If you are interested in teaching a class or summer specialty program at Sugar Sand Park Community Center, please complete a Sugar Sand Park Community Center Instructor Application form and submit to the Booking Coordinator via fax (561-347-3910), email [email protected], or dropped off at the Sugar Sand Park Community Center front desk.
Our Instructors
Neil Burton
Neil is a music teacher who teaches by day at CalusaNeil Burton Elementary School in Boca Raton, Florida. He has directed summer music camps in Saint Augustine Florida and most recently at American Heritage School in Delray Beach, and for the past two summers overseen the Rock Music Camp here at Sugar Sand Park Community Center. Neil is an 80s rocker at heart who has an extensive background in rock music, guitar instruction and live music production and recording. Throughout his life he travelled Europe, Canada and the USA touring in bands and as a solo artist playing gigs and sharing the stage with popular musicians such as George Canyon, JD Fortune from INXS, Mike Smith from Trailer Park Boys and bands such as Rascal Flatts and Live. His wife Laura is a teacher at American Heritage School where her experience in the English and Drama departments add to the rock camp experience. Neil is a performing singer and guitarist who regularly plays in Broward and Palm Beach Counties and often has young musicians guest perform at his gigs.
Julie Chaykin
Julie Chaykin is the Owner/President, Director, and Head Coach for the Boca Raton Hurricane All Stars. She is also a Co-Founder/VP for the United States Cheerleading Association (1994-Present). Julie earned her bachelor’s Degree in business, as an Academic Scholarship Student, from the University of Miami. She was a varsity Co-ed Cheerleader for the University of Miami, an All American High School Cheerleader, and a member of one of the first All Star teams in Florida, The Palm Bay Rebels. Following graduation from UM, Julie was the Cheer Coach for Florida Atlantic University and a Head Instructor for NCA. Julie has done choreography and cheer camps for teams all across the United States. She has been the Director of The City of Boca Raton Cheerleading Program 18 years. Julie has done Back Stage Television Interviews and Sideline Commentating for the US Open Cheerleading and Dance Championships, on Sunshine Network and Sun Sports. She runs Judges Certification, and Safety Certification for the United States Cheerleading Association. She is a wife and the mom of 3 children, 1 dog, 1 cat, 1 bird and 1 fish. She loves God, her family, her students, Cheerleading, Dance, her back porch, animals and coffee.
Kris Coffelt
Kris Coffelt is the founder and artistic/executive director of Curtain Call Playhouse, a not for profit theatre company in Pompano Beach. Following her college years majoring in Fine Arts at UNLV, Kris moved to Los Angeles and studied for four years with the artistic director of the Mark Taper Forum, Gordon Hunt; studied and worked with the Groundlings Improvisation Group for two years; and studied for two years at CBS Studios with the Film Industry Workshop alongside such developing directors as Ron Howard and many other fine profession directors. She also studied at the prestigious Melrose Workshop for one year. Since arriving in South Florida in 1993, Kris has worked in several theatres, starring in plays, and working in community theatre. For several years she has independently taught drama workshops, commercial and television workshops as well as children’s workshops. Kris is a member of AEA and SAG-AFRTA.
Cedrick Dawson
Cedrick Dawson has currently taught computer animation, 3D Modeling, and Lighting & Rendering at G-Star School of Arts the past 5 years. Cedrick graduated from Digital Media Arts College in 2007. His passion is to inspire a young generation of CG artist which has led him to create Dawson Digital Art School.
Joy Deco
Joy Deco comes to the Sugar Sand Park Community Center to teach Kids in Action! Activities Camp. Joy is the owner/operator of Joy Deco Enterprises, Inc., which is a family run business with instructors who educate children in the Art of Dance, Gymnastics, Cheerleading, Sports and P.E., Drama, Musical Stage Dance, and Martial Arts while teaching life skills to all ages. Joy Deco and her family are from Pittsburgh, PA, where Joy graduated from Point Park College with a Bachelor’s Degree in fine arts. Joy and her staff have been teaching in Broward and Palm Beach counties since 1991. They service preschool, private and public schools along with City run after school programs, camps and Saturday programs.
Coach Danny
Coach Danny is the Director at Soccer Shots in Southern Palm Beach and North Broward County. He played professional soccer in Brazil, Mexico, Miami & ended his playing career in Kansas back in 2011. In 2012 Soccer Shots was born through Daniel's search for mixing his two passions soccer & kids. Soccer Shots sees soccer as a platform to change children's lives while giving back enjoyment and teaching them basic skills. Their curriculum aligns with FL Early Education Standards and has been reviewed and revised by child care professionals.
Joella Gilmond
Joella Gilmon Imaged is a native to Palm Beach County. She grew up in Wellington with a background in child development. She has over 20 years experience with children. Always having a love for art and children, she created a business by putting those two together. Joella owns Artist for A Day, a mobile pottery and craft studio, and is the instructor for the "Artist for A Day" summer camp. They work with clay, mixed media, fabric design, and anything to do with ART. Joella instills creative expression in all her students by giving them the foundations and encouraging them to complete their art pieces on their own.
Shelly Isaacs
Shelly Isaacs leads Senses of Cinema Presents Films for Thought at the Sugar Sand Community Center. Along with this series, Shelly Isaacs is founder, programmer and host for Cafe Cinematheque and Senses of Cinema programs available at many venues throughout South Florida, including the Movies of Delray and Movies of Lake Worth, The annual International Film Series at the Aventura Performing Arts and Cultural Center, The Boca Museum of Art to name a few. Previously he enjoyed a career as a creative director/writer in advertising, spanning over 30 years, with an emphasis on film, TV and radio advertising and production. Shelly holds an MA in Media Ecology Studies from New York University, where he served as an Adjunct Professor in graduate-level Cultural Studies. Presently, he also teaches foreign-language film appreciation in the Life Long Learning Society (LLS) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) – Boca Raton, and at Florida International University (FIU) on their North Miami Campus. In 2009, Shelly launched Cinematheque at Sea, offering audiences who appreciate foreign-language film an opportunity to experience his program of specially- selected films while on a luxury cruise. In addition to his exclusive cruises, he has hosted cinema cruises to the Cannes International Film Festival and for FAU to other exciting destinations.
Erica Johnson
Erica Johnson has both a B.S. and an M.Ed in Curriculum & Instruction, a Ph.D in Minority and Urban Education, and a passion for art education. She has over 10 years of experience in the field of education where she taught middle and high school as well as undergraduate and graduate teacher education courses. Over the past four years, Erica has become a small business owner of KidzArt. KidzArt provides art enrichment classes and camps to students throughout Palm Beach County. Erica is thrilled at the opportunity to have an even broader reach in her community. "I have always made it a point to incorporate art into my teaching, no matter the subject, because the skills students practice through regular art instruction, such as problem solving, critical thinking and focusing, are directly transferable and essential to all subjects! And it's FUN!" Erica makes it a point to hire and train KidzArt instructors with her same beliefs and passion about art education.
Clara Lopez-Castro
Clara Lopez-Castro is a fashion designer with 20 years of experience in the apparel industry in NYC’s Garment Center. She was Design-Director for many companies and brands like: Carter’s Outerwear, Little Me, Bon Bebe and Sketchers just to name a few. She is the Founder and Instructor for the Fashion & Sewing program at Sugar Sands Park. After moving to Boca Raton in 2009, she decided to start educating and exposing children to the creative side of the apparel design & sewing industry. She then realized how much interest there is from young children to teens to learn the lost art of sewing. She has been teaching at the Boca Raton Community Center, The Art School of the Boca Raton Museum of Art as well as Sugar Sands Park for the last 4 years. This fashion program is fun and interactive and gives students a sense of pride to create wearable clothing pieces. She enjoys teaching the children of our community this skill that requires concentration and patience, two much needed tools in this technology driven world.
Ellen Maringione
Ellen Maringione Mad Science is a leading science enrichment provider and offers summer camp programs at Sugar Sands! They deliver unique, hands-on science experiences for children that are as entertaining as they are educational. Innovative S.T.E.M. programs help kids learn about science through fun programs, preschool programs, workshops, camps, and more. Mad Science encourages scientific literacy in children in an age when science is as vital as reading, writing and arithmetic and we don’t stop there. For over 17 years, Rich and Ellen Maringione have run our exciting program in Maine, New Hampshire and Southeast Florida. Their approach to teaching science invites children to pursue S.T.E.M. careers.
Gloria Rothstein
Gloria Rothstein has been a switchboard operator, an Avon Lady, and a TV game show contestant. And she’s still hoping to add superhero, princess, and fairy godmother to her resume. She’s the author of Sheep Asleep (HarperCollins)—a picture book PBS Parents calls “hysterical;” Real-Life Writing Activities, Read Across America, (Scholastic); “Curious George” animated cartoons; and more. Gloria has been a speaker at SCBWI events, the Miami Book Fair, the Bienes Museum of the Modern Book, and the Conference on Children’s Literature. She coaches writers, critiques manuscripts, and has publishing credits with Children’s Television Workshop, Harcourt, Holt, Houghton Mifflin, Macmillan, Random House, Simon & Schuster, and others. Her programs at Sugar Sand include hands-on writing workshops for adults and writing workshops/camps for tweens.
Missy Smith
Missy Smith has been singing and studying music, theater, and voice since the age of 9. A graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theater Performance, she spent 8 years working and studying as an actress and singer in New York City and other regions. She then moved back to Florida where she received Certification from Barry University in Early Childhood Education. Since 2004, Miami Kids Music has proudly offered the Music Together program to over 4,500 families in the Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County areas! Missy is a Certified Level 2 Music Together Teacher which she earned for demonstrating achievement in musicianship, movement, parent education, and teaching the Music Together program. She also works for Music Together Headquarters as a Mentor for other Center Directors around the U.S. and Canada.