services
Learning Program Evaluation & Enhancement
I served as the Senior Manager of Ecoliteracy & Engagement at Blue Water Baltimore; there, I oversaw the design, development, and delivery of learning programs & workshops to a wide range of audiences, of all ages, and hailing from different nationalities and cultures. I have worked with funders and community members from a project’s conception through its completion and final reporting. I specialize in enhancing the wonder and curiosity at that heart of all teachable moments. My methods are rooted in utilizing & blending the practices of emergent curriculum and magic theory. (Yeah, you read that right… magic!)
Over the years, I have developed and nurtured action-focused relationships with individuals from schools, museums, churches, foundations, government, businesses, and community organizations. I have administrative, in-the-classroom, and out-in-the-wilderness-school experience; and enjoy using all those perspectives when working on new projects. In addition, I earned Masters of Education degree in Nature-based & Sustainability Education in 2016; the development and evaluation of educational programs was a key components of my graduate work.
Nature- & Wonder-based Education
I served as the Waldorf School of Baltimore‘s first Sustainability Coordinator, Nature Studies Teacher, and developed their Forest Aftercare program. There I implemented landscape design plans to foster nature play and connection; introduced a student-led chicken & honeybee care program; developed and delivered a Nature Studies curriculum for 1st – 5th grade students; and started a Forest Aftercare program for Kindergarten – 8th grade students. Some of my experience is documented in Green Teacher Magazine article: Rolling Stones & Catching Beetles.
Formerly, I served on the board of the Association for Nature-based Education; and enjoy working with Notchcliff Forest Preschool on program delivery and special projects on occasion. At Blue Water Baltimore, I designed & led countless public outdoor workshops focused on fostering meaningful connections with nature and local waterways. In 2016, I earned a Master of Education degree from Antioch University New England; there, I studied directly under author David Sobel and specialized in Nature-based & Sustainability Education. Some of my writing is published in David’s 2020 book: The Sky Above and the Mud Below.
Photovoice Facilitation
Photovoice is an internationally utilized, grassroots research method that enables a community to identify, represent, and enhance their surroundings through an artistic process. It uses the immediacy of photography and storytelling to furnish evidence and promote an effective, participatory means of sharing expertise to influence public policy and inform community development projects.
I have run photovoice programs in different neighborhoods throughout Baltimore City, namely in Mondawmin, Highlandtown, Cherry Hill, and Oliver. The program consists of a series of workshops that culminates in a public exhibition. It can be tailored to suit your organization’s goals and budget. I am available for full program facilitation or as support for organizational staff new to implementing photovoice projects.
You can learn more about the photovoice programs I have run here:
Mentorship & Professional Development
I love an adventure into the unknown—and working closely with all types of people and teams has never disappointed. I have extensive experience in staff and team management and always seek to develop and strengthen the talents of the individuals and teams I work with.
I relay what I see with authenticity and clarity and find myself to be the confidant of organizational leaders and staff alike. I have learned to value, respect, and cultivate this unique dance.
I maintain an open and growing understanding of the what it means to lead effectively and sustainably from within—no matter the current status of an employee’s title. It is commonly known, but less intentionally acted upon, that many organizational leaders are rooted in humble beginnings as an intern or volunteer. Offering yourself and your team external support can undam stagnate, creative energy that naturally builds up within institutional life. Together we will brainstorm, find, and enact solutions to the many puzzles surrounding you and your staff to springboard and realize new, intentional, and successful projects.
Antifragile Mind & Team Building
I have over a decade of experience in program development, evaluation, administration, and individual staff & team management. I served in organizational leadership positions charged with co-developing org-wide policy and implanting daily operations. I am adept at assembling productive teams, running action-oriented meetings, and unifying a group’s vision around a common collective goal. I have been part of organizational leadership during multiple system-wide transitions and the pandemic of 2020.
My approach involves hosting a series of Antifragile Mindfulness exercises & activities that focus on enhancing awareness of the infinite space & mystery within every individual. These sessions seek to build an antifragile mentality, personality, and identity, whose dignity and intrinsic worth is unmoved by externalities. This is accomplished through fostering conversation, learning productive methods of disagreement, resisting simple narratives, tolerating complexity, and consciously strengthening an understanding in the infinite commonalities and struggles we share.
Natural & Creative Building Projects
Having grown up designing and building furniture for my parents’ small business, I’ve always been inclined to work with my hands; and it’s a method through which I continue to explore the world today.
I’m familiar with straw bail, cob, and earthship construction. With students, I’ve built chicken coops and erected Mad Max-ian fort villages; and I managed the installation of dozens of pollinator and native gardens in public and private schools. I enjoy working with formal and homeschool education providers on their outdoor play & learning space needs and seek to use such opportunities to teach children creative design, resourcefulness, and safe tool use. My work in this area is focused on impermanent structures and projects that do not require a building permit.
Why work with The Order of Wonder?
Professional experience in an eclectic & intentional array of disciplines spanning over two decades. Thirteen years of developing, delivering, and evaluating educational programming and workshops. Ten years of experience in staff & organizational management.