Experience

Bring the Farm to You

• Education Management
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Founder

  • Jan 2012 - Present

  Visioned and built Bring the Farm to You, an agriculture education organization, serving schools, libraries, senior centers, public and private events, churches, historical centers, and other groups throughout Ohio. • Developed fifteen traveling programs including writing curriculum, acquiring supplies, creating instructional guides, and documenting so as to make programs replicable and consistently high quality. Correlated programs with Ohio Academic Content Standards. • Worked with designers on a logo, website, postcards, vehicle graphics, marketing materials, etc. to create the business brand. Wrote and maintain website. Applied for and received trademark for Bring the Farm to You and our Child's Homestead program. • Write and distribute regular marketing materials. Provide professional marketing presentations to event organizers including principals, PTO presidents, and more. Created marketing database and organizational strategy for promotions. • Created a reservation and confirmation system. Process client inquiries and manage a challenging schedule, at times serving 3 locations with programs in the same day. Process invoices and oversee finances. • Act as lead teacher, instructing groups from preschool through assisted living. Train and manage teaching staff and interns who assist with program implementation. • Developed existing property into a farm, purchasing and building structures to house chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, sheep, goats, and pigs. Act as farmer, managing animal health and well being. • Procured and helped build supplies for the 15 traveling programs, including custom-designed pens and carriers for professional traveling animal events. Manage the maintenance and upkeep of all equipment, storage facilities, and trailers. • Act as organizational director, overseeing all aspects of the business. • Developed the company into a successful educational outreach presence in central Ohio, serving over 40,000 people per year. Show less



Stratford Ecological Center

• Delaware, Ohio

• Education Director

  • Jan 1997 - Jan 2012

  Built the framework for the implementation of successful educational programming, establishing the center as a innovative center of lifelong learning. • Developed, designed, and implemented an environmental and agricultural education program for children, adults, and families, carrying out an existing school field trip program while originating, planning, advertising, and managing large public events and festivals, an extensive adult education schedule, school partnerships, outreach programs, and wildlife monitoring experiences. • Created a summer camp program from the ground up, including creating forms and releases, brochures, advertisements, and daily schedules. Conducted staff, intern, and volunteer training, overseeing implementation of the program and acting as Camp Director for 7 weeks of summer Farm Camp annually. • Administratively coordinated the environmental education program, keeping records, scheduling schools and instructors, writing reports, managing budgets, overseeing program quality, and securing funding through grant writing successes. • Acted in a supervisory capacity, advertising, interviewing, selecting, training and evaluating interns on a thrice-annual basis. Wrote position descriptions, team-interviewed and selected applicants, trained, and supervised staff members. Conducted over 40 two-day volunteer training sessions and 28 intern trainings. • Designed and managed a children’s garden, integrating organic agriculture practices with creativity to shape a child-friendly gardening space. Managed the center’s apiary, teaching children, volunteers, and staff about beehive management. • Implemented the international Sunship Earth program. Created 23 activity stations on 3 trail systems utilizing hundreds of learning supplies. Created systems, maps, trainings, teacher recruiting strategies, and storage and filing systems. Show less



COSI - Center of Science and Industry

• United States
• Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Outreach Visitor and Program Demonstrator

  • 1993 - 1996

  Organized and conducted a traveling science-center show that served whole-school populations in a single day. Communicated with schools on schedules, coordinated bi-weekly travel, and worked independently for weeks at a time. Collaborated with a partner to order, organize, and maintain up to 10 independent experiment stations that traveled with the show. • Presented 30-45 minute solo performances in front of audiences of up to 300 people at the start of each school visit. • Taught and led experiments on polymer science (1993-94), chemistry (1995-96), and bionics and transplants (1996), in traveling shows reaching elementary and middle schools throughout Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. • Wrote a 40-minute scripted theatrical perfomormance teaching about the human body that was used as the foundation for a new traveling exhibition. Worked in a committee to formulate experiments that would demonstrate the concepts presented in the performance. • Trained and supervised adult and adolescent volunteers each day of traveling exhibition, teaching them how to lead experiments for 5-8 hour sessions. • Operated a Spitz model, single globe planetarium for groups of 5-120 people. • Performed visitor-assistance duties including supervising of floor activities, interacting with visitors and exhibits, and performing various public demonstrations on history and Earth science. Show less



Nature's Classroom

• Danville, Ohio

• Environmental Educator

  • Feb 1993 - Nov 1994

  Taught a wide range of curricula for residential outdoor education facility at two locations in Ohio. Created programming and utilized existing curriculum materials. Worked as a team to orient students, teachers, and parents, creating a welcoming and educational program. Lived and worked together with other staff, practicing flexibility, compromise, and compassion, while working 10-13 hour days. • Developed and facilitated outdoor education classes on a wide variety of topics for students aged 6-14. • Guided interpretive and experiential hikes for both teachers and students, engaging them in their own learning while introducing them to the natural world. • Researched and performed living history, modeling Native American ways and teachings. • Designed and performed evening entertainment for whole-camp assemblies, providing an avenue for students to demonstrate their learning, exhibit their talents, and celebrate their experience. Show less



YMCA Camp Tippecanoe

• Tippecanoe, Ohio

• Nature Director and Evening Program Assistant Director

  • Jun 1991 - Aug 1993

  Planned and implemented a hands-on nature program for children ages 7-16 in a residential summer camp facility, teaching basic ecological concepts and instilling a reverence for all life. Demonstrated ability to work independently to create curriculum, manage time effectively, and operate with little oversight. Contributed to a team atmosphere, working collaboratively to meet the needs of the Director, other staff, and campers, while executing the mission of the camp. • Established and managed a permanent nature facility involving live animals and hands-on display components. • Designed and implemented daily nature awareness classes and activities for children aged 7-16 for two to three hour elective and cabin-group sessions. • Correlated ideas with a committee and integrated them into a whole-camp programming schedule. • Supervised staff and children during program activities. Show less