John started leading the effort to establish Mount Rainier Institute in 2012.  He has worked in the Environmental Education field for over 20 years. Before coming to western Washington, John was the Executive Director of Dunes Learning Center in Northwest Indiana.  John also worked at Teton Science Schools in Wyoming where he was part of their Graduate Faculty. He has taught and coordinated environmental education programs in Vermillion County Illinois, and for Indiana University’s Bradford Woods.

 Kaitlin is from San Diego, CA, and grew up enjoying the ocean and exploring Tahoe National Forest. She graduated from Vassar College with a degree in Environmental Studies, focusing on environmental justice. While at Vassar, Kaitlin spent time hiking in the Hudson Valley area and leading trips for the outing club. Since then, she has loved working with youth at a camp in the Adirondacks in NY and as an outdoor educator at the Pali Institute in Southern California. Kaitlin is passionate about expanding access to the outdoors and letting curiosity be the basis for learning and protecting nature. In their free time, you can find Kaitlin painting, playing volleyball, watching sunsets, traveling, and hiking.

Sammie is a lifelong lover of all things outdoors including hiking, camping, climbing, swimming, and more. She has guided trips for college students at Johns Hopkins, taught at San Mateo Outdoor Education amidst old growth redwoods, and most recently spent two years with preschoolers in Tiny Trees’ outdoor classrooms in and around Seattle. She is thrilled to return to residential outdoor education--to live, teach, and learn in the forest. When not out exploring, Sammie can be found reading, cooking, crocheting, or attempting the NYT crossword puzzles.

Amanda has worked for Mount Rainier Institute since 2021 and loves sharing her love of thinking about science outside with students. She has been a certificated K-12 science teacher in Washington since 2014 and currently teaches science at a local college. She earned her BA in Biochemistry from Colorado College, her MSc in Chemical Biology from UCSF, and her MAT in Science Education from UW Seattle. When Amanda is not teaching, running, or biking in Pack Forest, you can find her backcountry skiing, gardening, or practicing yoga.

Coming Soon!

Alexis grew up in Virginia, she spent many summers camping, hiking, and backpacking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She graduated from William & Mary with a degree in Biology, where she focused her studies and research on conservation and aquatic ecology. Upon graduating, she worked as a Naturalist in Southern California, where she discovered her passion for environmental education. Following her time as a Naturalist, she worked as a paddle-board, rock climbing, survival skills, and high adventure instructor in the DC metro area. Shortly after, the west called her back and she has pursued environmental education ever since. In her downtime, you can find Alexis creating montages, making bagels, water coloring, or taking strolls through the beautiful outdoors.