Karen Manley is a fixture at Community Education. Currently the WCPS Family Resource Coordinator at Natcher Elementary, Manley serves on the Community Education Advisory Council and was previously employed by Community Ed for 16 years.
“As supervisor of the after-school program at McNeill, I tried to incorporate fun traditions. Two activities included the annual McNeill vs. Potter Gray Dodgeball Tournament and our weeklong End of Year Celebration. The Dodgeball Tournament gave both schools the chance to show off their dodgeball skills while being cheered on by parents and fellow students. The week-long End of Year events included the No Talent Talent Show, where anyone could showcase their talent (or lack thereof), remote control car races, gutter sundaes, and the infamous water day. I still have kids and staff who were in the program tell me how those were some of their best memories of after-school.”
Manley enjoyed working closely with the college students who worked as staff. “I am still in contact with many of them, and it’s been gratifying and exciting to see them grow into amazing adults and excel in life!”
Before working for Community Education, Manley served as Program Director for Girls Incorporated and had served as Volunteer Coordinator for the Foster Grandparent Program. Manley and her husband, Brian, have three children.
“My time at Community Education allowed me to grow both personally and professionally which helped prepare me for my position as a Family Resource Coordinator with Warren
County Public Schools. I firmly believe working within the walls of a school as a Community Education employee provided me with a unique perspective and experience in the education world. Whether it be working with student groups, problem-solving, planning large-scale events, organizing programs, budgeting, or daily encounters with students, parents, staff, and volunteers; my experience as a Community Education employee has helped me in my approach to the tasks I am faced with daily.