Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Elissa Wahl,  Angela Kleven & Ruth Parker

Resource Specialist

Elissa Wahl

Elissa is a long time homeschool mom and an education advocate. She has been active in many local homeschooling groups, and has led many Introduction to Homeschooling classes over the years, helping hundreds of families on their educational journey.

In addition to co-authoring Christian Unschooling : Growing Your Children in the Freedom of Christ, Elissa is active in advocating for educational options. In 2001 she co-founded Nevada Homeschool Network, NV’s only homeschool advocacy organization, in 2009 she co-founded RISE Education Resource Center, and in 2012 she was appointed to the State Public Charter School Authority.

While Elissa is passionate about homeschooling, she understands that families need options, and that they need to understand what those options are.


Angela Kleven

                    Angela Kleven

There are three things you need to know about me, one of the founders of RISE: 1) I have three incredibly fabulous children; 2) I have a passion for education, specifically quality alternative education; and 3) I am willing to work hard and do what it takes to provide this type of education for my children… and yours!

This is why I have spent the past ten years homeschooling my kids; the past five years building and running RISE Education Resource Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making sure parents know they have educational options and that they have help; and the past year creating Leadership Academy of Nevada, a new online charter high school. When I’m not busy with this, that, or the other, I enjoy watching reruns of “I Love Lucy,” devouring books as if they were chocolate (dark, that is), and laughing with my friends and family.


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Ruth Parker

I am excited to join the board of RISE Education Resource Center. I have used many facets of education in order to educate myself and my children. After graduating from university with a degree in Elementary Ed, I taught elementary school for 10 years. When my children were born, I decided to stay home with them. After my daughter’s 4th grade year in the public school system, my husband and I decided to homeschool them. We haven’t looked back since. My education began when I had the courage to take them out of the public school system and take full responsibility for their education. What a ride! We homeschooled for 6 years, and this past school year my children attended an online, liberal arts high school and middle school, and next year they will attend an online charter school (Leadership Academy of Nevada) which I helped to form.

As a homeschooling parent, I enjoyed teaching classes in co-ops and commonwealths. I loved teaching liberal arts-based classes on US History and Public Speaking. I have also in the last 2 years started a business where I do energy work for people who would like to feel more free from limiting beliefs and find freedom from the false belief systems that plague them. It is a work I truly love and enjoy.

As RISE continues to grow and be a force among the face of education, I am excited to be part of an organization that believes parents have the right to choose and direct the education of their children. I am a strong believer that when parents understand their rights in the education of their children, and when they have the full facts and information of what options are available to them, then education for all children will become better. When parents only know about the public school system, they often feel stuck and feel like they are at the mercy of the system. As parents recognize they have a choice for their children, even if they continue to choose the public education system, their children will still receive a better education, because it was a conscious choice, not a mandated choice. I love freedom, I love education, and I love being a parent–what better way to hone these areas in my life than through RISE?!