WE ARE AMERICAN ACADEMY

ONDŘEJ KANIA

CEO of Consilium

Our goal is to build a network of high-quality international schools that serve as an alternative to British international schools. As we continue developing the American Academy network, we strive to create schools that we would want to study at ourselves. What student wouldn't dream of a school where they can choose the subjects they want to focus on? What parent wouldn't dream of a school where their child looks forward to every morning?

The aim of American Academy is to assist each student in recognizing and developing their potential in areas they are passionate about and wish to pursue both in university and their professional life.
 

Ondřej Lepka

Director of the School Network

Ondrej Lepka was a CEO of a Education group providing education from kindergarten to 8-year high school. Together with his team he has gone through the whole process of International Baccalaureate accreditation.
Ondrej believes that learning is a lifelong process. He believes that it is important to know that making a mistake is not bad. According to him, a well-established school creates a sort of a golden circle - a satisfied student, the teacher and the parent. To achieve that, two-way effective communication is essential.
He would like to apply all the skills he gained in HR (Human resources), use his experience with education and knowledge of the Czech scholar legislation. His goal is to establish well-functioning education system.
In his free time, he likes to travel and meet with his friends. 

Yvonne Crawford

Associate Director of American Academy School Network Yvonne Crawford has a BA in Linguistics, an MA in Sociology and an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language, and is currently working on her doctorate in Educational and English Pedagogy. She spent several years teaching English and Language Arts in the United States, Hungary, Slovakia and France. She has also lived in Canada, Ireland, and Spain. She has worked in various educational companies, including one that she created herself 10 years ago. However, her heart and soul lie in teaching and helping students find their own paths in life. With Yvonne Crawford the progress made at American Academy is guaranteed to continue and thrive well into the future.

Pavel Novák

Head of American Academy in Brno

A native of Moravia, Mr. Novak received his master's degree in English and German Philology at Palacky University Olomouc in 1999. For the next seventeen years he worked in secondary schools in Brno teaching World History, as well as the English and German
Languages. He never liked old-fashioned teaching methods, and instead always sought new ways. As a result, he designed and presented several teacher development workshops. He also participated in international secondary school projects with students and teachers from Austria, Germany, France and Italy. His need to learn from more experienced and progressive colleagues brought him eventually to South Kent, an independent boarding school in Connecticut, where he worked as a Current Political Issues teacher, and an instructor of Soft Skills and Leadership Development Programs.

Yamini Singh

Head of American Academy in Zagreb

Yamini holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Mary Washington (Virginia), a Master’s of Humanities with a concentration in Literature from Tiffin University (Ohio), and a CELTA Certificate. Additionally, some of her undergraduate coursework was completed at the Université Paris VIII Vincennes-Saint-Denis.

After studying and teaching in Paris, France, Yamini’s interest in education was sparked. She subsequently spent several years teaching the humanities in Doha, Qatar, and then in Prague, Czechia. She has also lived in Montreal, Canada.
Speaking English and French (and just enough Arabic and Hindi to get by), Yamini considers herself a “third culture kid” who has grown into a true global citizen. Her interests include Modernist art and literature, with a strong penchant for the surreal. She possesses a great passion for learning, and her joy is found engaging with young people in the classroom.

Lenka Titerova

Head of American Academy in Prague Lenka Titerova lived in North Carolina, USA, for three years where she received a degree. After moving back to the Czech Republic, she received her Master’s degree in English philology at the Silesian University in Opava. For several years, she shared her enthusiasm for the English language with students of all ages. She then worked in administration as the vice principal of a private high school for 8 years. 
After moving to Prague, she worked as a project manager and later vice principal at a private elementary school. When she had the opportunity to come and teach at American Academy in Prague, she saw it as a compelling challenge and became enamored with the school environment from the beginning. As an enthusiastic advocate of new approaches to learning, she will continue the path of making AAP one of the most innovative and inspiring schools.