Faculty

Helena completed her University degrees in Canada, a Bachelors (Honors) in English Literature and Psychology from the University of British Columbia, and a Masters in English Literature from Queen's University. Like many of her students, Helena is a citizen of the world, having lived in many cities across four countries. She understands, from both personal and professional experience, the reality of recreating a life somewhere new, and she helps students overcome challenges in adapting to a new place, language, or culture. 

Before creating Scope for Imagination, she was a Primary Form teacher, teaching English, Mathematics, and Science in the Cambridge International Education Curriculum, as well as Portuguese as a Foreign Language. She has taught English both as a first language and as a foreign language across a range of levels and settings, from primary school students to adult learners. She has written, directed, and acted in theatrical plays, competed in debate competitions and coached debaters. 

Scope for Imagination was inspired by her lifelong love for stories, belief in the power and important of imagination and creativity, and passion for teaching. At Scope for Imagination, students have the space to learn, explore, and imagine so they can realize their academic and creative potential, find belonging, and develop their social and emotional well-being. 

Helena teaches in-person classes in Porto, Portugal, as well as online classes to students around the world.

Anna was born in Rye, New York but raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She began studying violin and dance at age 4, eventually double majored in Music and Literature at Yale University.

Anna taught dance for 2 decades in California, focusing on ballroom dance, dance fitness, and world dance. She won numerous top teacher awards (Top Teacher, IGB 2004 and 2005, Top 10 National Female Pro-Am Teacher, 2005). 

In 2009 Anna initiated the Google dance studio inside Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, growing the program so that 1 in 10 Googlers in the headquarter location were taking classes at the Danceplex. Anna then grew the program into a more comprehensive GoogleArts program that encompassed all visual and performing arts. GoogleArts supported the employees' creativity, productivity, and wellness by offering art, music, theater, dance, and more on campus for Googlers. More of Anna's work is here.

Anna relocated to Porto in August 2025, and has recently joined the Scope for Imagination team.