Instructors

Katharine B.
Head of Relations & Experience
Lake Stevens Lead (she/her)

Combining a varied background in Theatre Arts, Environmental Restoration and Outdoor Education, Katharine’s desire is to bring children back outside to learn in the best classroom of all and have fun doing it! She enjoys dancing between the roles of whimsical playmate, knowledgeable guide and silent observer to encourage our budding stewards to be curious, ask questions, solve problems and follow their interests! 

Her own interests and skills come out of her study as an actor, AmeriCorps service as an Education Outreach Specialist and time with the Washington Conservation Corps, nine seasons (and counting!) as a Tinkergarten Leader and most importantly, proud mama of a spirited young naturalist!

Liv C.
Regional Assistant Director
Camas Lead
(she/they)

Passionate about the transformative potential of outdoor education and deeply committed to fostering holistic growth, Liv brings a rich tapestry of experiences to her work with PNWK. With a background in Outdoor Education and wilderness therapy, Liv has worked with adults, adolescents, and youth in wilderness spaces. After several years guiding adolescents in therapeutic programs in Vermont and Oregon, Liv found home in the pure joy that is working in Early Childhood Education.

Liv began with Premier NW Kids in 2020 as a Lead Teacher at our first Vancouver location. Since then, she has grown and developed with the program and is excited to be in a role where she can best serve and support her team and forest school community. When not in the forest with a group of students, Liv can be found in the forest connecting deeply with her friends and community, finding new creative projects, and planning future adventures.

Shelby M.
Vancouver / Camas Lead
(she/her)

Shelby has a degree in Early Child Development and Deaf Studies from CSUS. Upon graduating, she completed a string of thru hikes which deepened her interest in outdoor education and her desire to be outside year-round. Shelby enjoys being a calming presence in a natural space where children’s curiosities guide the day. She loves observing and interpreting the natural world with her students through play, hand crafts and hands-on investigation. 

In her spare time, Shelby can be found: planning her wedding, backpacking, playing board games, guiding teams (of adults) up Mount St Helens, or generally exploring her new home in the PNW.

Stacey P.
Director of Operations
(she/her)

Danielle S.
Bothell Lead
(she/her)

Danielle is a passionate educator with over 7 years of experience teaching young children. She also holds a degree in Graphic and Web Design, and her diverse skills include previous experience in the sports medical field. Having lived in the Pacific Northwest her entire life, she thrives in outdoor environments, and is fascinated by the incredible ideas and perspectives children have when immersed in the great outdoors. Danielle enjoys providing an inspiring space for children to embrace their true selves, practice compassion, believe in themselves, and get little (or a lot) messy!

Outside of the classroom, Danielle enjoys hiking, cooking, painting, photography, and various creative pursuits. She cherishes quality time with her husband and two big fluffy kitties, Zeus and Hades.

Sophia L.
Director (she/her)

With her Bachelors from the UW as well as her Masters of Education at EWU and a background in Early Childhood Leadership, Sophia applies her knowledge in early childhood brain development to inspire children through whole body, sensory rich, open ended exploration. Promoting a strong sense of positive community among classes and self efficacy in students is her passion.  

Outside of working with children for the past 10 plus years, Sophia is an avid hiker, traveler and yogi. You can find her exploring local trails or adventuring to national parks.

Emily K. A.
Child Behavior Specialist
(they/she)

Along with their B.A. in Psychology, Emily holds years of experience in early childhood education and behavior support with children. She is also currently completing her M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in preparation for licensure as a mental health counselor, working with children and teens. Emily loves to apply their experience in psychological research to explore the root of a behavior and how to compassionately meet the underlying need. They believe that the forest offers an opportunity to connect to and ground ourselves in the world around us, to foster confidence in ourselves and our bodies, and to BE CURIOUS!

When not in the forest, Emily can be found submerged in schoolwork and research, out on their next great adventure with family and friends, or cuddling with her cats!