ALISON URBAN
San Diego,CA
Summary
Visionary education leader with 15+ years of experience designing, leading, and expanding K–12 programs in museum, zoo, and performing arts contexts. Proven expertise in building strategic partnerships, developing curriculum aligned with state/national standards, leading high-performing teams, and leveraging digital platforms for distance learning. Passionate about museum learning that centers somatic, emotional, and narrative-based engagement as a tool for historical empathy and intergenerational understanding.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Programs Manager: Arts Intervention & Community Programs
Arts Education Connection San Diego
09.2023 - Current
- Manage cross-functional relationships with SDUSD and SDCOE school district VAPA leads, partner school principals, teaching staff to strengthen program delivery and alignment with partner goals.
- Set strategic direction for cross curricular learning programs serving justice-involved youth, foster youth, and pregnant/parenting teens across San Diego County partnerships with SDCOE, Juvenile Court & Community Schools (JCCS).
- Design and support implementation of scalable curricula tailored for diverse learning environments, including site-based instruction (libraries, prisons, community spaces).
- Recruit, mentor, and train 20+ Teaching Artists; lead professional learning in curriculum design, standards based lesson implementation and effective facilitation strategies.
- Direct staffing and budgeting across multiple grant supported programs; ensuring efficiency and program sustainability.
Lecturer
San Diego State University
08.2018 - Current
- Collaborated with the School of Teacher Education (STE) to complete the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) Course Matrix for Theatre and Dance. CTC approved Theatre on January 26, 2023.
- Developed SDSU's first competency-based Theatre Methods series aligned with California Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs) for Theatre.
- Instructor of Record: Instructional Methods for Theatre (TE914G) and Advanced Instructional Methods for Theatre (TE924G).
- University Supervisor: Theatre Student Teacher Candidates (TE963).
Associate Director of Education & Outreach
La Jolla Playhouse
04.2013 - 08.2016
- Directed curriculum development and staffing for summer and in-school programs serving 500+ K–12 students annually.
- Led initiatives with SDUSD, SDCOE, and Kennedy Center Partners in Education to expand arts integration and engagement in existing classroom curricula.
- Piloted the Girl Scout Empowerment Theatre program in collaboration with Girl Scouts of America, focused on confidence-building and leadership in young women. (4-year grant supported)
- Developed and delivered classroom curriculum guides and in-school workshops tied to touring and main-stage productions.
- Led access coordination for ASL, Audio Description, and Open Captioning; collaborated with Production, Patron Services, and Marketing to ensure inclusive experiences for audiences.
- Established innovative new programming for justice-involved youth through partnerships with the Juvenile Court and Community Schools (JCCS).
- Managed cross-functional teams for multiple large-scale projects (WOW Festivals), completing each on time and within budget constraints.
- Associate Member of the Balboa Park Museum Educators Council. Established new relationships for LJP Education with key Balboa Park Museum Partners, creating mutually beneficial opportunities for growth and collaboration among education departments.
- Successfully managed budgets and allocated resources to maximize productivity and profitability.
- Fostered a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging staff to share innovative ideas for youth engagement or programming and provided resources for professional development whenever possible..
Educator Guide | Education Assistant | Tour Operator Guide
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
06.2004 - 09.2013
- Led and delivered VIP tours to zoo guests, youth, community groups, and government officials, including behind-the-scenes access to exhibit animals and research areas, and facilitated discussions with wildlife specialists.
- Created and scripted in school assemblies and K-12 summer camp curriculum on conservation, classification, and adaptation aligned with NGSS, Common Core, and CA VAPA standards.
- Handled live animals to enhance interpretation strategies in informal learning environments.
- Developed staff training manuals and led onboarding for new educators and training in new youth/adult programming.
- Provided NGSS-aligned outreach programming across elementary, middle, and high schools throughout San Diego County.
- Member of the Balboa Park Museum Educators Council
Education
Ph.D. - Drama And Theatre
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla06-2023
Master of Arts - Drama
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB03.2012
Bachelor of Arts - Drama in Education & Community
University of Windsor
Windsor, ON06.2006
Skills
- K–12 CA Standards Alignment & Cross-Curricular Integration
- Museum & Informal Education Program Design
- National Association for Interpretation (NAI) Training
- Strategic Educational Leadership & Visioning
- Community Engagement & Strategic Partnerships
- Budget Management & Program Sustainability
- Educational Technology & Digital Learning Platforms (Canvas, Google Classroom, Cuseum)
- Accessibility, & UDL Principals
- Research-Informed Program Assessment
- New Teacher Training/Mentorship
Public Pedagogy & Research
(Select entries – full list available upon request)
- Published in Museum International (2024): “Performances of Intergenerational Memory as Memorial: The Forgotten Diaspora Remembered by the Muzeum Pamięci Sybiru.”vol. 76(1-2), 2024. p.86-99. https://doi.org/10.1080/13500775.2024.2422750.
Presented original research at international and national conferences, including:
- Sybir Memorial Museum (2023) – “Acts of Remembrance as Acts of Resistance”
- 18th International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences (2023) - Themed Panel – Special Focus: Agency in an Era of Displacement and Social Change.
- American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR) – multiple working groups on public remembrance and trauma
- International Museum Theatre Alliance (2019) – Performance with[in] Museum and Memorial Spaces
- Curator (2017): TEÍČ'IȞ IŊLA: Practicing Decolonial Love - Ledger Drawings of Dwayne Wilcox, UCSD Special Collections — focused on Indigenous storytelling and youth interpretation.
Timeline
Programs Manager: Arts Intervention & Community Programs
Arts Education Connection San Diego
09.2023 - Current
Lecturer
San Diego State University
08.2018 - Current
Associate Director of Education & Outreach
La Jolla Playhouse
04.2013 - 08.2016
Educator Guide | Education Assistant | Tour Operator Guide
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
06.2004 - 09.2013
Ph.D. - Drama And Theatre
University of California, San Diego
Master of Arts - Drama
University of Alberta
Bachelor of Arts - Drama in Education & Community
University of Windsor