On a new Teachers' Lounge, it’s Elaine Hirschenberger! In 1975, Elaine co-founded Womanspace in Rockford. She recently retired from her role as Executive Director.
Womanspace is an interfaith organization that offers groups and classes on art, spirituality, and personal growth for folks of all ages.
Elaine has led a fascinating life. She’s a Catholic nun with the School Sisters of St. Francis. She was a classroom teacher. She’s devoted the last 50 years of her life to building a space where women can feel comfortable exploring their creativity and spirituality, and connecting with each other.
We talked about why she and her co-founder Dorothy Bock started Womanspace, the early years when they were meeting in a little apartment they were also living in, and how it grew over the decades.
Now that she’s retired, she’s been reflecting on her life and career. We talked about how finding your people and a community feels more important and more difficult than ever. Elaine also tells us about an educator and mentor whose had a massive impact on her life and the emotional and intense time they spent together last year.
SHOW NOTES
Educator(s) in this episode: Elaine Hirschenberger
Music: Our show's theme music is from the northern Illinois-based band "Kindoves" and their songs "Popn," "Origins" and "Quiche." You can find more of their music on their SoundCloud page. You can also listen to the episode of WNIJ's Sessions from Studio A where they were featured.
Teachers! People who know teachers! People with stories about teachers! Send us an email and be part of the show! You can send that to teacherslounge@niu.edu.
