Melissa Church (she/her) is an academic educator, program designer, and arts educator with a Master’s in Education, Pennsylvania certifications in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Reading Specialist, and more than 26 years of teaching experience in both traditional and alternative educational settings.

Throughout her career, Melissa has created innovative educational programs that combine academics with creativity, community, and student-centered learning. She founded and directed Student Stage Camps, a Philadelphia-based performing arts summer program for more than a decade, where students collaborated to create original theatrical productions. She also co-founded and directed Staging Journeys, a Philadelphia-based education, children’s theater, and family travel organization that blended performance, cultural exploration, and meaningful community experiences. In addition, she has designed and taught a wide variety of classes and workshops for homeschool organizations throughout the Philadelphia region.

Melissa believes that children learn best when they are known well, cared for, challenged thoughtfully, and given opportunities to pursue meaningful work. Her teaching emphasizes literature, discussion, interdisciplinary learning, creative problem-solving, artistic expression, and student ownership, while recognizing that every child brings unique strengths, interests, and ways of learning.

Drawing on decades of experience in education, curriculum design, and creative programming, Melissa has built School House Lane to be the kind of learning community she always wished existed—a place where intellectual rigor and joyful learning go hand in hand, and where students are encouraged to become thoughtful, capable, and compassionate people.