Who We Are
A Learning Community
Embark Center is a democratic self-directed learning community for people ages 10-18 that embraces authentic real-life learning.
On any given day, you will find members, staff and volunteers participating in classes or activities, playing games, talking, laughing, going for walks, or sitting quietly and reading or working on projects.
By having more personal autonomy - while working within the community - young people can practice leadership, communication and collaboration skills in real ways that reflect what they will need later in life.
Embark Center is run democratically using sociocratic governance.
Staff
Andrea Cubelo-McKay
Andrea founded the Embark Center in 2017 after years of searching for an effective way of working with youth. Having been a therapist and a Montessori teacher, it was her work as a mom that led her to find a way to help young people create meaningful lives for themselves as she searched for alternatives for her own children.
Andrea lives in Hamilton, VA with her husband, children, dog, cats, and chickens. She enjoys gardening, knitting, and reading.
Catina Franklin Sweedy
Catina Franklin Sweedy has over twenty years experience working in education as a private and classroom clarinet teacher, nature educator, and homeschooler.
Catina's vast experience has helped her merge her nature-based education, clarinet teaching philosophy (that the role of the teacher is a guide for the students) and her unschooling philosophy (that children can and want to learn, that they should never be forced to learn what someone else believes that they should know, and that they are capable of being trusted with their own education) to guide her in her life.
Board of Directors
Margaret Bauman
Margaret M. Bauman is a Senior Financial Analyst with Virtual Incorporated where she has worked for 13 years. She has spent more than half her lifetime caring for the financial management of not for profit organizations.
Margaret lives in Loudoun County with her wife of 23 years, two goats, numerous chickens and her two grown sons when they make their way home for a visit!
She enjoys creating art in her garage studio, cooking & baking, crafts and road trips.
But more than anything, recently becoming a grandmother is a delight beyond imagining!
Grace Shaffer
Grace Shaffer is a 2020 graduate of Embark Center. Grace is currently a student at NOVA and pursuing an undergraduate degree in health science with the goal of attending physical therapy school. The mentorship process and opportunities afforded by Embark sparked her interest and desire to pursue this path. When not studying, she enjoys running, playing guitar, and spending time with her family and dog.
Leslie Sarapu
Leslie Sarapu is the mom of two kids, one of whom became a member of Embark in 2023. Leslie started her career in college admissions, and later spent ten years conducting research for the U.S. Congress as a policy analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. She found her favorite work as a primary parent for a decade and counting, and a homeschooler for the last two. Leslie loves meditation, art, native plants, organizing closets, and most desserts. A Michigan native, she loves hiking Lake Michigan dunes, swimming, and hunting for fossils. She lives with her husband, two kids, and a labradoodle in Vienna.
