LOOKING TO ENGAGE & WORK WITH YOUTH?
PATCH Coaches enjoy working in close partnership with those replicating PATCH programming to ensure programs meet the needs and priorities of youth in their area. We work to provide a solid programmatic foundation and robust mentorship throughout all aspects of program planning, implementation, and evaluation. This ranges from providing the actual programmatic materials and resources to training to answering questions to real-time troubshooting to cultivating a community of practice amongst all our various partners...and everything in between.
AND! We love serving as youth engagement experts for anyone interested in having youth involved in their own work. We have years of experience in broad and diverse areas of youth work and love to share our stories, best practices, and lessons learned!
Please do reach out if you think we could help support you and/or partner in your efforts: staff@patchprogram.org.
OUR PATCH COACHES
PATCH Founder & Executive Director: Amy Olejniczak
PATCH Director of Youth Engagement: Erica Koepsel
PATCH Director of Impact & Evaluation: Chelsea Aeschbach
Amy Olejniczak, MS, MPH
Hey everyone! I'm Amy (she/her), the proud Founder & Executive Director of the PATCH Program, and I've been steering the PATCH ship since its launch in 2010. What a journey it's been, filled with excitement and fulfillment!
Before immersing myself in all things PATCH, I earned a Masters degree in Family and Consumer Communication and a Masters of Public Health from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My journey led me to the healthcare industry, where I passionately delved into health communication and promotion. I also had the pleasure of teaching mass communication and interpersonal relationship techniques, both in universities and through collaborations with non-profits and scientific research organizations. These experiences only fueled my passion for working to improve the health and well being of future generations.
In 2009, I found my sweet spot as the Associate Director at the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health (now Embolden, WI). This role provided the freedom, creativity, and support to launch PATCH—an initiative that blends my love for working with youth, my communication background, and my public health expertise. Over the past 13 years, nurturing PATCH's growth has been an incredible honor, recognized through various accolades such as being named a de Beaumont 40 under forty in public health inductee, receiving a Vince Hutchins Partnership Award from HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and being honored as a Woman to Watch by BRAVA Magazine, among many others.
Tending to things I love (including PATCH) is one of my favorite pastimes. I have two amazing human children (one teen & one tween), a lovable dog, two cats, four chickens, and a jungle of plants that I care for daily. I also tend to my family and friend relationships, which fill my heart in return! When I'm taking care of mySELF, you'll catch me running with my bestie (in ALL kinds of weather), getting sweaty at hot yoga, or dreaming about travel.
If you're reading this, you've connected with PATCH in some way, and that brings me immense joy. Don't hesitate to reach out—whether for a Zoom chat or a coffee (or ice cream) date. I'm always thrilled to connect with like-minded individuals who share the vision of a future where all youth are healthy, connected, and thriving!
Hi, I'm Erica (she/her)! I have dedicated my time to improving adolescent health & wellbeing since I was 19, when I first began working as a sexual health educator. I spent many years working with diverse groups of adolescents across the midwest. Following graduation from Washburn University in Topeka, KS, I spent one year working for the Peace Corps in Cambodia. There I taught about hygiene and nutrition in the local health center, started a village aerobics class, and lead sexual health education sessions with village health promoters.
In 2015, I finished my Master of Arts in Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where my research focused on holistic, life-long approaches to sexual health education. During this time I also worked closely with Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin on development and redesign for their middle and high school sex ed curricula.
I joined PATCH in 2015, bringing these various skills in education, curriculum development, and quality improvement to my role Coordinating the PATCH Madison Teen Educator Program. Since then, I am honored to have played a role in the efforts to both expand PATCH and better define our approach to youth engagement. In my current role as Director of Youth Engagement, I regularly work alongside youth to ensure they have a quality experience in PATCH's youth programming. One of my favorite parts of the job is getting to coach, cheerlead, and support other adults in replicating PATCH programming in their community and exploring best practices for meaningful youth engagement.
A little more about me: I was born and raised in Kansas, but me, my partner, and our two cats now call Madison, WI home. When I was younger I used to want to be a vet, then a lawyer, then a backup dancer, and eventually a psychologist before I realized I really liked education and youth work (the backup dancer dream still sticks with me though)! I spend a lot of time at home reading, cross-stitching, snuggling cats, and redecorating room after room - it's truly my happy place! I also love to be active and you can often find me swimming, doing yoga, in boxing classes, going cross-country skiing, or biking around town on outings with friends.
PATCH has a huge piece of my heart and I feel so lucky to have a job I’m passionate about. It’s incredible to watch youth raise their voices and create change in their own communities. Plus, I love that I can bring my expertise in sexual health (and sex positivity) into this world of health and health care!
I hope you'll consider PATCH as a potential partner and look forward to working with you to reach your youth engagement goals.
Chelsea, here! I am the Director of Impact and Evaluation for PATCH and have been a part of the program since 2016. I grew up in rural southeastern Wisconsin, went off to college, explored various parts of the world (Ireland and Argentina), lived in different parts of the country (New Mexico and Missouri), came back to Wisconsin for grad school, and ended up pretty darn close (all things relative) to my hometown in a suburb of Milwaukee.
I started with PATCH when I was completing my Master of Public Health degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and have never left! Once a PATCHie, always a PATCHie....or so we say 😉 I'm also a University of Wisconsin - La Crosse alum, earning my undergraduate degrees in community health education and Spanish.
My professional background reflects the amazing diversity found in the world of public health: from coordinating the School District of Onalaska’s Fit Kids, Living Healthy student wellness program to promoting a culture of health and wellness at Riverside Center in La Crosse and the Independence Missouri Public School District to advocating for health equity as a part of the University of New Mexico’s Pathways to a Healthy Bernalillo County Program to addressing the racial disparities in Wisconsin’s infant mortality rates with the Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families.
I currently am part-time with PATCH so that I can love on myself and my little fam (partner + 2 kiddos)...although PATCH certainly feels like family at this point, so it's just a win-win all around. I have enjoyed being behind the scenes in all the various aspects of PATCH and being part of its continued growth over the years.