Meet Our Educators

Our educators connect with students at their level, employing creative and active teaching methods to engage and inspire even the most hesitant learners. Their dedication fosters a passion for lifelong learning. Through unique approaches such as writing in dirt, skip counting while jumping rope, and exploring geometry through woodworking projects, we prioritize hands-on and experiential learning.Furthermore, we prioritize mindset by incorporating moments of mindfulness and gratitude. Our emphasis on meaningful connections between students, each other, and the natural world cultivates a sense of purpose. Learners are empowered to approach challenges with bravery and confidence, developing both skills and resilience.

Kelly, M.S.Ed., Founder & Director

For as long as she can remember, Kelly has always been passionate about inspiring confidence in others.  It’s been a dream for her to see it happen through this program with both the team members and the learners.

Kelly’s background is in health, wellbeing and education. Over the past 20 years, she’s had various experiences leading teams in recreation, public schools, private gyms, teaching and training. Most recently, she’s been focused on supporting homeschooling families through Peace of Earth’s Earth Keepers & Teen Learning Collective programs. 

Having worked in higher education from 2006-2023, she has seen first hand the skills needed to succeed academically, socially and emotionally.  This experience paired with her desire for her children to thrive was the spark that started it all. 

One of her favorite quotes is, "If you take the walls away, they can't bounce off of them." Kelly first heard this when her children were small and it still motivates her to spend more time outdoors with them. 

She loves being outdoors and experiencing the learning and healing that occur as a result. As a lifelong learner, she says, “Every day is a good day for learning!”  She has enjoyed taking the Virginia Master Naturalist and Wilderness First Aid courses and regularly picks folks brains from forest and microschools worldwide.

It fills her cup to see students develop an appreciation for the natural world and understand the interconnectedness of all living things. Environmental responsibility, self-awareness, and leading a healthy lifestyle are pillars that she hopes to share with all of our amazing learners here. 

Peace of Earth is a culmination of what Kelly believes to be foundational for the success of young people.  She believes in using a holistic, student centered approach that empowers us all to become healthy, well-rounded individuals, deeply connected to the world we live in.

Gwen, Educator of 3 & 4 year olds

This is Gwen’s first year at Peace of Earth and she feels honored to be part of the team! 

As a mother of two, ages 2 and 5, Gwen finds so much joy in seeing the world through children’s eyes. She loves using opportunities to explore, be creative, silly, and adventurous and has found the best opportunities for this to be in the simplicity and groundedness of nature. Her background is primarily in counseling and advocacy with a focus in trauma recovery and perinatal health. She values social and emotional learning and building a foundation of emotional intelligence for our littles. Gwen enjoys cooking, traveling, being in or by the water, and sharing stories and laughs by a good fire.

Corra, Educator of 3 & 4 year olds

Corra is ever excited to enter her new role at peace of earth as (*a teacher for the 3/4 group). She believed in the boundless curiosity of children and found joy in inspiring them to learn through nature. She loves hiking, gardening, and exploring the wild beauty of natural parks. Corra is passionate about sharing her interest with her students and seeing their excitement and wonder in any new experience they are a part of.

 As a mother of two littles a six and a three-year-old she spends most of her free time on her Homestead teaching the kids everything the farm has to offer.  Her life remains a beautiful blend of family, nature, and teaching.

Salem, Educator of 5 & 6 year olds

This will be Salem’s second year teaching with Earth Keepers, and she is very excited for this adventure! She loves spending time outdoors camping, walking, sitting, playing, cooking by a fire, and going on adventures with her family. She and her husband, Parrish, have two children, Siler, age 13, and Ingram, age 10. Salem always knew she wanted to raise her kids to love the earth and the outdoors but didn’t realize how integral this philosophy would become in her life.

Salem has been working with kids since she was young. She babysat and nannied through high school and college, earning a BA in anthropology at UNC-Chapel Hill. She then worked as a whitewater raft guide on the Chattooga River in Georgia and as a guide at Green River Preserve camp, where she led teenagers on camping trips down small coastal rivers. After moving to Asheville, NC, she worked at a group home for at-risk youth.

In 2012, Salem, Parrish, and Siler moved to Berlin, Germany, where Siler attended a forest kindergarten. This 'WaldKita' experience highlighted the importance of teaching kids outdoors and was very influential for her. They moved to Fredericksburg in 2014, where she started a small forest school for parents and children in local parks. When Siler was ready for kindergarten, Salem discovered that local schools offered only 20 minutes of outdoor time per day, prompting her to begin homeschooling.

Another pivotal experience for Salem was attending the Living Earth Adult Foundations program through the Living Earth School in Charlottesville. This program deepened her family's nature connection. Her kids have attended the school's summer camp since they were five, and she has worked with the 5-6 year old group at the camp since 2018. Salem truly believes that nature and the outdoors provide the richest learning environments for all children and is excited to help children find comfort and confidence in the outdoors. She loves seeing the creativity, wonder, and joy that the outdoors brings out in kids!

Nicole, Educator of 5 & 6 year olds

Nicole is very excited to be joining the team here at Peace of Earth. Nicole has been working with children for as long as she can remember. She has worked as a babysitter, then as a nanny, and then in classroom settings  both in private  and public schools. She and her husband Dennis have four boys and enjoy spending time together as a family.  They enjoy board games, movie nights, road trips, and any time they can get to the beach! She is very much looking forward to working with and getting to know all the kiddos coming her way, and being a part of their journey this upcoming year.

“Not all of us can do great things but we can do small things with great love” Mother Teresa

Tameka, Educator of 7 & 8 year olds

Tameka is excited to be joining us. She is a wife and has 1 child (12) at home and 4 adult children. She's always wanted to be a math teacher and after her son was born she decided she wanted to be able to teach him at home secularly and spiritually. For the past 4 years she has had the privilege to have her son school at home and participate even more in her ministry. Before that she was in the brick and mortar public school system in food & nutrition and transportation just so that she could be closer and more involved in his early education. Now she enters a new chapter to bring her love of play, learning and knowledge to other children. She is ecstatic to teach your children outdoors in an open, fun, and welcoming environment. Her goal is that your children love learning and return to Peace of Earth for many years to come.

Interests/Hobbies: Spending time with friends and family, reading, gardening, leisure bike riding, playing various sports, swimming, sky watching, learning about plants, animals and insects and a host of other interests.

Tameka, Educator of 7 & 8 year olds

Asheley is super excited to join the team at PoE. She has been a homeschool educator and mom since 2014. She takes pride in educating her children primarily with an unschooling philosophy. Her oldest graduated May 2024, and her #2 will be graduating in May 2025. Her younger 2 kiddos will be attending PoE with her for the third year and love the program! Asheley’s background is in health, fitness and coaching. She has been teaching Homeschool PE at the Rosner Y since 2019. Leading student groups of all abilities. She has coached young athletes at all ages, genders and abilities in different sports as well. Asheley is a certified Yoga Instructor, and has certificates in Social Emotional Learning and Trauma informed language. She enjoys the outdoors, camping and looking at the night sky. Her favorite place would be any space by the sea, with a warm breeze. She can't wait to start learning and growing and playing with your families!

Sarah, Educator of 9 & 10 year olds

Sarah is excited to be joining us alongside her family for their second year at Peace of Earth. Sarah has been a home educator for over 8 years and is excited to begin this adventurous year of learning, growing, and having fun. As an unschooling family, the freedom and encouragement for the children to be children while also learning to be good humans is important. As a mom to 6 kiddos, ages 3 to almost 18, she has a bit of experience when it comes to busy bodies and busy brains. Always the animal and nature lover, she has created a growing homestead for her family, including a small dairy goat herd that the whole family adores. 

Her interests and hobbies include spending time with family and friends, working on home projects, motorcycle rides with her husband, sewing and hand embroidery, enjoying books, cooking, and sleeping. You’ll often find her swinging in her favorite hammock under the trees at home or sitting out with her goats. Sarah’s favorite meal is a burger and fries, with a slice of double chocolate cake for dessert. 

 This school year is going to be an amazing one and she can’t wait for it to begin!

Jennifer, Educator of 9 & 10 year olds

Jennifer is thrilled to be at Earth Keepers! She is a mother of two, Kaylee (13) and Trey (11). Growing up, she spent her summers helping at her aunt's daycare, where she discovered her passion for working with children. Jennifer loves teaching sign language, problem-solving, and helping kids understand how the world works. She believes this planet has so much to offer young learners and is delighted to guide them on their earth walk.

Her interests include hiking, fishing, fitness, exploring state parks, live music, cinematography, and photography. She loves cooking, baking, and playing with her dog. Her favorite books are in the fantasy and historical fiction genres, and her favorite food is pho.

Favorite Quote: “Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.” - John Lennon

Ashton, Educator of 11 & 12 year olds

Ashton has been working with children in various forms for over 15 years and has two awesome kiddos of her own - Miles & Eira. Some of her favorite past childcare gigs include being the go-to babysitter for her younger siblings & neighbors, working as a camp counselor, and teaching kids snowboarding. She’s so excited for her second year EarthKeepers and to lead the 11/12s class this year!

Interests:

Gardening, cooking, being in/near any body of water, basking in the sunshine, exploring with the kiddos, reading a good book, eating good food, practicing yoga, snowboarding, flowers, long aimless walks, enjoying a good movie/show, and doing nails.

Favorite Foods:  Ice cream & Tacos

Favorite quote: “Be who you are and say what you feel, because in the end those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter.” Dr. Suess

Jenne, Educator of Teen Learning Collective, 13+

This is Jenne’s second year working with Earth Keepers, and she’s thrilled to witness the growth of the program and its impact on our community. As a nature enthusiast and a mama of three children aged 19, 17, and 8, Jenne finds joy in discovering something new every day. She is deeply passionate about homeschooling and self-directed education as effective means to share knowledge. She firmly believes that the best education occurs when it is shared with enthusiasm and joy, especially among eager learners. During her free time, she enjoys immersing herself in nature, tending to her garden, collecting rocks, exploring with a metal detector, taking care of her many animals, and indulging in reading. She is eagerly looking forward to spending the upcoming year outdoors with these amazing children, learning together and fostering a connection with the natural world.

Amber, Educator of Teen Learning Collective, 13+

Amber is a life-long learner with a curiosity that covers a wide variety of topics. Her skills lie in STEM, but that does not stop her from chasing any random pursuit of knowledge. Ultimately, this led her to pursue one of the more broad disciplines with an MS in Geographic and Cartographic Science. She has years of experience teaching homeschoolers (both her own and full classes of students online) as well as community college students. This is her first year with Peace of Earth, joining the team on Wednesdays. 

Other interests include: native species and habitat restoration, cooking and baking vegan creations, and exploring the world around us through her children’s eyes both in and out of the United States.

Emily, Substitute & Garden Manager

Emily has 8 years of classroom experience and many more years working with kids of all ages in many settings. Her favorite experience in teaching is watching the "lightbulb" moments come and students stepping out and trying new things and doing them independently. Her hobbies are learning, reading, gardening, photography, cooking and when she gets a chance to, sewing. She has loved and learned so much in her experience as a teacher and parent of Earth Keepers students.

Charlie, Floating Helper

Ever since Charlie can remember, he’s been inspired by the outdoors and everything it gives. When he was younger he would collect flowers and dead bugs off the ground, keeping them in a jar of things he had collected. That branched off into collecting living plants, which recently has turned into creating terrariums, a way to enjoy nature even from your own home. 

He’s still young, but has lots of knowledge of the outdoors and is always open to learning new things. He loves being outside, even in some of the more extreme weather, and will always power through. Charlie hopes to be inspiring to these young kids, just as he even inspires the adults in his life. He’s very crafty and creative, always finding ways to problem-solve and find new ways to do things.