Meet the Staff

Amy Rosenbluth
Executive Director / arosenbluth@lakeerieink.org

Amy Rosenbluth has worked with youth during both in-school and out-of- school time programs since 1991. She created the Youth Leadership group and mentoring program for the Shaker Heights Youth Center and has been facilitating Teen Poetry Slams in the Heights area for over 18 years. A credentialed 7-12 English teacher and prevention certified youth advocate, Amy is co-founder and oversees all operations of Lake Erie Ink. She still works directly with youth, primarily teen poets, facilitating writing and spoken word workshops, both on site and off. Amy also designs and facilitates professional development workshops for teachers and other youth serving professionals. Amy has been teaching as adjunct English faculty at Lakeland Community College since 1998. She received her BA in English from Hiram College and her teaching certification and graduate work from San Francisco State University. Her training in Bay Area Writers’ Project has given her a passion for and strategies in incorporating writing throughout the curriculum. She believes that all youth have stories that deserve to be heard and uses creative writing as a way to make that happen.

Jill Levin
Program Director / jlevin@lakeerieink.org

Jill Levin is a career arts educator with a range of experience working with students of all ages. Most recently she taught and directed theater at Montessori High School at University Circle. She is a former director of education for Cleveland Public Theatre and has taught acting at a number of area theaters and colleges. As a writer, Jill is especially interested in personal narrative as a form of creative expression and is very pleased to be part of an organization that works with young people on finding their own form of creativity.

Cynthia Larsen
Curriculum Director & Lead Teacher / clarsen@lakeerieink.org

Cynthia Larsen is Lake Erie Ink’s co-founder and Curriculum Director and Lead Teacher. She holds a BA in English with an emphasis in creative writing from Stanford University and a single subject teaching credential in English and Language Arts from San Francisco State University. Ms. Larsen taught secondary English in Jersey City, New Jersey; Oakland, California; and Cleveland, Ohio before attending graduate school at the University of Arizona, where she received her MFA in creative writing. Ms. Larsen has facilitated project-based creative writing in collaboration with teachers for over ten years, combining her training in education with her passion for writing. Ms. Larsen continues to stay abreast of new standards, methods and technology that helps Lake Erie Ink best meet the needs of youth and educators. At Lake Erie Ink, Ms. Larsen develops and implements creative writing curriculum that supports and meets the educational state standards for English and Language Arts.

Pam Barrett
Program Coordinator

Pam is the Program Coordinator for the Ink Spot Afterschool Program at Noble Elementary School. While earning her BA in English at Kent State University, she taught poetry to K-12 students. She has extensive experience tutoring writing, which earned her an outstanding tutor award because of her methods, which focus on empathizing with the writer and earning their trust. She loves spending time with her cat Virginia and performing at local storytelling shows. She writes because it is both a logical and creative way to express thoughts and ideas and because it has always helped her make sense of anything that feels nonsensical.

Emily Cherney
Creative Arts Teacher

Emily Cherney came across Lake Erie Ink during her two years of service through City Year at John Adams High School, where she worked alongside teachers as a mentor and tutor for ninth grade students. She graduated from The College of Wooster with a double major in Communication Studies and Religious Studies and is pursuing her Master’s in Social Work at Cleveland State University. She believes that creative expression has the ability to help children unlock their infinite potential.

Cordelia Eddy
Teen Program Coordinator / cordelia@lakeerieink.org

Cordelia has guided youth in many cities to develop and magnify their voices and build community through writing. She is particularly drawn to sharing the truths found in fiction, the poetic in prose, and the magical dialogue between words and images in comics and zines. Cordelia is left-handed, and often takes notes backwards in cursive like Leonardo da Vinci (mostly to avoid smearing her words). She believes that creative writing is a powerful tool for growth and understanding that helps us to think critically about the world and better understand our place within it.

Barbie Estrada
Development + Administrative Manager / bestrada@lakeerieink.org

Barbie is the development and administrative guru at Lake Erie Ink. With a BA in Creative Writing and a Masters in Nonprofit Management, she has been working for youth and literacy initiatives since 2008 through the Americorps as well as for various organizations and schools. Barbie supports bucket lists, clementines over oranges, and descriptive grammar. She writes to remember the magical little moments in life and to make sense of the grand ones.

Sarah Kloos
Administrative Assistant

Sarah Kloos is an administrative assistant at Lake Erie Ink. She is a recent graduate from Hobart and William Smith Colleges where she earned a BA in English and spent several of those years working as a peer student writing tutor, both in the library and in the classroom. As a lifelong dancer, she enjoys finding parallels in creative expression between movement and language. She writes to find new perspectives in daily observations and is fascinated by the power of words.

Courtney Johnson
Creative Arts Teacher

Courtney is part of the Club Create team or you can find her behind the scenes in the Lake Erie Ink office. She worked as a high school teacher and she ran youth development programs while serving as Peace Corps volunteer in Mozambique. A Shaker Heights native, she is enthusiastic to be back in the land working with the creative and inspiring young geniuses of Cleveland. She believes that creative expression has the power to diffuse hate and fuse positive relationships.

Won Hee Kim
Program Assistant

Won Hee Kim is a program assistant at the Noble Ink Spot. She studies English and Creative Writing at Case Western Reserve University. Won Hee previously volunteered for Lake Erie Ink’s summer camps and stayed for the brilliant potential in the students. She loves to create things, whether they be stories, arts and crafts, or bonds. Won Hee writes because she believes that language is the best medium for communicating emotions.

Nicole Rossa
Creative Arts Teacher / nicole@lakeerieink.org

Nicole Rossa is a Creative Arts Teacher who runs our comedy club. She has been teaching and working with non-profits since 2013. Starting out as an Ink Spot volunteer, Nicole jumped at the opportunity to teach formally in LEI programs. Prior to becoming a teacher, Nicole made her living as a stand-up comic and emcee. She writes because she has stories to tell and paper holds up better than brain space. She believes that creative expression is what makes problems into art forms. Even a terrible day can make a fantastic story.

Cliff Sweeney
Creative Arts Teacher

Cliff is a Creative Arts Teacher at Lake Erie Ink. His experience as a mentor and leadership facilitator of youth combined with a past in songwriting allow for a perfect fit for helping youth cultivate their creative talents. He believes creative writing and expression gives youth opportunity to view the world through different lenses.

Vivian Vail
Creative Arts Teacher

Vivian Vail became a certified elementary teacher with a reading endorsement many years after earning a Master’s degree in dance. Her experience teaching in various academic and community settings has taught Vivian that we all do better when we find our voice. She loves to garden and makes a mean guacamole.

Paula Weizer
Creative Arts Teacher

Paula Weizer loved teaching primary grades for fifteen years before joining the Lake Erie Ink team in 2013. She may have left the structured classroom, but she finds that the joy of teaching children to find their voice remains a strong passion. She finds inspiration in animals, cemeteries and nature.

Adam James Zahren
Ink Spot Coordinator / inkspot@lakeerieink.org

Adam James Zahren holds an English degree with an emphasis in creative writing from Allegheny College. During their college career, Adam James focused on poetry and nonfiction. They have been published in Queer Studies in Media and Popular Culture as well as Gaga Daily, one of Lady Gaga’s biggest fan sites. Adam brings two years of City Year Americorps experience to Lake Erie Ink. They are excited and eager to fuse creativity, love, and writing together to help students find their voice at Coventry Ink Spot.