Our staff consists of qualified, well-trained teachers who are certified in First Aid and CPR. Our student to teacher ratio exceeds the state requirements to ensure your child receives a lot of individual attention. In addition, Rec Place has a Junior Teacher Program that employs high school students who have graduated from the afterschool program. Some years, we also have interns from Wheelock College who bring energy and new ideas, as well as improve our wonderful ratio. Throughout the year, specialists bring enrichment programs to Rec Place, such as karate, kite building, mad science, baton instruction, and gymnastics.
Director
Shannon Whigham
Shannon is in her 10th year at Rec Place! After three years as the primary gym teacher she moved to the Assistant Director’s role for two years, and is now in her fifth year as Director. She holds a Master’s Degree in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University. A three-sport collegiate athlete at Becker College in Worcester, Shannon played basketball, soccer, and softball while maintaining a 3.93 undergraduate grade point average and receiving many awards, culminating in the 2010 Female Athlete of the Year Award. In her spare time, she enjoys spending as much time with her son as possible, generally playing and learning the park and library. Aside from playing sports, she discovered her passion for teaching in her freshman year of high school as a volunteer coach who taught basketball fundamentals to first and second graders. Since graduating from college, she has coached basketball and softball at the elementary school, high school, and collegiate levels and worked as a camp counselor. Shannon enjoys passing on her love and knowledge of sports, teamwork, and leadership to the next generation. She loves being a part of Rec Place!
Founder & Consultant
Nance Miller
Nance Miller is a graduate of St. Lawrence University with a combined major in psychology, sociology, and education. Nance worked at summer camps for 10 years and taught in various countries (including Denmark, Israel, and Montana). She created Rec Place Afterschool in 1985 by combining the best aspects of her camp experiences with some highlights of the Danish afterschool structure. As a child, Nance wished summer camp would last year round. As an adult, she decided that starting an afterschool was as close to year round camp as she could get.
Nance currently plays soccer on two local teams and teaches swimming to adults and children of all ages. She has an amazing husband and two wonderful daughters who both attended Rec Place as children and as part time staff when they were in high school and college. They are now fantastic parents, and Nance is thrilled to be a grandma! (so much fun) Nance has come in to help out on a few occasions and is providing support remotely from her new home on a lake.
Site Coordinator
Dennis Cassidy
Dennis is a musician who moved to Massachusetts from Washington, D.C. He has a M.Ed. from the University of Cincinnati and a B.A. from Wesleyan University. Before coming to Rec Place, he worked at after schools and summer camps in the DC area. This is his twelth year at Rec Place. In addition to facilitating activities, he will be helping with some administrative tasks for Rec Place this year. Dennis also provides individual keyboard lessons and guitar lessons.
Assistant Director
Kimberly To
Kim is in her 2nd year at Rec Place and is excited to be a part of the team as the Assistant Director. She was born and raised in Boston, MA and has a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She comes from years of experience working in elementary school classrooms, afterschool programs, and summer camps in Belmont. Her hobbies include indulging in art and design, watching sports, traveling the world, and trying new restaurants. She is looking forward to helping Shannon with the operations of Rec Place and incorporating STEM enrichment activities into the program.
Educator
RICO MARINO
Rico is in his 2nd year working with the children at Rec Place. He was born and raised in Italy and he loves learning about new cultures and places. He has a passion for athletics, travel, and everything cooking and food related. Ask him about his homemade recipe for sauce and pasta! He has experience working in both public and private schools and he can’t wait to work with the spirited young people at Rec Place.
Educator
Susan Cammer
Susan came out of retirement to join the team at Rec Place. Her background includes a range of professions from performing as a clown to working as a financial planner. Recently, she has worked in various child care settings. She has 4 grown children and three have spent time as part of the Rec Place Staff. With her plethora of interests and experience, Susan has been a wonderful addition to the staff and has added elements of drama, drumming and other types of music to the program.She has worked with the fifth graders to develop confidence and leadership skills as they prepare for the move to middle school.
Educator
Gianna Meloni
Gianna is in her first full year at Rec Place and has 12 years of experience working and teaching at sports camps, girl scout camps, and summer camps! Before moving to Boston, she attended Yale University and double majored in Psychology and English. She played goalie for the Bulldogs’ Division 1 Varsity Women’s Ice Hockey team, setting several school records, winning team MVP and other school, league, and team awards, and was a finalist for the NCAA National Goaltender of the Year award. Gianna has a Master’s of Science degree in Nursing; she has also written a mental health book for children. She is currently at Boston College studying to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and is excited to bring her love of sports, crafts, learning, and fun to the Rec Place community!
Educator
MaSON AYOTTE
Mason is a recent graduate of Towson University, receiving his bachelor’s degree in Sport Management. Now he is entering a master’s program at Boston College for Sport Administration. He was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland but is an avid fan of all the New England sports teams since his father is from Massachusetts. He is excited to no longer be an outlier during football season this fall! Mason began working as a summer camp counselor at his local gym last summer. He continued to work there throughout the school year and this summer. With his coursework background and love of sports, he enjoys teaching a variety of games, strategies, and tactics to help improve their skills but most importantly have fun! He is thrilled to be a part of the Rec Place staff as a teacher this year!
Educator
Kat Garcia
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Kat’s passion for art blossomed early in life. She has been taking advanced art lessons since high school and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Illustration with a minor in Art History from Lesley University. Before joining Rec Place, Kat gained valuable experience working at the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where she expanded her knowledge of art history, conservation, and contemporary artists. In her free time, Kat enjoys creating art using watercolor, paper, or any material that sparks her imagination. She finds joy in nature and gardening, which often inspire her artwork. Kat shares her home with her fuzzy dog, Pluma, and her charming guinea pig, Oscar. She is excited for a new year to make art with the kids at Rec Place and spark their creativity!