessly to bring arts integration to her school while working alongside other colleagues throughout the Pikes Peak Region. Her passion for arts education, arts integration, arts advocacy and community collaboration have provided many amazing opportunities for her students and the wider community of Colorado Springs. She earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Colorado in 2003 and went on to earn her Masters of Education in Curriculum Design and Instruction in 2015.
Email: jillian.murphy@d11.org
Jen Olson
Jen Olson has been a leader in arts education for nearly 25 years, in both K-12 and nonprofit settings. Her early career was focused on connecting schools and museums, serving institutions such as the Boston Children's Museum, the Norton Simon Museum, and the Huntington Library, Art Collections, & Botanical Gardens. For Pasadena Unified School District, she founded an award-winning K-6 collective impact program that developed a sustainable partnership between museums, arts organizations, and schools. Thereafter, she was hired as District Arts Lead for PUSD, overseeing an equitable expansion of arts disciplines district-wide. Most recently, she was Executive Director of Think 360 Arts for Learning in Denver, Colorado, providing arts education services to students and students through collaboration with teaching artists. Throughout her career, she has been a passionate advocate for the arts and its ability to transform school communities. Jen has a BS in Community Education from Boston University, and an MA in Arts Education from California State University, Northridge.
Email: jennifer.olson@d11.org
Hannah Atencio
Hannah Atencio is a Teacher on Special Assignment for the Visual and Performing Arts department. For the last 3 years, she has been a theatre teacher in D11, including piloting the theatre program for elementary schools. She is focused on bringing new arts experiences to students throughout District 11, whether that is in the classroom, or as a field trip. Exposure to the arts helps students to connect more deeply to the world around them. As a D11 graduate, she is energized and excited to expand access to all art forms for students in the district. She has BA in Theatre Performance from the University of Missouri and has stage-managed professionally for the last 8 years.
Email: hannah.atencio@d11.org