About Us About Us
Our mission is to create wholeness for children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities through education, extended family living, and therapy so that they may be better understood, they may more fully unfold their potential, and they may meaningfully participate in life.
The Camphill School is a Waldorf® school accredited by AWSNA and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Our school is also licensed by the Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Public Welfare for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We are part of the worldwide Camphill movement.
We offer boarding and day functional life skills programs that incorporate both pre-vocational and vocational skill building as well as therapeutic care for children in kindergarten through grade twelve. We also offer a Transition Program for young people ages eighteen to twenty-two.
Board of Directors
- Bethany Asplundh, President
- Tom Rosendale, Treasurer
- Claus Sproll, Secretary
- Sonja Adams
- Guy Alma
- Brent Franklin
- Jan C. Goeschel, Ph.D.
- Bill Hagner
- Jacquellyne Hengst, Psy.D.
- Howard Herman
- Fran Kinniry
- Sarah Schreck
- Andreas Schuschke, M.A.
- Molly Swain
- Bernard Wolf (Emeriti)
Key Staff
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Andreas Schuschke, M.A.Director of Programs
Andreas Schuschke has been at The Camphill School since 2002. During his time at the school, he worked as a class teacher, house parent, prevocational and ability group instructor. Andreas completed the training course offered by the Camphill Academy and graduated with a BA in Special Education from Prescott College, AZ, attained Pennsylvania Special Education Teacher Certification and a MA in Educational Leadership from Immaculata University, PA, and received Pennsylvania Supervisor of Special Education Certification from Penn State, PA. He lives in one of the school’s residences with his wife and two children. Andreas has a great passion for sharing his life in community with the children and all who are part of the school.
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Anna Rynder, MEdStudent Admissions Administrator
Anna has been a part of The Camphill School as a residential coworker since 2015. Currently, Anna works in the school office as a student admissions administrator. She also is part of the high school faculty, where she co-runs a day student house and is a Daily Living Skills Teacher. Anna has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Wheelock College, a certificate in outdoor leadership from Greenfield Community College, and a Master’s Degree in Education from Antioch University in New Hampshire. In addition to working with children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Anna has worked as a Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist with at-risk youth, taught traditional and adaptive sports, led backpacking trips for youth, and helped to start a chapter of Disabled Sports USA in Mount Shasta, CA. Anna lives with her husband and four children and enjoys spending time with her family doing artwork, reading, hiking, swimming, and exploring.
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Carsten CallesenDirector of Therapeutic Services
Over the last 35 years, Carsten has lived and worked with children, youth, and adults with developmental disabilities in Camphill communities in Scotland, England, and the United States. In true Camphill style, he has tried his hand at almost everything. He has carried responsibilities as a houseparent, workshop leader, teacher, administrator, counselor, and therapist. Carsten holds a Bachelor of Arts in the Art of Eurythmy and a Master equivalent diploma in Eurythmy Therapy.
Over the past decade, his overall responsibility and focus have shifted towards the therapeutic medical field. He serves the community as Director of Therapeutic Services; and is a National Licensed EMT, currently pursuing a nursing degree.
Carsten has an active interest in group work and conflict resolution and in promoting self-advocacy, empowerment, human relationships, and abuse prevention for all community members.
Carsten is a core faculty member of the Camphill Academy and an adjunct faculty member of the Transdisciplinary Healing Education Program at Antioch University. He lives by a motto: “in life, we find a true path of learning,” and he remains a therapist at heart, where the listening ear is at the core. -
Katie RippleFinance Administrator
After receiving her Accounting degree in 2015, Katie spent a handful of years working in public accounting before joining Camphill’s finance team in 2022. During her time outside Camphill, you can find her cooking, trail running, or creating new products for her small business.
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Claus SprollDirector of Finance
Claus has been part of the Camphill movement since 1978. He has served as a houseparent, High School teacher, and since 1994, in the finance office of the Camphill School. Claus has experience in organizations’ administrative and financial realms and has worked with other human service organizations, intentional communities and small businesses. He completed school administration and community development studies at Sunridge College and Social Therapy at the School for Spiritual Science in Dornoch, Switzerland. Claus has a certificate of Nonprofit management from LaSalle. He has been a certified instructor in Non-Violent Crisis Intervention and has served on numerous Boards of Directors.
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Courtney M. CoffmanSenior Development Officer
Courtney has worked in Development at The Camphill School since 2005. Since then, she has grown into the role of Senior Development Officer. She enjoys getting to know the school’s donors and connecting their philanthropic priorities with the needs of the students and community. In her time at the school, she has helped fundraise for the expansion of the Transition Program at Beaver Farm, the construction of Meadowsweet, the establishment of Foxfield Flowers, and consistently grown the development efforts with the help of her valued colleagues. She is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University with a BA in Marketing and concentration in Psychology. Her favorite thing about working at the school is spending time with the students through volunteering in classrooms and having lunch in the houses. Outside of Camphill, she enjoys time with her husband and two sons, reading, running, yoga, concerts and music festivals, and cheering on her sons’ sports teams.
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Guy AlmaDirector of Development
Guy combines social science and administration background with decades of experience working with adolescents with I/DD as a houseparent, prevocational instructor, and high school classroom teacher. He is certified in youth guidance and special education and trained in group work, facilitation, conflict resolution, and organizational development. He has served as The Camphill School’s Director of Development since 1998 and has lived and worked in the school community since 1990.
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Jennifer McEvoySpecial Education Administrator
Jennifer has worked in the School Office at The Camphill School since 2011. Her current role as Special Education Administrator includes IEP facilitator and liaison to parents and school districts. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. Jennifer is also a Certified Special Education Teacher. Jennifer has a passion for the outdoors and enjoys hiking national parks with her husband and two children.
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Lauren Geiger-MartinTransition Program Coordinator
Lauren has been part of the Transition Program since 2009. Her current role as Special Ed. Supervisor includes IEP facilitator, faculty chair, admissions, liaison to the residential group, transition coordinator, and program designer. In addition, Lauren teaches weaving and pottery. Lauren has a degree in Art Education, Special Education, a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, and Program certifications in Special Education Supervision, Family Consumer Science, and Elementary Education.
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Pam BentonAccounting Manager
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Raphael Knauf, M.D.School Physician
Raphael Knauf, M.D. grew up in Germany. After high school, he joined The Camphill School community for one year and then returned to Germany for his medical studies at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg; He spent parts of his clinical training at McGill University, Canada, and the Ita Wegman Klinik, a hospital offering integrative anthroposophic medicine in Switzerland. After finishing medical school, he worked at the Ita Wegman Klinik as a resident physician for one year. He then completed a four-year residency in Family Medicine at Middlesex Hospital, CT. During that time, he also completed a two-year Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the Arizona Center of Integrative Medicine of the University of Arizona. He is board-certified in Family Medicine and Anthroposophic Medicine (see https://anthroposophichealth.org/).
After residency, Raphael Knauf returned to The Camphill School, living with his wife Rachel and their two children. He works as a Family Physician at Carah Medical Arts in Phoenixville and serves as our school physician. He strives to meet his patients as the individuals they are and to accompany them and their families on their unique paths towards well-being and healing.
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Sonja AdamsDirector of Programs, Camphill Academy
Sonja’s journey began with the Camphill Movement in 1992. It continued with her embracing the roles of house parent and classroom teacher over the years. Paving paths to success in adult education, Sonja is a founding member of the Camphill Academy and has been part of the faculty since 1999. She currently serves as Program Co-Director and is a Collegium and the Board of the Academy member. You can catch her strolling with her furry companion and embracing the vibrancy of regional Camphill life!
Locations
Beaver Run Campus
1784 Fairview Road
Glenmoore, PA 19343
610-469-9236
610-469-9758 (fax)
Beaver Farm Campus
551 West Seven Stars Road
Phoenixville, PA 19460
610-415-9304
610-415-9450 (fax)