Nick Spinelli

Nick [he/they] is a guest in North America, having been born on traditionally Erie lands (in what is now northeastern Ohio) but with European ancestry. His father’s family—the Spinellis and Cipitis—immigrated to the U.S. from Italy and Sicily, while his mother’s families—the Rosuls, Lockenbauers, and Rebstocks—came from a variety of countries, including England, Poland, and Russia. Broadly, Nick endeavors to be a connector. He’s worked in a variety of education and education-adjacent roles including those with High Trails Outdoor Science School, Cleveland Metroparks, Envirolution, and—most recently—the Tucson Climate Project. An emergent (and insurgent) educator, his efforts are directed towards supporting communities in becoming more equitable, inclusive, anti-racist, and resilient, and helping those that look like him to do the same. Indeed, Nick’s own experience as a graduate student in Teton Science Schools’ 2019-2020 cohort led him to Prescott College, where he is currently transitioning from his MA in Outdoor Education Leadership to his PhD in Sustainability Education. Though he enjoys reading scholarly literature and is even in the process of co-founding a research consultancy, Nick is not completely hopeless and occasionally engages in other forms of fun, including record collecting, trail running, (amateur) podcasting, binge-watching anime, and spending long hours on the phone with family and friends.