Stephanie Bynum
Vice President of Programs
Stephanie Bynum is the Vice President of Programs at Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago. She has over 25 years experience in early childhood teaching, administration and adult education. Stephanie has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and a M.S. in Child Development from Erikson Institute.
Stephanie has been involved in teaching about and promoting the Project Approach since she used the first edition of Young Investigators: The Project Approach in the Early Years by Judy Harris Helm and Lilian Katz in a course she taught at the College of Lake County in 2001. Stephanie enjoys hiking and gardening. She is actively involved on boards of local and statewide not for profit education organizations.
Erika Gray
Director of Education
Erika Gray is the Director of Education at Kohl Children’s Museum (KCM) located in Glenview, IL. Erika has been employed at KCM for twenty-four years, nine years as a museum educator for developing, teaching and facilitating educational programs and workshops for children, parents, and teachers. Erika has been involved in the museums Early Childhood Connections: Introduction to Project Approach (ECC) since its conception in 2001 and has been a coach/mentor to educators in the field during their participation in the ECC program.
Erika has a B.S. in Art Education from Bowling Green State University and a M.S. in Early Childhood Education from Erikson Institute. She is a volunteer board member for the Early Childhood Community Coalition of Lake County and enjoys creating pottery and photography.
Abby Ildefonso
Manager of Education
Abby Ildefonso is the Manger of Education at Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago. She earned her B.S. in Elementary Education from Illinois State University and a CELTA from the University of Cambridge through Teaching House Chicago. Prior to working at KCM, Abby taught 1st grade for three years and was a grade leader, curriculum coordinator, and teacher mentor in Shanghai, China. She also spent time teaching K-3 in Springfield, IL and worked as a nanny for several years. Abby has been with KCM team for four years.
Abby works with coordinating the Early Childhood Connections program and has developed a deep appreciation for the deep investigative skills and child-led explorations that are cultivated using the project approach. She has a passion for all things baking-related and can often find new recipes to make for her loved ones.
Manjoo Stoeterau
Education Specialist
Manjoo Stoeterau is the Education Assistant Manager at Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago. She earned her B.S. in Elementary Education from University of Illinois at Chicago and an M.A. in Educational Administration from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Manjoo taught in grades K – 12 in Illinois, Nevada and Connecticut before she joined KCM. She also spent time as a Media Specialist/Librarian and in Special Education. Her most memorable teaching experience was spent living and teaching overseas at International Schools in Singapore for 5 years
Manjoo loves working with the Early Childhood Connections program and supporting teachers, students and families. She takes joy in being a catalyst for the project approach. She is passionate about travel and loves exploring new cultures, food and meeting new people. In her free time, you can see her reading a good book, walking on the beach, eating sushi, or trying to learn Korean.
Zoe A. Tyler
Education Specialist
Zoe A. Tyler is an Education Specialist at Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago. She holds an MFA in Theatre for Youth and Community from Arizona State University and two Bachelor’s degrees in Theatre Performance and Education from the University of Missouri. Zoe previously worked as a lead preschool teacher in a Title‑1 equivalent early childhood program and later served as a traveling arts educator across 10 Chicago Public Schools.
Zoe has developed project‑based drama experiences with young children through collaborations with Chicago Opera Theater (Illinois), the i.d.e.a. Museum (Arizona), the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, and Polyglot Theatre (Australia). Her experience in Childsplay’s EYEPlay program, an 18‑month professional development initiative for early educators, strengthened her commitment to supporting teachers through creative, hands-on learning. She believes young children learn best when their ideas guide meaningful investigation and imaginative play. In her free time, she runs her own theatre company, For Youth By Youth Theatre.