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 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 second 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.
Salem, Educator of 3 & 4 year olds
This will be Salem’s third 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 14, and Ingram, age 11. 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 for several years. 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!
Kait, Educator of 3s-6s (Wednesdays)
Kait is excited to join Earth Keepers as a teacher this year, not just a helper, bringing her background in homeschooling and nature-based education to the community. As a mother of four, she has spent years fostering a love of the outdoors through hands-on learning, exploration, and seasonal living.
Her experience includes guiding children in activities such as hiking, gardening, foraging, and nature study, with a focus on helping them build confidence, resilience, and curiosity through time spent outdoors. Kait believes strongly in the value of child-led, experiential learning and is passionate about supporting children as they grow their connection to the earth.
She looks forward to helping students develop a deeper sense of wonder, independence, and respect for the earth through their time at Earth Keepers.
Corra, Educator of 3s-6s (Wednesdays) and 5s & 6s
Corra is entering her second year as the teacher for the 5/6-year-old group at Peace of Earth. She is passionate about nurturing children’s natural curiosity and believes deeply in the power of learning through nature and play.
In her role, Corra focuses on fostering curiosity and the courage to explore the natural world with an open mind to all that nature can teach us. She loves helping children discover resilience, empathy, and joy through outdoor adventures, creative play, and hands-on exploration.
Outside of teaching, Corra enjoys hiking, gardening, and exploring the wild beauty of natural parks. As a mother of two children—a seven-year-old and a four-year-old—she spends much of her free time on her homestead, sharing farm life and the wonders of nature with her family. Her life remains a beautiful blend of family, nature, and the joy of teaching.
Jennifer L., Educator of 5 & 6, 9 & 10 year olds (Wednesdays)
Jennifer is excited to start her second year at Earth Keepers. Her son started school here last year and she enjoyed subbing for the different classes and is excited about taking the next step into a full time teaching role.
She was born in Indiana and enjoyed moving around the country as a child. Her father was in the Air Force, so she had the privilege of being able to travel around the country before she settled in Fredericksburg, Va.
Jennifer has a 10 year old son, 2 cats and a dog and is a huge animal lover! In her free time she loves to read, take walks, and do community service. As a hobby she has started to teach herself sign language!
She's very excited to start this school year, and can't wait to see what the year brings!
Nicole, Educator of 7 & 8 year olds
Nicole is very excited to continue her journey 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 story this upcoming year.
“Not all of us can do great things but we can do small things with great love” Mother Teresa
Moriah, Educator of 7 & 8 year olds
Moriah is thrilled to be joining Peace of Earth for her first year of teaching. She’s a proud mom to two little ones—a curious four-year-old and an adventurous almost-two-year-old—who keep her on her toes and fuel her passion for learning through nature. Her family is currently working on the 1000 Hours Outside challenge, spending as much time outdoors as possible. Moriah’s journey into forest school began when she found it hard to imagine her oldest son thriving in a traditional classroom. It wasn’t until she discovered forest-based education that she could picture a place where he—and so many other kids—could truly shine.
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 9 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 4 to almost 19, 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 so excited to start her third year teaching at Peace of Earth and second year with our awesome 9/10s crew!! She’s so excited to jump into another year of curiosity, connection, and creativity with these amazing learners!
She believes nature is one of the most powerful classrooms we have. offering endless lessons in curiosity, patience, and wonder. She strives to weave the natural world into our daily learning, helping students build deeper connections to the earth and to themselves.
She loves bringing theater into our learning, using storytelling, role play, and improv to help kids express themselves and build confidence. She also incorporates American Sign Language (ASL) into our daily routines to support visual learning and encourage communication in new ways. Learning ASL is not only practical, it's also a lot of fun!
She can’t wait for another year of muddy boots, big laughs, and learning together under the trees!
Favorite Quote: “Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.” - John Lennon
Kinsey, Educator of 11 & 12 year olds
Kinsey is thrilled to finally be sharing in the magic that is Peace of Earth! She’s a mama to three of life’s greatest teachers: Essie (7), Remy (4), and Quinton, who was just born June 1 of this summer! She has been a classroom teacher for 7 years. Kinsey is passionate about building resilient, confident, emotionally intelligent kids. She believes behavior is communication and that education - much like motherhood - is a practice of self discovery and reverence for our connection to one another. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going for walks, writing, learning new things, and of course, spending time outdoors (although, as a PNW native, is still adjusting to Virginia summers). Kinsey is thrilled for a year of learning and connection!
“We’re all just walking each other home.” - Ram Dass
Maria, Educator of 11 & 12 year olds (Wednesdays)
Maria is a former middle school teacher, turned homeschooling mom. She has a M.Ed and a graduate certificate in Behavioral Analysis, and is currently working on her clinical hours towards her BCBA. In her spare time, Maria likes to spend time with her family and pets, reading (by August, she will have read 32 books!), cooking, hiking, and traveling. She’s excited to be a part of the Earth Keepers family!
Asheley, Teen Learning Collective
Asheley is super excited to be returning for her second year as a part of 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 graduated in May 2025. Her younger 2 kiddos will be attending PoE with her for the fourth 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!
Emily, Teen Learning Collective
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.