Hi, I’m Stacey. I am a Nevada County transplant by way of Southern California, originally from South Carolina.
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from the honors college of Florida, New College of Florida. I was fortunate have a the freedom to study a mix of cell biology, nutritional biology, and herbal medicine. The small setting of NCF (with only 600 students at the time) facilitated and celebrated a non-traditional approach to academics by replacing grades with narrative evaluations and empowering students to integrate their personal life goals with their educational goals. It was a profound experience that laid the foundation for my pedagogical approach as a teacher.
I started my career in education as an edible school garden coordinator in SW Florida in 2008. In 2011 I transitioned into a more traditional role as a classroom teacher, at Fusion Academy, an alternative private school in Orange County, where all classes were taught one-to-one. In 2012 I was promoted to the Head of the Science and Math Department, and I taught the full spectrum of science and math for grades 6-12.
In 2014 I was invited to apprentice under a Waldorf-trained teacher at a nature-based non-profit in the desert chaparral of Orange County, CA. I taught forest kindergarten and homeschool enrichment programs while simultaneously working on one of the last family-run organic farms in Orange County.
Seven years into my teaching career, I was inspired to go back to school. I moved to northern California in anticipation of attending grad school at UC Davis, but the Universe had other plans. In 2018 I landed in Nevada City by serendipity. In 2019 I began working as a private tutor and mentor, focusing primarily on science and math. As the Covid pandemic unfolded in 2020, families were needing more support beyond academic tutoring. A decade in the field of education prepared me to offer support as an educational manager & student/parent advocate in the public and charter school system.
In 2021 I was invited to be on the team of The Ohmapi Nature Project, a local organization committed to an interdisciplinary approach of teaching kids through nature while in nature.
I believe in a whole-brain, multi-sensory approach to education, meeting the child where they are intellectually and emotionally, working toward finding balance between making academic concepts relevant to the child's interests and cultivating buy-in to engage abstract concepts with curiosity (e.g. algebra). Most of all, I believe nature is our greatest teacher and the land wants to be in relationship with us.
Inspired by nature-based educational experiences, I have fallen in love with ancestral skills, most especially cordage, weaving, fire by friction, plant identification, building shelter, and sit spots. Some of my favorite topics of discussion include the magic of photosynthesis, the water cycle, fire ecology, microbiology, neuroscience, waste management, permaculture, regenerative life skills, and nutrition. In my free time I enjoy exploring local trails, camping, foraging, cooking, gardening, making herbal-infused oils, DIY projects, road trips to the coast, and surfing mellow waves on sunny days. Every summer I offer a surf camp in Marin or Sonoma County. Please inquire if interested.
Transformational jobs and experiences:
Working on small organic farms for 10+ years
Volunteering with school gardens in SW Florida
Coordinating support for edible school gardens in a couple dozen schools throughout two counties in Florida
Attending Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard Academy (2009) in Berkeley, CA
Facilitating outdoor education with Earthroots Field School, Orange County, 2014-2015
Volunteering at a senior adult day health center, 2017
Permaculture Design Certification, 2021
Wilderness First Aid Certification, 2022
Attending my first prescribed burn, Nevada City, 2022
Adult Literacy Tutor with Nevada County Library, 2023 - present
My ongoing personal healing journey, supported by coaching, strength-training, Alanon, and ACA.