Grant Category:	Fulbright-Nehru English Teaching Assistantship Program
Field of Specialization:	English
Name:	Ms. Kimberly A. Karnatz
Official Address:	Illinois State University Illinois
Indian Host Institution:	Kendriya Vidyalaya Masjid Moth, Sector III, Sadiq Nagar New Delhi
Duration of Grant & Start Date :	9 months July 4, 2011

Brief Bio:

Ms. Kimberly Karnatz is a Middle Level Education major at Illinois State University in Normal, IL, and is driven to help all middle school aged students succeed through the tumultuous experience that is adolescence. As a Golden Apple Scholar and STEP-UP Fellow, Ms. Karnatz has spent summers working in the Chicago Public School system, learning how to teach students of diverse populations and working with family and community members to better the educational process. Her service in Chicago led her to seek out teaching experiences in Tanzania, as well as led to her being featured in an educational reform magazine, Catalyst Chicago. Besides teaching, Ms. Karnatz works at a multicultural summer camp, Camp Kupugani, and helps children and adolescents learn more about body image, conflict resolution, diversity, and team building skills. In addition to being interested in teaching, she also enjoys reading, yoga, dancing, and going on adventures. In order to create a district wide yoga curriculum, Ms. Karnatz will be researching the use of yoga in schools for students who have self control issues, like ADHD or autism spectrum disorders. She aims to see not only how yoga can assist a student physically, but also in terms of mental well being. Anxiety disorders are often associated with low GABA levels, and by learning how to create and apply a yoga plan specifically tailored to students with anxiety and raise their GABA levels, she can assist students in learning self control and self monitoring practices.