Karen brings over two decades of experience in education, working with learners from preschool through high school in a variety of roles including environmental educator, high ropes confidence course instructor, classroom teacher, and Early Childhood STEAM Integration Specialist. She began her preschool teaching experience at a Reggio-inspired nature-based preschool in Connecticut, where she followed the children’s lead in exploring their natural environment. In this setting, she learned to develop provocations inspired by the children’s explorations, often including natural materials the children had collected themselves. She holds a B.S. in Life Sciences: Marine Biology and a M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction focusing on Science Education, both from the University of Maryland, College Park. This is her fifth year at St. John’s.
Karen Brooks-Bauer, Rainey Room
