Lori Yearwood (Ahimsa Kid’s Principal VP / Studio Teacher / California Certified Teacher)
Lori is one of our on-set teachers who has been enjoying a journey of education for many years. She first discovered her love of teaching in high school where she taught dance to students as young as 4 ranging all the way to adults at recreational and competitive levels. This is where she developed her “Enthusiasm is Contagious” motto that she still applies to her teaching today. Lori believes that if a teacher is excited about what she is teaching, the students will be excited to learn. She went on to study education at the Institute of Child Study affiliated with OISE/University of Toronto. This is a research based program that equipped her with a thorough understanding of the learning process. Upon graduating, Lori wanted to explore a variety of teaching opportunities. She began by teaching students on location during film and television shoots in Toronto with Laurelwood Productions. Lori then became the Director of Education for Sylvan Learning Centre where she applied her skills and witnessed education from the perspective of the student, parent and fellow teachers. Putting her knowledge to the ultimate test, Lori created a family and had two children of her own! This has proven to be her greatest adventure yet.Throughout the years, Lori has maintained her interest in theatrical arts and has acted as creative consultant for various productions, both live and media related. Her family relocated to Los Angeles and lived there for 5 years. She pushed her own studies forward by obtaining a California Studio Teacher’s license. A return to working with school-age actors has been the perfect fit for Lori. She views her position from many angles. Her husband and her own children have acted in film and television, so she understands the needs of the students she works with and knows the concerns of the parents. Having experience on the production side, she also relates to the intricacies involved in completing a project.
Lori’s latest expedition has brought her and her family back to Canada to reside in Vancouver. She has found a great support system with Ahimsa Kids and has been enjoying working with students from Canada as well as the United States. If you see Lori on set you are likely to realize she is meeting her goals of fostering a fun, nurturing environment for both students and fellow crew and creating an atmosphere that is safe for self-expression and growth, while promoting confidence in learners of all abilities.
