Donna

Mixed Media Artist & STEM Educator

Resources

Bookings

Art of Gardening

Tuesdays

3:30pm - 4:30pm

7 Classes

10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/18, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16

Grades 6-8

20 students

Oakland Unity Middle School

1180 70th Ave, Oakland, CA 94621
Inventors in Action: A Hands-On STEM Adventure!

Wednesdays

3:45pm - 4:45pm

10 Classes

1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25

Grades 6-8

Enrollment pending

Coastline Christian School

1801 North Loop Road, Alameda, CA 94502
Culinary Creations and Cooking Calculations

Thursdays

3:35pm - 4:35pm

15 Classes

9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18, 1/8, 1/15

Grades TK-6

7 students

Upcycle Textile Design Art

Thursdays

3:35pm - 4:35pm

13 Classes

1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/26, 3/5, 3/19, 3/26, 4/9, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14

Grades 3-6

Enrollment pending

K-Pop Creations Play!

Fridays

3:15pm - 4:15pm

7 Classes

1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/27, 3/6

Grades 3-4

Enrollment pending

View Teaching Calendar

Experiences

Explore creativity through artistic exploration, discovering the magic of K-pop with colorful multimedia projects. Create captivating 2D and 3D artwork, mastering composition and art terms inspired by Pop Art and Expressionism. Enjoy a kaleidoscope of joyful creations!
...
View Lesson Plan
Explore the vibrant world of gardening where creativity and nature bloom together. Kids can use tools like watering cans and shovels, sprinkle seeds, and watch flowers grow. They'll also enjoy art like landscape painting, nature weaving, and leaf printing.
...
View Lesson Plan
Dive into a creative jewelry-making adventure, exploring 3D design composition and key art principles like pattern, emphasis, and harmony. Discover cultural histories and master skills like cutting, wrapping, and beading, transforming materials into fabulous accessories.
...
View Lesson Plan
Explore the world of pottery and clay play through hands-on activities with handbuilding techniques. Children will mold clay into imaginative 2D and 3D creations, discovering essential tools, art styles, and famous artists while learning about captivating sculpture movements.
...
View Lesson Plan
Dive into the captivating world of expression where children explore poetry and prose, craft visual stories, and engage in creative writing. They'll delve into videography and audio art, transforming their creations into dynamic performance pieces.
...
View Lesson Plan
Explore a world where imagination meets artistry! Dive into the universe of fine arts, experimenting with creative techniques. From sketching perspective drawings to vibrant printmaking, experience the joy of painting, crafting self-portraits, and creating mixed media designs.
...
View Lesson Plan
Embark on a culinary adventure blending creativity and learning in the kitchen. Explore recipe reading, turn pages into tasty plates, and uncover cooking secrets through fun, hands-on activities. Build confidence, enhance math and science skills, and ignite culinary curiosity.
...
View Lesson Plan
Dive into a world where science meets art in "The Art of Science." This engaging series blends creativity with exploration, allowing young minds to uncover the wonders of science through artistic expression. Experience painting with the hues of chemical reactions or sculpting structures inspired by engineering. Sessions ignite imagination and innovation, encouraging participants to see STEM in colorful new ways. As they experiment and create, they embrace invention and celebrate discovery, finding connections between the logical and the fanciful. It's a unique blend of art's magic with science's marvels.
...
View Lesson Plan
"Imagination is the only limit in 'Tiny Hands, Big Creations!' This enchanting multi-week series invites young artists to explore the wonderful world of crafts. Using a variety of materials and techniques, they will dive into painting, sculpting, and designing. Each session is an adventure in creativity."
...
View Lesson Plan
"Hands-On Happiness" is an arts and crafts series where participants explore creativity and imagination. With diverse materials and techniques, they create unique masterpieces, enhancing fine motor skills and confidence. Filled with laughter and friendship, this experience lets young artists discover and share their creations.
...
View Lesson Plan
Step into a vibrant world of fashion and creativity in this engaging multi-week series. Young designers explore the art of upcycling by transforming old garments into bold new creations. Each session focuses on sewing skills and hand-sewing techniques.
...
View Lesson Plan
Ignite creativity and sustainability as young artists explore the world of textile art. They will reuse materials through collage-making, mix media, and up-cycling, learning hand-sewing, tie-dye, crochet, embroidery, and fashion design. A joyful celebration of art!
...
View Lesson Plan
Get ready for "Bloom & Brush: Where Art Meets Gardening"! This series combines painting and gardening, ideal for young artists and nature lovers. Children will paint vibrant flowers and plants on canvases while learning basic gardening. They'll plant seeds, nurture sprouts, and create stunning botanical artwork.
...
View Lesson Plan
Discover the thrill of "Inventors in Action: A Hands-On STEM Adventure!" In this afterschool series, participants dive into science, technology, engineering, and math with a fun approach. They become young inventors, experimenting with imaginative creations in an environment where learning feels like play.
...
View Lesson Plan
Explore the blossoming world of creativity with the "Spring-Themed Mixed Media Series." Discover the wonders of spring using various artistic techniques, from pressed flowers and watercolor to printmaking, collage-making, and nature weaving. Each session offers a chance to celebrate spring through art inspired by nature.
...
View Lesson Plan
Grasshopper mascot smiling with admiration
Grasshopper mascot peeking out from behind content container

About Donna

Donna is an enthusiastic mixed media artist and educator with extensive experience in art, STEM, writing, and various creative outlets. Her passion lies in exploring different materials and processes, transforming found objects through painting, collage, printmaking, photography, and sculpture. Donna’s teaching philosophy revolves around empowering students to communicate through creative self-expression, fostering a healthy and enriching classroom environment. With a rich background in both 2D and 3D design, mechanics, robotics, and coding, she enjoys guiding students in discovering their artistic and innovative potential. Donna's commitment to reusing and upcycling in art practices underscores her dedication to inspiring creativity and sustainability in young minds.

Class reflections

Art of Gardening

🌱

December 17, 2025

Oakland Unity Middle School

Went well the participants were engaged and interacted well with each other.

Today most students have already most likely not in attendance are on travel time . With the group we checked on the garden for new blooms. Looks like the carrots are starting to bloom. We checked on the rooting of the Aloe Vera took off dead growth and freshened the water. We decided to give an area of the garden a festive holiday decor. Participants also made an up cycle flower from paper.

Art of Gardening

🌿

December 10, 2025

Oakland Unity Middle School

Day for the students, there's a good day with the interaction of everyone. Everyone that was part of the class today. Did lot of exploring and it was a good class for me, I liked where they're going and then I like how they are participating.

artwork first project with leaves, creating a Floral type flower using leaves. Always like to create something that is a way to get connected with the the outside Outdoors. And then we went to the Garden checked on the progress of the seeds that we planted last week. The second that we repotted, we watered those. We also did some weeding identified. Some new things that were in the garden. It had grown like potatoes. And also noticed, some of the fungi that we looked up which was mushrooms somewhere edible, some were not after that, we worked on a poster for their upcoming presentation regarding, what programs are program

Culinary Creations and Cooking Calculations

🍽️

December 5, 2025

The Berkeley School

Class went very well today. Alex enjoyed the hands on creating his own receipe. He was focused today.

Today was cracker appetizers challenge. Students picked a partner. They created a appetizer receipe for their partner to taste test and discuss what made it good in taste or what could have made it better. The receipe was shared we the rest of the participants The first challenge was to create an appetizer that is savory They choose from ingredients provided. The Second challenge was to create an appetizer that is sweet

Art of Gardening

🌱

December 3, 2025

Oakland Unity Middle School

Today, you know, the students were all participating. Engaged had no problems. It was a good day for me today.

Beat it out. The areas that needed to have weaving done. We did several things like I planted corn seeds today and carrot seeds. We also checked on the succulents that were rooting and water. They sprout Roots. So we re planted those and we make passion fruit lemonade from the passion fruit. That was from the trees.

Culinary Creations and Cooking Calculations

🥔

November 21, 2025

The Berkeley School

today was a little bit challenging as a teacher, the youngest student Alex today was a little bit more challenging as far as you know, following instructions or, you know, not creating Disruption during the class by getting into things or just refusing to follow any of the directions when I was trying to redirect them into doing activities. So I gave him a minute to take a break. And then when he was ready, he came back and things went better from that point, otherwise it was a good class. The rest of the students were very an active and engaged. So it went well other than the little mishap with Alex, the beginning of class

Today we decided to make the requested recipe by Zora the students which was candied yams. Unfortunately, she wasn't here today but we made it anyway. One of the things that was also part of the class was to learn the difference between potatoes, which ones would yams and a difference between yams and sweet potatoes We talked about different ways to make measurements. If you've needed to substitute for not having a cup of sugar and only had tablespoons, how do you calculate the measurements? And they also talked about how to create a glaze. We made the glaze or candied yams, which was also topped with marshmallow, Close. It was a quick demo on how to turn the marshmallows into Taffy while the sweet potatoes were baking.

Art of Gardening

🌼

November 19, 2025

Oakland Unity Middle School

So today class went well, I had these students today, so it kind of acclimated them to the idea of Art and gardening. And they were very engaged, the students seem to be very proud of the gardening. What has happened so far as cleaning it and replanting and actually, seeing some of the things that were already in the garden actually blooming and collecting the fruit from the tree. So when Really good today. Kids were interactive engaged and it went well.

Today we decided to start the class with an art project based off of Georgia, o'keeffe's Roses of clothes, roses had a book on the head bright, that the students were really interested in possibly duplicating the design. So, I showed him a simple way using markers and paint brush and water to create the Georgia. O'Keefe type rose paintings, the second, half the class. We went to the Garden to check out all the things that we had replanted. See if there was any roots that showed on the ones that were being rooted in water, we pulled the weeds that were growing from The Ring. It's a lot of weeds Friday it out, then we also collected passion fruit from the trees. So that next week, well, actually no class next week but when they returned, we were going to do passion fruit smoothies.

Culinary Creations and Cooking Calculations

🍪

November 14, 2025

The Berkeley School

Today when goods and far as the class everyone, again was very helpful, everyone is was more into helping with prepping all the ingredients. Getting all the comedian's together, rolling out the dough, very interactive and engage. So for today was a good day for me. I had no issues with any behaviors today. So everything went well, a very good day today the gingerbread cookies Well, they came out but the vegan recipes or the dough was a little bit too sticky for the cookie cutters. So we did make one. But because of the time, we decided to just make one in the rest were just cookie cookie. Well, he looked more like biscuits but they were very good. They were tasty. I think we're learning more about what certain things will rise, you know, our be more. Fluffier. So they are a little bit more fluffier than what a cookie like crispy cookie. If they could have baked a little longer perhaps that would have been A different outcome but they taste good. The kids enjoy them and it was a good day.

Today we decided to make vegan gingerbread cookies gingerbread man. The students today were very good and coming. Along with the recipe, sharing the ingredients measuring out the ingredients, learning how to alter certain ingredients such as like four eggs, instead of using eggs using Being a different binders. We talked about different dividers you could use like, bananas or applesauce. The students are really becoming more independent as far as how to go about, you know, putting together the ingredients for the recipe and very helpful and cleaning up and things like that. So, it's coming along really. Well. Today was a good day. The gingerbread cookies came out. Well, they came out as cookies. He's?

Culinary Creations and Cooking Calculations

🧇

November 7, 2025

The Berkeley School

Was a little bit more challenging from one student, that it usually don't have a challenge, which was one of the younger kids usually is not as not focused. And you know, going other things besides participating. He's a lot of in agitation even in the beginning of the class I'm having an item that he did not want to give up and then me a thing about another student kind of bullying bullying him over. It. So it was a little disruptive with that and had to have someone come in and escort them out, because I tried several things, giving them tast and other things, and it's still, it was becoming a challenge trying to get them to focus and work with the recipe. The rest of the students did pretty good. Those who did participate. I like the questions they were asking so that was good and they were very helpful. And making sure that we double check the ingredients, so that we didn't have any issues. And then when we did have our test and it didn't work well, you know, students were able to express how they feel and making it work. So, we did those things and yeah, overall little challenging with the younger one and I don't know what was. He's usually not one to you know, create such a the challenge. It's usually the other Other younger student that he was focused today. And I guess they switch places today. But then again, it's still after Halloween. And I'm quite sure they've been doing a lot of candy, so kind of understandable, but overall, it was a good day.

We decided to make vegan waffles with fruit toppings. So everything was done by scratch. So each student was able to measure out, parts of the ingredients to create the batter. Also learned, how to make the simulation of buttermilk using apple cider vinegar and other ingredients and how that works. They learned also again, how to separate the weak from the dries and then to house you not over. Whip the batter also preparing the flour for the batter, they learned how to each person, got a chance to understand how I sift the flour and what that process is about. And then each student was able to top off, whatever other besides fruit, we had like, cinnamon pumpkin spices to create their own waffle. And yeah, It didn't go great at first, the first Waffle was a test, so we tweak the recipe and then they came out very good.

Art of Gardening

🌱

November 5, 2025

Oakland Unity Middle School

As far as the class was very engaged, they'd all participated, you know. And even if they did do the gardening, I had an extra assignment which was a paper torn paper, collage on a coaster, you know, for those who weren't interested in getting doing the dirty work, but they all did very well today, no issues, no problems. A very good class enjoyed the participation.

So today, we just did the necessary things to start planting the garden. So we cleaned the garden out today, you know, shrieked up the leaves, pulled up some weeds. They use the rocks that they decorated last week to line the flower bed did a quick lesson on how to route our, you know, to start a route on succulents. We did plan a couple of those and then water the rest of the plants that were already being harvested. So yeah, they did a good job. Cleaning up. Everything.

Art of Gardening

🌱

November 5, 2025

Oakland Unity Middle School

Participants were engaged and good excitement in working garden. Class went very good today.

Today participants worked on cleaning up garden to prepare for harvesting new crop. Pulled weeds, rake up falling leaves. Lesson on rooting succulents and planted in flower bed. Placed decorated rocks in flower bed.

Testimonials

Coming soon!
When you receive feedback from an experience or series, it will show up here!