Mary Petersen

Dr. Petersen has guided LACSO as director for nearly 20 years. She has provided community-wide tutor training sessions in adult ESL teaching methodology for school districts and area colleges. She created "Community English,” a six-month Cox Cable program developed for the entire Omaha/Council Bluffs area, which provided daily ESL instruction to new arrivals. Her "Mobile English" programming has taken English and Citizenship classes to businesses throughout the area. She has been responsible for guiding LACSO grants from Iowa West Foundation, Parker Family, Mutual of Omaha, Dollar General, Lincoln Financial, Compassion Institute of the Midlands, Futuro Latino, Cox Cable, and others. She has also presented at local, regional, and national seminars. She is a certified instructor through the Mindful Schools Teacher Certification Program and has a Life Coach Certification. Other advanced skills include:
•Nebraska Educator's Certificate
•Standard Administrative Certificate
•Iowa Permanent Professional License
•Proliteracy Tutor Trainer Basic Literacy
•Proliteracy Tutor Trainer ESL
•Best Plus Test Administrator
•CASAS Test Administrator