Director & Teacher

Sarah spent six years teaching at the Shaker Heights Cooperative Preschool before joining forces with Angela in the forest in 2020 with the newly created Shaker Forest School.

She holds her level 1 nature-based teacher certification through the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools. She loves the freedom and inquiry that comes from play-based and child-led learning. She is inspired by children's authenticity, energy, and expression and believes strongly in the creativity that ample time in nature can provide.

When not in the forest, you can find Sarah taking long walks with her husband and dog and cheering on her three kids at all their various sporting events.

Angela has a degree in horticulture from Kansas State University.  She has earned her level 1 nature-based teacher certification through the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools and has taught alongside Sarah in the forest since 2020.

Angela lives in Shaker Heights with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys gardening, raising chickens, hiking, camping, canoeing, and spending time with her family. Angela is so excited to explore and learn in nature with your children!

Parent & Me Forest Explorers Teacher

Carol has been teaching preschool for the last 18 years both in Pittsburgh and Solon, joining Shaker Forest School in 2023. She has been teaching outdoors with students since 2017.

She holds her level 1 nature-based teacher certification through the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools. She serves on the leadership team for the Ohio Nature-Based Early Childhood Education Collaborative. Since childhood, she has always loved to have her hands in the dirt and passionately believes in the power of nature to promote creativity, curiosity, connectedness, and compassion.

Carol lives in Solon with her husband and two corgis. She has three grown children.

Teacher

Laurel attended Cleveland State University for Early Childhood Education from 2011-2015. She taught with Carol at Play and Prep Preschool in Solon for seven years before joining Shaker Forest School in 2023.

She loves being outside with the forest as her classroom! As a lover of both nature and music, she is quickly learning about the many different birds and their songs of Southerly Park.

Friday teacher

Lenie is new to Shaker Forest School this school year and joins Laurel on Fridays in the forest.

Lenie attended California State University Stanislaus where she earned her bachelors in psychology. She soon began working one-on-one with children with autism for five years at the Kendall Center.

She thoroughly enjoys the outdoors and is excited to work with children in a unique and natural environment. When not in the forest, you can find Lenie out and about in Shaker Heights. She and her husband enjoy traveling and are pizza enthusiasts, trying every local pizza shop they can find.