Grace Welker, MEd
I am a communicator. I love learning and catalyzing learning in others, especially young people. I mainly live, write, travel, and study and am always working on any number of things at a given time. In addition to creating the Oasis Pages Teen Writing Quest, I am working on a mystery for younger teen readers set at a rock-art site in Utah.
I believe that …
words are sacred.
we are made of stories.
everyone has something to share.
we are each and every one of us unique and equal.
writing is a destiny for some — and everyone should do it.
Short bio
Grace Welker, MEd, is a lifelong reader, writer, and traveler, she channeled her passion for communication first into a career in the field of English as a Second/Foreign Language, then into a career in editorial direction and content curating in the fields of holistic health and personal transformation. Author of Oasis Pages Teen Writing Quest, Grace is finishing an MFA in creative writing at Manhattanville College, working on a mystery for middle-grade readers set at a rock art site in Utah, where she currently lives.
A little more …
Educator
Grace Welker believes in the power of words to catalyze change. A communications-based educator and writer with degrees in education (State University of New York, New Paltz) and linguistics (Georgetown University), she is an advocate for individual and organizational empowerment who has worked primarily in non-profit educational settings that promote inner and outer transformation.
Marketing Professional
As a marketing professional in communications roles for 20 years, Grace focused on language and concepts to create strategic impact, develop brand identity, and build an engaged audience. She is skilled at establishing an editorial vision and developing messaging and content campaigns that align with business and communications objectives.
From 2004-2010, Grace served as Editorial Director for Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, where she led a team responsible for all editorial content, including four annual catalogs, the website, social media, print and online ads, marketing campaigns, and guest communications. During this time, she developed a significant online library of podcasts, articles, interviews, essays, recipes, and guest stories. From 2013–2019, she held a similar position as a consultant for the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas. Grace has also worked on projects large and small with Eileen Fisher’s Women Together initiative, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, the Art of Living Retreat Center, Gary Zukav’s Seat of the Soul Institute, 1440 Multiversity, the Open Center, Eckhart Tolle TV, and others.
Language Teaching Career
Grace’s first career was as a volunteer-program director in Washington DC, then as an English language teacher and teacher trainer in Morocco, where she lived for seven years. She went on to lead the education sector of the Peace Corps in Morocco, overseeing the training, placement, and service of more than 60 volunteers.
Personal Notes
A longtime practitioner of yoga and avid knitter, Grace is fascinated by personal transformation and has devoted herself to awakening people’s curiosity and awareness of their inner worlds and our shared humanity through writing and reading. She lives in Escalante, Utah, and is the creator and publisher of the Oasis Pages Teen Writing Quest, published by the Collective Book Studio.
A more formal introduction…
Grace Welker | writer, educator & word lover
Education & Training
- BS Linguistics, Georgetown University (1987)
- CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults), Madrid Spain (1992)
- MEd Second Language Education, SUNY New Paltz (2001)
- 200-Hour Interdisciplinary Yoga Teaching Certificate (2001)
- MFA Creative Writing, Manhattanville College (in progress)
Languages
- English, French (fluent), Spanish (proficient), Moroccan Arabic (conversational)
Career Titles [1987–2019]
- Director, DC Schools Project (2 ½ years)
- Teacher, English as a Foreign Language (5 years)
- Morocco: British Council, Rabat; American Language Center, Mohammedia
- Spain: International Institute, Madrid
- Coordinator of Education Training, US Peace Corps, Rabat (2 years)
- Assistant Department Head/Educator, Omega Children’s Program, Rhinebeck, NY (3 summers)
- Editor/Writer, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Rhinebeck, NY (3 years)
- Community Yoga Instructor, Red Hook, NY (4 years)
- Senior Editor/Editorial Director, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Lenox, MA (7 years)
- Marketing and Editorial Director, Sivananda Yoga Retreat, Nassau, Bahamas (7 years)
Freelance [2013–2021]
- Editorial services, including brand voice, strategy, content curation, and copywriting
- Clients include Eileen Fisher’s Women Together, 1440 Multiversity, Art of Living Retreat Center, Seat of the Soul Institute, Open Center, and others
Creator/Publisher [2013-present ]
- Oasis Pages Diary for Teen Girls, from concept to creative to crowdfunding to self-publishing to sales and donations
- Oasis Pages Teen Writing Quest, published by the Collective Book Studio
Writing History [1975–present]
- Lifelong diary/journal entries, letters, creative writing, writing practices
- School reports, a 6th-grade graduation speech, college papers, scholarship applications
- Educational syllabi, curricula, training manuals
- Work assessments, project reports, creative briefs, campaign strategies
- Professional catalogs, websites, print ads, emails, blog posts, social media posts & more
- I am currently at work on a mystery for young readers set at a rock-art site in Utah.
Geography
- Morocco (seven years); Spain (one year); France (one year); Australia (high school Rotary exchange student & further travel); travel to Costa Rica, St. Croix, Europe, Malayisa, India, Vietnam, and Thailand
Interests
- Genealogy. Rock art. Knitting. Bike riding. Ayurveda. Recipes. Reading.
Life’s Work
- Ensuring that the younger generations have everything they need