Born in Rome, Italy, Anna Bernanke and her family emigrated to the United States when she was a baby. In first grade, Anna would frequently be found play-acting as a teacher with her younger friends as willing students. This childhood pastime sparked a lifelong career in education. Anna’s family always valued education, seeing it as vital for a fulfilling and well-rounded life. Now a seasoned bilingual education leader, Anna holds 30 years of diverse and varied teaching experience ranging from pre-kindergarten to the collegiate level.

After many years of teaching Spanish in private and public charter schools from Stanford, California to Princeton, New Jersey, Anna developed an educational philosophy that focused on equitable access to quality learning for all families. Thus the seed of Chance Academy was planted.

Chance Academy, which incorporated in 2007 and started operations in 2009, is an education program dedicated to equitable access for all families who seek an exceptional, hands-on, experiential, and arts-integrated education with small class sizes and a dedication to family engagement. 

Anna’s strong commitment to social / restorative justice has become one of the foundational pillars of Chance Academy. Along with the belief that the arts provide a universal language of hope, peace, and love, Anna is proud of Chance Academy’s program and staff, which fulfill her mission to be a space for a safe, joyful, and peaceful learning experience.