As a classroom and environmental educator for 35 years, Sandy began her career when she graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS degree in Education, followed by a Masters degree in Gifted Education through Ashland University and middle school American Montessori Middle School Certification. She has taught in public and private schools, specializing in teaching middle school science but has served in administrative roles as well, including the K-12 Environmental Education specialist for five years and currently the E3 Learning Lab Teacher K-12 for her district.
Sandy has created K-12 science, STEM curriculum and international programs for schools including STEM Expeditions, credit bearing field study courses that included taking students on trips throughout the US and internationally to South Africa. In 2012, the South African HS course titled “Wildlife Tracking, Digital Photography and Robotic Applications” was the first year long high school course in the nation that offered students science credit for wildlife tracking. Sandy has also taken students on academic trips to Iceland and Belize.
As an educator, Sandy was selected to represent Ohio at the middle school science teacher National Geographic Geo-Inquiry training in 2018 and was the Nat Geo-Inquiry Ambassador for the state of Ohio. In 2017, she authored lesson plans to go with the documentary “Earth Seasoned – Gap Year.” In 2014, she was presented with the “Green Difference Award” recognizing her as one of the top Outstanding Green Educator Program Directors in the country. In 2022 she was selected as a Drone Fellow by the PAST Foundation. In 2023 she was selected as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions and traveled to Antarctica.
Sandy has taught survival and earth-based living skills to youth, adults and families in Oregon, West Virginia and Ohio. She is a Level 2 International Wildlife Tracker, in both the US and South Africa, certified through Cybertracker in track ID and Trailing. She loves to organize adult and student trips to South Africa and travels there yearly to take people into the bush and work on her tracking skills.
Sandy is the proud mom of two grown children and currently lives with her husband Cal half the time in Pataskala, Ohio and the other half in Advent, West Virginia.
Click here to view Sandy’s Resume.
