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Vicki Hagen believes that every person has a unique story that deserves to be heard and amplified. As the executive director of The Imagine Project, Vicki combines her expertise in behavioral science and organizational development with a deep, personal passion for storytelling as a tool for healing and resilience.
Her career has been defined by a commitment to equity and advocacy. Most recently, as the Deputy Director of Integrated Community, Vicki served as a tireless advocate for immigrants living in Northwest Colorado, working to ensure that every member of the Yampa Valley has the support to contribute and thrive. Her dedication to systemic change is also deeply personal; as a mother and advocate for her elementary-aged child who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, Vicki has navigated the complexities of disability rights and accessibility firsthand.
These experiences fuel Vicki’s fundamental vision: that all children learn to dream and imagine who they want to be regardless of where they live, what they look like, or the community from which they come. She is dedicated to ensuring that the tools of The Imagine Project reach every child, providing them the agency to move through trauma and into a future of their own design.
Vicki’s professional journey spans from teaching Italian in Seattle to leading global DEIB initiatives for major healthcare organizations. A lifelong learner, she holds a Master of Arts from the University of Washington and has earned specialized certifications in Equitable Community Change (Cornell), Financial Success for Nonprofits (Cornell), and an international certificate in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging from the Academy to Innovate Human Resources (AIHR).
Vicki is a firm believer that vulnerability is a strength. She and her family are active members of the South Routt community, where they can be found paddling at Stagecoach, exploring new topics at the library, and raising their children to be bold, kind, and inclusive world citizens. (email: [email protected])
Life has knocked me down more than once—but it has also taught me how to stand back up with greater strength and resilience.
I grew up in a complicated family shaped by suicide, alcoholism, and ongoing financial hardship. While deeply painful, these experiences gave me an early understanding of perseverance and what it truly takes to move through adversity.
In 2010, I traveled across the United States, listening to everyday people share their stories of overcoming extraordinary challenges. I saw resilience everywhere. Those stories inspired me to write a multi–award-winning book, and their impact ultimately led me to bring the Imagine Project format to children.
What became clear very quickly was that every child carries a story—often one marked by hardship—and that they need safe, supportive ways to process their experiences and imagine a healthier path forward. After hearing the stories of hundreds of children, I founded The Imagine Project, Inc. in 2015. Drawing on my background as both a nurse and an author, I created a program designed to reach and support thousands of children in healing, hopeful ways.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, our mission is to empower kids to overcome life’s challenges by helping them realize they have the power to rewrite their own stories. Through our fundraising efforts, we bring The Imagine Project to schools and youth organizations free of charge. The program’s 7-step interactive process enables children to write about their struggles, envision how they want their story to change, and imagine new possibilities for their future. Ultimately, The Imagine Project promotes the mental health and well-being of youth. Today, it has reached children in all 50 states and 24 countries. Watching young people transform their difficult stories into narratives of hope and possibility is incredibly rewarding.
Dianne holds a Master’s Degree in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing from the University of Colorado Health Science Center. She is an international speaker, mental health expert, and thought leader, and the author of several books, including The Imagine Project: Empowering Kids to Rise Above Drama, Trauma, and Stress (Yampa Valley Publishing, 2018). Her first book, The Imagine Project: Stories of Courage, Hope, and Love (Yampa Valley Publishing, 2013), won multiple awards, including the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Award for nonfiction. She also wrote the children’s book Byron the Caterpillar Who Loved to Imagine (Yampa Valley Publishing, 2017), aimed at helping children under eight understand the power of believing in themselves. Dianne lives in Stagecoach, Colorado, with her husband and has three grown children. (email: [email protected])
Dr. Becky Moore is currently an Early Childhood Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator in the School of Education at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO. Becky has been in the field of Early Childhood for over 20 years serving as a teacher, administrator, consultant, and professor at both Southeast Missouri State University and Northwest Missouri State University. Becky was born and raised in Southeast Missouri and now resides in Maryville MO with her husband Dave and two children.
Becky’s passion for trauma-informed work and support of the Imagine Project extends far beyond the classroom setting as this work has intertwined both her personal and professional lives. Raised by a father who suffered from many adverse childhood experiences, saving her son from a traumatic accident, a genetic condition diagnosis, working with children suffering from traumatic experiences, and currently supporting and empowering young adult learners on healthy ways to cope with trauma and stress is what has led her to the Imagine Project. Becky has implemented the Imagine Project with her college students since 2018. It became evident to Becky after reading hundreds of Imagine Stories, there is a need to support and provide healthy coping strategies to all ages within the lifespan. It is through the Imagine Project she found at tool she could implement with her students that empowered them to share their stories in a safe space and initiate additional resources for continued healing. (email: [email protected])
Arlene Karlin has dedicated her entire 30-year career to helping families and students with special needs and emotional difficulties. As a special educator and school counselor with K-12, Arlene has worked tirelessly to improve the learning opportunities for these students. As part of this effort, Arlene has identified and brought into districts new and innovative SEL (Social Emotional Learning) programs. She brings practical, hands-on experience in making these types of programs effective with The Imagine Project.
A highly relevant example is Arlene’s role was as a trainer of the Yale University RULER program, where teachers were provided lessons that taught students ways to regulate their emotions in positive, healthy ways. Additionally, Arlene was a facilitator for the MCEC (Military Child Education Coalition) in creating leadership clubs for students in elementary schools whose parents were in the military and/or deployed. Through these clubs, she fostered physical and emotional safety for children who were continuously transitioning to new locations and/or experiencing stress and trauma in military life.
Through her experience as a school counselor, Arlene has abundant knowledge of the Colorado Academic Standards for Social Emotional Wellness and has transformed these requirements into programs and activities with an emphasis on students’ health and wellness. Providing support to students working through trauma and challenging life circumstances that limit a child’s ability to grow and learn, both academically and emotionally, is her passion. Arlene is excited to help The Imagine Project curriculum become more widely incorporated into the social emotional education of students across the globe.
Arlene is a native of Colorado and resides in Steamboat Springs, Colo. (email: [email protected])
Judy Bloomberg Schenkein is a general pediatrician with an emphasis on mental health. Dr. Bloomberg graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in Biochemistry, Molecular & Cell Biology and from Washington University School of Medicine with an M.D. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. (email: [email protected])
Judy’s Imagine Story:
Imagine…being raised in a household where child development and well-being were paramount concerns – the daughter of a pediatrician and an early childhood educator.
Imagine…training in pediatrics because you believe that all children deserve a healthy start.
Imagine…finding your passion and greatest connection with young people struggling with depression and anxiety.
Imagine…wanting to impact more than just the patients in your practice, whom you can only see one at a time.
Imagine…observing through your own kids and patients how frequently kids suffer silently in classrooms where they are neither seen nor heard nor understood.
Imagine…understanding how distracting Adverse Childhood Events can be, interfering with a child’s ability to learn and to attend in the classroom.
Imagine…experiencing the first large-scale school shooting at Columbine High School and wondering how 2 kids could become so disenfranchised and so angry and so hurt.
Imagine…watching similar events continue to unfold across our country.
Imagine…wondering what causes angry hurt people to return to SCHOOLS, of all places, to exact their revenge.
Imagine…watching your own kids lose classmates to suicide.
Imagine…recognizing that classrooms CAN be places where kids are not seen and not heard, and are often bullied for being the slightest bit “different.”
Imagine…understanding how powerful a tool Expressive Writing can be.
Imagine…watching the empathy in a classroom shift and grow after students write and share their Imagine stories.
Imagine…wanting that sense of safety and connection and authenticity to be available to EVERY student.
Imagine…working hard to bring The Imagine Project to EVERY school and every child!
That is my dream.
Samantha Jo Alexander is a fifth-generation Colorado native with a deep commitment to education, community, and whole-child development. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, holds a teaching licensure, and completed a master’s degree in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. Samantha is currently pursuing an additional master’s degree in Educational Leadership and is working toward her principal licensure.
With years of experience in education, Samantha is passionate about creating spaces where both children and adults feel seen, supported, and empowered to grow. She strongly believes in the mission of the Imagine Project and the lasting impact it can have, not only on students, but on the adults who serve and walk alongside them.
Samantha is married to her high school sweetheart and is a proud mom of three energetic, outdoor-loving boys who keep her grounded, joyful, and inspired. She brings to the board a blend of professional expertise, generational roots in Colorado, and a heartfelt belief in the power of community to change lives. (email: [email protected])
Christie Taylor joined The Imagine Project in 2017 with great enthusiasm to help the founder, Dianne reach kids who have been affected by stress and trauma. Christie brings a repertoire of talents including marketing, sales, video production, and fundraising.
Christie’s background began in film production, graduating from the Colorado Film and Video Institute in 2002. She had already climbed her way to becoming a Producer at Starz Entertainment when she graduated. Working first in the marketing department at Starz as a PA, Christie quickly moved up through the company. Her passion was around the Starz Kids/WAM channel, where she produced and wrote her own short film that aired on the channel for Father’s Day, titled Daddy’s Day. Thereafter, she was recognized by the President of Starz Entertainment as a vital contributor to the companies charity projects. Christie wrote and produced many segments for Down Syndrome organizations in Denver for a year before getting onto the Starz on Demand launch team. (email: [email protected])
Imagine believing you had a blessed life, then crying throughout fifth grade because you were bullied by the girls you had thought were your friends
Imagine moving to a new school and state with only two weeks left in your seventh-grade year and being spit on by girls in your class while walking in from gym class
Imagine being sexually molested by a family ‘friend’ the summer of the same year, when you were 13 years old
Imagine being afraid to tell anyone, feeling alone, feeling so afraid that you might be pregnant. Imagine it happening more than once, but finally stopping when you found your voice and screamed ‘Leave me alone!”
Imagine the embarrassment when using food stamps, living off processed cheese from the food pantry and asking for give-away ‘dog bread’ from the bakery
Imagine your parents always arguing after that and you screaming over their yelling asking them to get a divorce if they couldn’t stop fighting
Imagine starting to waitress as soon as you turned 16, so you could help the family and buy your own track shoes and cheerleading outfit – things that helped you get out of the house and avoid the chaos
Imagine finally leaving for junior college and working three jobs to pay your tuition
Imagine the yearning for a better life that drove you to work those jobs and study hard enough to earn a full ride scholarship to the University of Nebraska for your Junior year of college
Imagine loving art and photography, but feeling the need to get a business degree to learn the art of ‘how to not be broke’
Imagine thoroughly enjoying finance class and deciding you wanted a career that would help you teach people how to save, invest, educate their children, retire comfortably, help others AND how to live a life they would love!
Imagine becoming a Certified Financial Planner® and starting your own wealth management business
Imagine the blessing of being able to make a living helping people, having the greatest career you could have ever dreamed of and building lifelong friendships with your clients
Imagine one of those clients, Dianne Maroney, sharing her book, The Imagine Project, with you and being totally blown away by everything about it!
Imagine crying while writing several different imagine stories of your own and being awed by the hope you could see in the eyes of children when seeing and hearing Dianne honor their stories in the classroom
Imagine selling your business at age 59 to focus more time on your faith; family – including an amazing husband, five children, a 72-year-old uncle with Downs Syndrome (who lives with you), nine grandchildren (hopefully more); and becoming a volunteer for The Imagine Project!
Imagine feeling so grateful for all these blessings and every turn that brought you where you are today!
Email: [email protected]
After growing up as a child of educators, spending over thirty years as an elementary school teacher, and serving as a mentor to undergraduate students studying to become teachers, my entire life has been and continues to be focused on learning and teaching (in that order). As educators we are constantly on a quest to make learning accessible to everyone. It is the single most challenging, most important, most frustrating, most rewarding, and most difficult calling there could be.
If learning is our focus, then having tools that help everyone access their “wizard brains” are essential. While there are a lot of programs for social/emotional learning that touch on the topics of empathy, emotions, and conflict resolution, nothing that I have used has had the impact that The Imagine Project does. It helps students move from their “lizard” to their “wizard brains,” from avoiding to embracing learning.
The Imagine Project builds a vulnerable classroom community filled with understanding and empathy. It allows different points of view and life experiences to be seen and heard. Most importantly, it creates a brave space to share and rewrite your story where no one has to feel alone.
As educators, our goals are to provide skills that “stick” and are accessible to our students long after they have left our classrooms. The simplicity and power of writing an Imagine Story to process difficult, stressful, and even traumatic events. If it is used consistently throughout the year, it can become a habit that students will fall back on during those tough solitary moments that are sure to come.
I am proud to support The Imagine Project and the schools that use it, as a tool for everyone who want to help students free themselves to learn at the highest levels while managing the stress of learning and life. (email: [email protected])
Imagine… the fear and worry that comes from teaching for over 30 years through towers falling, school shootings, student suicides, and a threatening pandemic.
Imagine… wanting to protect your students and create a safe space to learn but knowing that the world is not a safe space.
Imagine… spending each new school year searching for ways to connect and empower children to persevere and show courage through difficult times, but always coming up short.
Imagine… walking out of school on a Thursday in March and never coming back to school the same way again.
Imagine… starting your final school year full of fear, sadness, and uncertainty.
Imagine… wishing to feel normal, see smiles, and hug friends and family, but you can’t.
Imagine… learning a simple tool that helps to express those feelings and process those experiences.
Imagine… writing stories about your hard feelings and experiences that allow you to get them out of your heart and onto paper.
Imagine… sharing those stories with trusted friends in class and being able to empathize and connect with each other.
Imagine… all those intense emotions lifting off your shoulders and being shared by everyone who listens.
Imagine…creating a new brave space where students can be seen and heard for who they are.
Imagine… this simple tool being applied throughout the curriculum and school day whenever the need to process, connect, and empathize arises.
Imagine… carrying a tool into life that you can use anytime you need to feel hope.
Laura Fey has spent her career at the intersection of storytelling and entrepreneurship. Over nearly four decades of marriage and business partnership, she has co-founded four companies in the technology and publishing sectors. Today, she manages The Alteri Project, a small nonprofit providing technical assistance to underrepresented entrepreneurs. Laura lives in Denver with her husband of 34 years and is the mother of two wonderful daughters whose own success navigating learning differences serves as her daily inspiration to help others find their voice.
She is proud to serve The Imagine Project, finding deep alignment in their mission. She reads these motivating words everyday by Spanish cellist Pablo Casals:
“Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that never was before and never will be again. And what do we teach our children in school? We teach them that two and two make four and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all of the world there is no other child exactly like you. In the millions of years that have passed, there has never been a child like you. And look at your body- what a wonder it is! Your legs, your arms, your cunning fingers, the way you move! You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must cherish one another. You must work – we must all work – to make this world worthy of its children.”
Imagine growing up in a world where division, hatred and violence is the norm.
Imagine a world where children grow up practicing active shooter drills.
Imagine a world where children aren’t sure they will come home safely from school.
Imagine a world where children fear for the health of the planet.
Imagine a world where children grow up addicted “by design” to social media instead of playing outside.
Imagine a world where children are scared, numbed, and overwhelmed by all of these things.
Imagine what is happening to their developing mind – how do they process all of this?
Imagine a society that does not prioritize children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Imagine that without change we will continue to perpetuate division, hatred, and violence.
Imagine taking a simple positive step forward.
Imagine a journal.
Imagine this journal is a powerful tool to empower children to safely express themselves, learn about, and express their emotions.
Imagine this journal will create connection, compassion, peace of mind, joy and hope.
Imagine because of this simple yet powerful journal, a child can help create a world where inclusion, love and peace prevail.
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