Program Description
Academy Staff
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Omega Leadership Academy

Program Description  |  Photo Gallery

Ms. Deborah Estell

Program Coordinator

Ms. Deborah Estell, counselor, teacher and university lecturer, has spent a lifetime working with youth in some form or another--from volunteering in schools while in the private sector, to working full time as a public school educator-in the process reaching young people from elementary school to the university level.

Ms. Estell spent a number of years as a classroom teacher in the San Francisco Unified School District, before assuming her current position of elementary school counselor. She is also on the faculty of San Francisco State University in the Department of Elementary Education in teacher preparation and instruction, preparing graduate students to teach in the classroom. In addition, Ms. Estell provides supervision to first year school psychology graduate students, instructing them in the techniques of non-directive play therapy and sand tray therapy. Ms. Deborah Estell, who is licensed as a Marriage & Family therapist, holds two Masters degrees--a Master of Science degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy and School Counseling, and a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration. She has served several years as Principal during summer school sessions.

After attending the Omega Training Institute in 1997, Ms. Estell implemented an Omega Program in the Counseling Center at John Muir Elementary School. Thanks to her efforts, Omega officially adopted John Muir the following year, and under her guidance and direction, incidents of violence at the school have dramatically decreased, while test scores have risen. Here at Omega, Ms. Estell functions as the Coordinator for the Leadership Academy.