About Us

Afterschool Village is designed to address the atomistic and fragmented nature of Los Angeles.

The Problem

👎 Lack of social support once provided by traditional communities and extended family systems

👎 Media and technology dissociating children from their bodies, their senses, their emotions

👎 Over-medicalization of children and increased emphasis on measurable academic performance and testing

👎 Anxiety/depression about the future, particularly climate change and the threat to global ecosystems

The AV Solution

The Village offers an alternative to traditional childcare and activity-centered programs by focusing on how children relate to Self and Other and how this can reset the child’s emotional and mental well-being.

AV's objective is to address primarily the needs of children in a relational and progressive context.

👍 We take “green” ecological thinking and apply it to the growing human person.

👍 We use activities that target how children deal with stress, their resilience, their ability to co-operate with peers, and their ability to sustain hope and commitment through long-term projects.

👍 We teach them to be an integral part of their communities, reaching out to other community groups, businesses, professionals, and political institutions.

The neighborhood is our learning environment!

All of the above takes place in pursuit of sustainable living practices that support the local and global environment.

Founder

Education

Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude: Columbia University

Masters Degree In Psychology: Antioch University

Licenses, Certifications & Awards

Marriage and Family Therapist

Certified in Trauma Stress Studies at JRI, Boston, Massachusets

Supervisor certification

Lic # 104096

Raduca Kaplan

Raduca Kaplan received her B.A. in Comparative religion and premed studies from Columbia University and a Masters in Psychology from Antioch Universtiy. She works currently in private practice in Studio City, California. 

As a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation for 40 years, Raduca is particularly focused in her practice on the mind-body integration as well as how one functions from that level of wholeness in their relationship with the other. She uses her certification in trauma to explore the developmental aspect of early injury and how it impacts an individual's ability to relate to self and their environment. Her work with children and families, directed Raduca's interest to prevention, education and parental support with focus on strengthening the parental dyad and to recalibrate family's systemic dynamics.

Based on her 11 years business and entrepreneurial expertise from heading her family's animation studio in Europe that she started with her husband of 28 years, Raduca reoriented her passion towards founding an non-profit organization, Afterschool Village, which is a family-centered space whose scope is to help parents parent emotionally, mentally and physically integrated human beings. Raduca feels her greatest accomplishment though is her parenting of her two children and she feels grateful of the lessons she received in return that have a lasting effect on the work she does with her clients.

Additional Activities & Memberships

Founded and led a support group for students with disabilities and acted as liaison between disabled student body and administration at Columbia University. Served on President’s advisory board on disability.

Acted as liaison between the Columbia University and New York University offices for students with disabilities to facilitate dialogue on a wide range of issues from discrimination to dating.

Trained in end-of-life counseling and bereavement and offered support for family members in dealing with the death of a loved one at Cedars-Sinai medical center.

Founded and led inter-faith women support group dealing with spiritual approaches to life’s challenges at Unitarian-Universalist Church of Studio City.

Founded and led women’s support group based on 12-step approach to strengthen local social networks and build community in Studio City, California.

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

San Fernando Valley Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

Meet Our Staff

Ana

Ana Alí Simón has a B.Sc. in Biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), where she specialized in wildlife conservation, followed by postgraduate studies on Natural Resources. She recently finished an M.Phil. in Climate Change and Development at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, specializing in the policy coherence between biodiversity conservation, climate change and poverty alleviation. She wants to create bridges between the natural and the social sciences.

Ana has over ten years of international, multicultural, and cross-sectoral professional experience. She has worked with government agencies, non-profits, universities, and the private sector. She has taught students from 10 different countries, managed projects in Mexico, in the Himalayas and rural India, and studied and tutored in South Africa. She has worked with fishermen, indigenous communities, as well as directly with major donors of non-profits and directors of government secretariats. The driving force of her career is to create positive change in the world.

Alex

Alex Floyd, born and raised in the mountains of Colorado, trained in dance from age 3 on at Terpsichore Dance Studio and summer intensives with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and Axis Dance. Alex attended the University of Wyoming to receive her BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in international studies. After graduation, Alex moved to Los Angeles to start her own dance company, OdDancity at age 22.

Since then, OdDancity has put up 8 full length shows and has morphed into the nation's first company that focuses on immersive and psychological works. Alex also performs and teaches dance in various capacities. She is commissioned by Cusi Coyllur, a musical artist to create dance music videos. She has worked with film projects and musical artists as a choreographer. Alex is also on the board of the nonprofit Young Choreographers Project as well as a mentor and teacher. With this project, she brings choreography and mentorship to underserved youth in LA.

Alex has also been a professional nanny in Los Angeles for 9 years and has incredible experiences with children of all ages.

Anthea

Anthea Carson has been coaching chess and playing in chess tournaments for 25 years. She coaches chess at American Chess Academy in Glendale, California, and at various after school chess programs and chess camps in Colorado.

She is the co-author of several chess books including the best selling tactics books, Tactics Time 1 and Tactics Time 2. She is the winner of the 2003 US Female Game 60 championship. She is in the top 20 chess women over 50 in United States, and top 3 female chess blitz players over 50. She holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Colorado and currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

Ana

Ana Miro is a Puerto Rican artist and educator, based in LA for the last 8 years. Growing up with a few developmental delays of her own and daughter to an early childhood education specialist, she was introduced to art and dance from a very young age. Anything to help her concentrate and re-direct her high-energy onto something productive and fun. She made it a life goal to get as much training as possible in both art and dancing techniques. She graduated from a Specialized Art High School and earned a BA in Theater Arts with a minor in Special Education and Dance Education. The arts became a way of life, helped her surpass all steppingstones and shaped her into the person she is today.

She started working with children at the age of 14, and has never stopped since. She has taught dance, art and theater to all ages, for the past 18 years. After college, she moved to LA believing she could make the Arts her life career. Her dream always was to open an integrated art school for all ages and abilities. After years of working community and family events, and art-on-the-go programs for the Zimmer Children's Museum, Ana decided to finally venture out on her own...and that's how The Artsy Wagon came to be. Now she can take ART to wherever it’s needed.

Adrianna

I have more than 20 years of experience in the food industry. My passion for cooking is reflected in my extended experience in catering, event planning, being a private chef, teaching cooking and baking skills to kids as part of after school programs and nonetheless owning several restaurants.

Presently I’m working on a book about going “back to basics” in food, nutrition and a balanced lifestyle. I’m a proud mom of two boys, one who just entered college and the other in high school.

Eric

A native of Flatbush, New York, Eric Kaplan began writing for Spy magazine and the Harvard Lampoon before getting his first television-writing job on The Late Show with David Letterman. Before THE BIG BANG THEORY, he worked on other shows including Futurama (for which he won an Emmy), Flight of the Conchords, Malcolm in the Middle, and Andy Richter Controls the Universe. Kaplan created "Zombie College" for icebox and co-created "The Drinky Crow Show" and "Mongo Wrestling Alliance" for Adult Swim through his company Mirari Films.

Kaplan has his PhD from UC Berkeley in philosophy on the comic in the philosophy of Soren Kierkegaard. His book Does Santa Exist: A Philosophical Investigation was published by Dutton in 2014 and has been called by Matt Groening "the funniest philosophy book since...well, ever." Eric is also a supervising producer on Young Sheldon, and currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. Eric recently received a position as Adjunct Professor of Psychology at McGill University to participate in research cognitive studies.

Natalie

I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science from Northern Arizona University this past summer. I enjoy going on adventures with my family and friends, taking my one-eyed dog on walks, and exercising! I enjoy working with children for many different reasons. I enjoy being able to teach them new things about themselves and the world around them. I enjoy being a part of witnessing their growth. There are new generations growing up in a challenging new world and I believe it’s our responsibility to make sure we raise resilient, self-reliant, amazing humans.