About Us
Our Origin and Focus
The Märchen Sagen Academy, Inc.
At The Marchen Sagen Academy (MSA), we believe in empowering kids to express themselves in innovative and creative ways. We provide a safe, nurturing environment for students ages 6 to 12 to explore content creation through activities like video-making, podcasting, music production and crafting. Our mission is to foster a love of learning and creativity in all of our students as they embark on their own unique journeys of self-expression. Come join us at MSA and let your imagination run wild!
Our unique name is derived from the two words which many folklorists believe are the source of all oral storytelling. The words are old Germanic, of which, there are no English equivalents, but there are approximations. Märchen loosely translates to a fairy-tale, or something clearly not meant to be taken as true. Sagen, on the other hand, is understood to mean "legend", or something that actually happened (something fantastic probably happened too, making it a legend).
Our Founder and Mentor
The Märchen Sagen Academy was founded by Couleen “Mr. Al” LaGon, a professional videographer and music producer with Sony Music Publishing. With a love for teaching and creating and content, MSA was officially founded by Mr. LaGon in 2016 to inspire a love of making content in young students.
Please visit VOYAGEATL.com and read a feature on Couleen for more information on his background.
Our Assistant Coordinators
We have two assistant coordinators who are with the children daily. Ms. Maureen and Ms. Lane are both child care experts with over 50 years of experience between them. They are nurturers and bring a LOT to MSA every day.
Our Operations Manager
Our Operations Manager is Toni Dixon, MBA. Toni is currently the Director of Foundations for the Atlanta Mission, leading the organization in fundraising initiatives and participation in community service efforts. Toni is all the director of a non-profit for at-risk youth, called Word For The Nations Nonprofit, Inc. She has over 13 years of experience in non-profit management, fund-raising and management consulting.