VICKI
was born and raised amongst the teeming shore life of the barrier islands that dot the Eastern Seaboard. She moved to Wisconsin to be closer to her grandparents earning her BS in Conservation Biology from UW-Madison in 1996 and her post-baccalaureate Teaching Certification in 2005 from Edgewood College. In 2005, she found her way to Youth Initiative where she discovered how to combine her love for learning from nature with her love of working with adolescents. The fiery, fun, creative, and pioneering spirit of youth needs both sail and rudder of strong adult leadership. Vicki is the mother of  YIHS alumnus , Kele (2019), and current student Cassidy (2027).  Using guiding principles of science literacy and inquiry, Waldorf pedagogy, and phenomenological experiences, Vicki hopes students will learn to develop and trust their senses in drawing conclusions about the natural world. She holds the positions of Advisory, Science & Math Department Coordinator, Chair of the Curriculum Committee, and teaches courses in Biology, Environmental Science, Geometry, Agriculture, and Illustration. Balancing learning from our own environment and traveling further afield to larger cities for museum experiences, Vicki strives to bring an enriching variety of experiences to the STEAM program at YIHS. 

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