Karen Zaremba

Youth Development Coordinator

As Youth Development Coordinator, Karen Zaremba is responsible for developing and facilitating holistic and creative, educational, technical, and recreational programs to enhance the transformation of GEMS members and survivors. Karen heads the agency’s Educational Initiatives program and is also responsible for coordinating volunteers.

Before coming to GEMS, Karen worked at Rockefeller University Clinical Research Hospital, where she developed a recreational program based on the Museum Education Model, creating culturally based artistic workshops and activities for research participants by producing special events for hospital staff and patients. Her experience includes developing art workshops for young mothers and their children who are survivors of domestic violence.

Karen is an entrepreneur and accomplished artist, designer and illustrator with published work in the New York Times and other New York publications.

She received her Bachelors of Science in Human Development & Illustration and her Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies from Empire State University. Her thesis centered on education as therapeutic recreation, and she produced creative workshops focused on women and creativity throughout history for her concentration.