Celena Turney

Program Designer

Project Manager

Grants Manager

Celena Turney

Program Designer

Project Manager

Grants Manager



About Me

I assist people grow their capacity for success — for themselves, their teams, their organizations, and their clients.  I use a process-driven approach — one that fosters curiosity, creativity and intentionality.  I synthesize resources to build community, communicate across platforms, and inspire collaboration and innovation — building new solutions with the resources at hand.

My Services

Project Management

Lead teams from concept to completion, coordinating resources and ensuring results are on-time, on topic, and within budget.

Program Designer

Create captivating equity-centered programs for targeted audiences. Design mission-aligned academic and creative concepts, events, and activities.

Trainer/Facilitator

Present and facilitate multimodal professional growth trainings, workshops, and Community of Practice activities for individuals and groups of all sizes.



Recommendations

Exhibiting compassion and empathic awareness is at the core of Celena’s work, whether it’s through strategic planning efforts, teaching, or creating an environment that supports learning and getting students into flow…an amazing human potentialist.

Kristen Lenart, Source & Procurement Lead, Google

Celena engaged the Visual Task Force with a variety of vision-oriented, unique, and multi-modality activities. Her talents are many and her enthusiasm is infectious! Rarely have I seen a district task force more excited and productive. They are singing Celena’s praises!

Mary Schillinger, Assistant Superintendent Education for Las Virgenes USD

Celena is a master in holding together the big picture of arts education and the practical, detailed methods of bringing those ideas and trends to life in the classroom.  She asked questions, directed us to research, gave us useful feedback about the lessons, all while cheering for us personally. It was one of the very best collaborative experiences of my professional and personal life.

Julie Paik, Co-chair Visual Arts Program, Yerba Buena Elementary School

Knowledgeable, organized, and thorough, Ms. Turney is consistently maximizing the learning opportunities for her students.

Forrest C. Baird, Principal, Yorkdale Elementary , Los Angeles USD



Skills

Project Management

  • Project Planning & Scoping
  • Timeline Mapping
  • Communication
  • Needs Assessment


Strategic Planning

  • Solutions-based problem solving
  • Facilitation
  • Presenting & Report Writing
  • Data Analysis


Technical Knowledge

  • Articulate 360
  • ADDIE
  • Asana/Trello
  • WordPress
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Suite



Resume

Experience

2005-ongoing

Senior Project Management Consultant, Creative Capacity Builders

Provided strategy and implementation support for school districts at administrative and site levels.

2022 – 2023
Program Associate II, Quality Schools & Districts Division at WestEd

Provided technical assistance to schools and districts in the areas of family engagement and school improvement.  Supported English Learner and Migrant Education Services team with qualitative evaluation, literature review, and research projects.

Wrote briefs for State Education agencies.

2021-2022
District Literacy Support Specialist, Cabrillo Unified School District

Developed district-wide Elementary Literacy Assessment Plan (K-5) for administration in digital and paper format across four sites. Built a digital platform to provide a central location for test administration, scoring, and data analysis.

2018 – 2021
Managing Director, Tutor Solutions of the Peninsula

Launched and managed all aspects of tutoring company, providing in-person and distance learning services.

2017-2018
Curriculum Specialist, The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula

Developed and revised course standards, produced instructor guides and materials.

2015-2016
Innovative Teaching and Learning Manager, Western Region at Crayola

Partnered with educational leaders across Western US, developing methods for infusing creativity, critical-thinking, and collaboration into teaching.


Education

  • Instructional Design Certificate; UC Santa Cruz

Coursework: HTML5, Designing Online Instruction, Assessment & Evaluation, Learning Theories & Styles

  • Masters in Public Administration; California State University, San Bernardino

Emphasis: Entrepreneurial Government

  • University of California, Riverside; Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science

Education Abroad Program: Budapest, Hungary

Parent Education: Executive Function 101

Introductory Parent Education lesson adapted from content provided by SME.  Utilized tabs, lists, flashcards, and sorting features.


Art Lesson: Polka Dot Pop Art

Arts Integration lesson incorporating video and images. Expanded upon content from SMEs to reflect best practice in Learning Theory and Curriculum Design.


Harley Farms Goat Dairy

 Educational  mini-course designed for inclusion on a small business website.  Utilized timeline, tabs, labeled graphic, and flashcards.

Mentoring Day @ Facebook

PARTNERS: Facebook, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, Service Clubs

LOCATION: Menlo Park, California

DATE: March 2017

SKILLS: 

  • Project Management
  • Event Design
  • Lesson Planning
  • Staff and Volunteer Training

DESCRIPTION: 125 fifth grade students were paired one-to-one with mentors who provided editing and practice support for their student’s year-end speeches.  This ½ day event gave students confidence in their abilities as writers and storytellers while offering mentors an opportunity to give back to the community in a meaningful way.

TurnAround Arts Gala @ The White House

PARTNERS: Crayola, TurnAround Arts, National Portrait Gallery

LOCATION: White House, Washington, DC

DATE: May 2016

SKILLS: 

  • Project Management
  • Curriculum Development
  • Communication

DESCRIPTION:  Specially-created artwork of 100 (K-8th grade) students from 10 states across the country was exhibited at the White House.  The Annual Talent Show, hosted by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities demonstrates the importance of Arts Education in building the creative capacity of students of all ages.

‘Arts for All’ Task Force @ Monrovia USD

PARTNERS: California Alliance for Arts Education, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and School Districts across California

LOCATION: Los Angeles, Ventura, and Alameda Counties in California

DATE: 2004-2019

SKILLS: 

  • Project Management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Group Facilitation
  • Data Analysis and Report Generation 
  • Presentations

DESCRIPTION: Community Task Force Teams were guided through activities that inventoried and analyzed current programs, articulated an organizational vision, and determined strategic priorities.  The resulting action plans assist leadership in providing high-quality, mission-driven programs that serve their identified audiences. 

Tango 360 – Embraces @ Lineage PAC

PARTNERS: Lineage Performing Arts Center and Electric Lodge

LOCATION: Old Town Pasadena and Venice, CA

DATE: November 2014

SKILLS: 

  • Artistic Direction/Choreography
  • Talent Management
  • Communication
  • Fundraising

DESCRIPTION: Professional and amateur artists from the community performed an evening of poetry, music, and dance inspired by the Argentine Tango. The performances, directed and produced by Celena Turney, highlight how the arts in all its forms, provide an opportunity to experience and express the nuances of humanity.

Blog

  • Towards Crafting a Global Framework for Arts Education
    As I clicked the button to reserve my plane ticket to Portugal last Spring, I wondered…  Would this feel like a homecoming of sorts?  What core values and aspirations do I share with my international … Read more
  • Designing Professional Development with Your Participants in Mind
    I recently designed and led a day-long retreat for a task force team. Participants were internal and external to the organization and represented all levels of leadership and experience. As I reflected upon the day, I … Read more
  • Now I Understand
    I am in a sentimental mood today.  And I really didn’t expect that this story would be my very first post on my journey’s blog.  But life is like that sometimes. I have been listening … Read more
  • Vision and Values Board as a Leadership Exercise
    I love visioning exercises.  As a strategic planner, I have had the pleasure of facilitating the creation of amazing practical vision statements – for events, programs, departments, etc.  Without exception, everyone who participates is energized, … Read more
  • Re-Igniting Organizational Creativity: The Tango As Metaphor
    I am a learning and development specialist and have worked with many different types and sizes of organizations during the last 20 years.  Somewhere along the line, all of them have wanted to re-ignite a … Read more


Contact Me

  • Email: Celena.Turney@gmail.com
  • Call Me: 650.400.8789