Our Founders & Directors
The Atelier stems from our love of children, art, music, and education. We seek to bring the joy of learning to young children and families within our community! We believe in the power of learning through the fine arts and have designed our programs to be a hands on creative curriculum that integrates all learning with a strong focus in art and music and the creative/learning process.
Kara holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a Master of Education Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Art Education from the University of Missouri. She has taught preschool and elementary children for over 15 years in Columbia, MO, Blacksburg, Virginia and Toronto, Ontario. While in Virginia she was lucky enough to teach at a Reggio Emilia inspired research and laboratory school on the campus of Virginia Tech. She fell in love with the Reggio approach which naturally mimics her own philosophies about childhood education. She has attended Reggio Emilia workshops and conferences and looks forward to continuing her education through involvement in the Reggio community. Her dream to create a beautiful, nurturing environment for children to learn, experiment, discover, create, laugh, and grow has come true through The Atelier!
Founder, Director of The Atelier Primary School
Founder, Director of The Atelier Primary School
Benjamin is a life long scholar, educator, and musician. He grew up in Columbia, a son of two music educators. He is a certified instructor in the Orff-Schulwerk method of preschool music education, and loves sharing his passion of music with children. Benjamin is a multi-instrumentalist and voice specialist who has toured the United States and produced albums of original work. He also holds a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Toronto. His wide range of knowledge and experience bring so many learning opportunities to the classroom.
Founder, Director of The Atelier Elementary School
Founder, Director of The Atelier Elementary School
We are fortunate to have had the opportunity to move back to Columbia, with our two young sons, to be near family and friends. We love being a part of this community and want to give children a place to learn, explore, discover, and create.
We hope to see you at The Atelier School of Creative Learning!
Kara and Benjamin Hook
We hope to see you at The Atelier School of Creative Learning!
Kara and Benjamin Hook
Teaching Team
At the Atelier School of Creative Learning we view ourselves as teacher-researchers, always learning and growing in our understanding of pedagogy as we put forth innovative and quality educational practices. As reflective educators, we open our minds to possibility and research, and broaden the experiences in which we can offer our students. Our community is built upon trust, respect, and support. We embrace collaboration and teamwork as we all strive to create the best environment for our students while nurturing their educational journey from toddlers through grade 6.
our interns...
Our partnership with the University of Missouri's Early Childhood Education Department as well as the Human Development Department has allowed us to welcome students who are completing their last year of school to gain classroom experience. The Atelier values life long learning and we find great value in helping nurture future teachers in quality educational practices.
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"I’m so thankful that I was a part of The Atelier community!! It has shaped me into the educator I am today!"
-Hanna Wims, University of Missouri intern 2019
-Hanna Wims, University of Missouri intern 2019