Creativity Umbrella provides summer camps, workshops and innovative projects that foster creative expression in youth ages 6 – 15 years. Our staff is composed of professionals experienced in education, creative problem solving, team-building, inventing, entrepreneurship, science and the arts. Our hands on approach provides a fun way for kids to experience elements of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Following is a little information about each of us.
Diane Audet. Diane got an early start growing up in a household full of creativity and crafting. Her Mother taught her to sew, knit, crochet and do embroidery. As a young girl she used her newfound skills to design some cutting edge garments for her troll collection. In her teens she went through a prolific macrame phase and sold some of her bracelets and necklaces. Through her life she has always been happiest surrounded by yarn, fabric, glue, felt and other crafty elements begging to be turned into something! She has two daughters, Ellie and Abby, who have inspired many projects – some of them derived from the items found lurking in a teenager’s room. Diane is passionate about the need for creativity to be nurtured in children.
Patricia Bowers. Patricia’s creativity grew out of necessity. She has been a Destination Imagination (“DI”) team manager for the last 9 years. She has seen and heard it all as her teams have advanced to state and Global DI competitions. Her favorite line is: “a cardboard box is a creative moment waiting to happen”. Patricia uses her law degree from Emory and her English and teaching degrees from Vanderbilt to reason with creative types and to write about all the crazy things that make life fun. Her passion for teaching has a new outlet with the camps and classes offered by Creativity Umbrella. Patricia’s teenage children often wonder about their mom—but still invite their friends over to the house!
Kelly Dunning. Kelly’s amazing creativity is apparent in Creativity Umbrella’s beautiful graphics and marketing materials. An accomplished professional graphic designer, Kelly shares her artistic talents freely. As a Destination Imagination Team manager, she empowers teams through fun, engaging team building exercises like zip tying teammates’ hands together then challenging them to figure out how to eat their snacks. She supports her son, Josh and daughter, Audrey in their in his DI and Scout endeavors, and still finds time to develop unique projects for our Creativity Umbrella camps and workshops. Her dry sense of humor keeps us all laughing and brings joy to our encounters.
Lynn Brooks. Lynn’s early creativity came in the form of her unique lizard imitation, toad fashion design and never patented bird trap (fortunately for the birds). Her attempt at selling cherries from her family’s tree failed and she was forced to get an MBA at UT. As a childen’s writer, she found success in making up stories including, Goodnight Sleepy Jungle Animals and Daddy is a Pirate, but still felt like a square peg in a round hole until she discovered Destination Imagination and Stacey Ussery. This combination unleashed her inventing, curriculum development and playing with kids skills. She is most proud of her jiggling alien and toilet paper roll piñata project published in Highlights magazine. In her free time, Lynn enjoys hanging out with husband, Hayden, children, Huyler and Ginny, incubating ducks and turtling.
Stacey Ussery. Stacey gets her creative kicks working with kids. Inspired by watching her three children learn, create and invent she joined the fun ! An intrepid Destination Imagination team manager for over 10 years, she has learned to be flexible and resourceful – and can tell you where all the best dumpster diving locations are. Working with her wildly creative friends in planning the coolest workshops and camps, she continues to spread the joy of crazy projects to the children of Austin.
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