Dee Beasley, Education director


Dee grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida and attended college at the University of Central Florida (UCF), where she focused on English education. She taught English education classes at UCF, directed college students tutoring at homeless shelters throughout Orlando, Florida,  and traveled the country conducting workshops for teachers in Dr. Janet Allen’s It’s Never Too Late literacy conferences. Dee also contributed to and edited several educational texts.

 In 2002, Dee moved to Osseo, Wisconsin and started teaching English and journalism at Osseo-Fairchild High School, and began teaching writing classes at Western Technical College in 2010.

 Literacy education, writing education, and teacher education are Dee’s passions.  She enjoys working with students of all ages, and thrives on seeing students’ and workshop participants’ eyes light up when they have reached an epiphany.  
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​ Dee loves to learn. Each year she spends time taking online classes on various subjects, and strives to take at least one class each summer at a university located somewhere outside of Wisconsin.  She loves to read world literature and study about other cultures.  This summer she spent time focusing on East Asian literature at the University of Indiana, Bloomington.  She tries to incorporate all that she has learned into her teaching to make it more meaningful for all students.


Scott Schultz, Executive director


​Scott founded The Heartbeat Center for Writing, Literacy and the Arts, Inc. in 2001 to help people realize writing and arts rewards in the same ways teachers have helped him realize those rewards.

Schultz spent nearly 40 years working as a journalist and newspaper editor. He was raised on a central Wisconsin dairy farm where, during his high school years, he realized his interest in writing and journalism.He honed his writing skills while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, and then returned to his Wisconsin roots to work in the newspaper business. 

During his newspaper career, Schultz never forgot his rural roots and connection with the soil first tilled by his great-great grandfather. The resulting passion has led him to write hundreds of essays and poems about the land and the people who share his love for rural life. 

Some of his work was compiled into a book, Rural Routes and Ruts, which has been used as required reading in university courses. His essays also were used in a national rural life project. 
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​Schultz has lectured about writing motivation and processes to elementary, high school and university students in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Florida and Pennsylvania. He’s also conducted writing programs to people of all ages in many other settings.

about The hear​tbeat

The Heartbeat Center for Writing, Literacy and the Arts, Inc. is a group of writers, artists, and educators whose collective goal is to enhance writing, art, and literacy opportunities for people of all ages. We’re passionate about providing opportunities for individuals to explore their artistic and literary abilities while encouraging them to recognize the importance of the connections between people and places.


We purchased our small farm with dreams of making it a place where we could carry out the missions of The Heartbeat Center for Writing, Literacy and the Arts Inc. We founded this nonprofit organization to inspire people in the rural countryside to better understand themselves and the land through writing and other arts.

The Heartbeat Center

for Writing Literacy and the Arts