El Corazón Center for Teaching & Learning
Contact
El Corazón
1300 Fifth Street
Wenatchee, WA 98801
Mish ee twie 1321
Email: elcorazonCTL@wvc.edu
Phone: (509) 682-6767
Dr. María I. Morales-Sánchez,
Director of El Corazón Center for Teaching & Learning
Working Together to be Student-Centered
“Learning is not depositing knowledge—it is becoming and transforming” – Paulo Freire
Welcome to El Corazón! ¡Bienvenidos!
Who we are
The El Corazón Center for Teaching & Learning serves as a collaborative hub that partners closely with faculty and staff while connecting ideas and efforts across the institution to foster a more unified, student-centered campus. Grounded in a commitment to equity and inclusion, the Center advances a culture of inquiry that is both equity-minded and data-informed, empowering educators and staff to reflect, learn, and make meaningful improvements in their practice.
The Center creates opportunities for faculty and staff to build community, grow as educators, and share knowledge and expertise across the institution. Through professional development, collaboration, and evidence-based practices, it promotes asset-based mindsets, strengthens campus climate, and enhances teaching, advising, and student support.
At its core, El Corazón CTL nurtures pedagogical awareness and innovation—ensuring that our practices are grounded in equity, cultural affirmation, and community, and that all students are supported in environments that foster belonging, adaptability, and success.
Goals
- Facilitate dialogue and reflection on teaching, learning, and equity
- Support faculty and staff in reimagining their roles in student success
- Advance culturally relevant and responsive teaching practices
- Promote critical thinking about systems, identity, and student experience
Values
- Inclusion & Belonging – We cultivate a welcoming gathering space where all identities, cultures, and experiences are reflected, respected, and affirmed, fostering connection, collaboration, and shared purpose.
- Collaboration & Servingness – We build meaningful partnerships across faculty, staff, and departments to strengthen collective impact and support student success.
- Culture of Inquiry – We engage in ongoing reflection and use data to guide continuous improvement in teaching, learning, and student support.
- Critical Thinking – We encourage questioning, reflection, and thoughtful analysis to deepen understanding, challenge assumptions, and inform equitable practices.
- Cultural Responsiveness & Place-Based Pedagogy– We design and support teaching and learning that honors students’ cultural identities and lived experiences while grounding education in the local community, environment, and context.
Core Components
- Helping faculty develop technical and instructional skills
- Supporting effective use of tools such as Canvas, Panopto, and ctcLink
- Improving course design, structure, and accessibility
- Promoting foundations in universal design and inclusive course delivery
- Connecting instructors to college-wide tools, resources, and systems
- Faculty & Staff: contact ElCorazonCTL@wvc.edu for a link to the Canvas shell
Faculty Coordinators:
Angie Redmon
Math Faculty and Professional Development Coordinator
aredmon@wvc.edu
Wenatchee Campus
She/her/hers
Tria Skirko
Electronic Services Librarian and Professional Development Coordinator
tskirko@wvc.edu
Omak Campus
She/her/hers
- Learning Communities for faculty and staff that foster shared learning, collaboration, and innovation
- Cross-role dialogue and shared inquiry spaces
- Opportunities to reflect on practice and improve student outcomes
- Institution-wide workshops, presentations, and training opportunities
- Resources to support teaching, advising, and institutional practices
- Training grounded in frameworks such as the Community Cultural Wealth Model
- Opportunities to build cultural responsiveness, critical thinking, and equity-minded practice
- Train faculty in equitable, student-centered advising.
- Align campus partnerships to improve student retention and navigation.
- Bridge First-Year Experience navigators and faculty advisors via structured communication.
- Building intentional partnerships between the campus and community organizations to expand resources, support networks, and opportunities for students, faculty, and staff
- Strengthening the presence of community within campus spaces and learning environments to foster relevance, belonging, and real-world connection