The Mountain Academy Preschool program is designed for curious learners ages three to five. We encourage students to practice physical and cognitive skills through problem solving, teamwork, exploration and creative expression. Students learn to excel as critical thinkers and collaborators in order to prepare them for a lifelong love of learning. Parents receive daily documentation to show the progress we are making in our classrooms.
We pursue an authentic educational approach grounded in the idea that children are competent, rich in potential, and capable of being the protagonists of their own learning. The multi-age preschool classroom focuses on the interest of the students, with teachers facilitating and guiding the process. Parents are viewed as partners, taking an active role in childrens’ education through Parent Nights or volunteering in the classroom.
Academic Enagement
Our program is strongly influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education and place-based principles. We view our classroom and outdoor learning environments as the third teacher as they cater to the various learning styles through hands-on, project-based activities to build a strong foundation for the educational years to come.
Character Development
Our program focuses largely on building social-emotional skills. Students learn to develop relationships, to collaborate, and to resolve conflicts through problem solving and restorative practices. Mountain Academy Preschool students gain ownership by taking an active role in daily responsibilities around the classroom.
Community Focus
Community starts with the classroom. As students become more familiar with peers and teachers, we connect with our campuses, including but not limited to farm animals, the greenhouse, our garden, and open space. We continue to grow our community by connecting with older students and ultimately venture into our local community and woods.
In-Tune with Nature-Based Practices
Childrens’ growth and learning is fostered through encounters with the natural world; where the allure of this places invites wonder and inquiry. Students often take trips to R Park, Vogel’s Hill, Henderson Canyon, and Pole Canyon.
"Before we sent our kids here, I couldn't really imagine why everyone talked about Mountain Academy being such a unique experience from other preschool programs. But it is truly a magical place. My kids literally run into the classroom in the morning, and come home chattering away about all their adventures outside. I think the focus on independence and letting kids guide their learning has led my once-shy toddler to be a more confident little girl who can even write her name already. It just blows me away."
Hometown: Southern New Hampshire Favorite animal: Bison
Samantha grew up in southern New Hampshire, skiing and hiking in the White Mountains. After graduating from Hamilton College with a degree in Philosophy, she returned to New Hampshire to work for the Appalachian Mountain Club in their backcountry hut system. Samantha then turned her enthusiasm for outdoor education into a position at a local Waldorf school in the White Mountains. She moved to Jackson in July and can be found exploring on her bike, hiking in the mountains, or getting mildly lost in the side streets of town square.
Callie Lajza
Hometown: Gainesville, FL Favorite animal in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Beaver
Callie graduated from William & Mary in 2018 and from the University of Central Florida in 2016. She originally moved to Jackson to work for the Bridger-Teton National forest and continued her time in the area with Teton Science Schools Field Education. Currently, Callie spends a lot of time on the water as well as pursuing hiking and climbing in the Tetons!
Frederick (Federico) Grant
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA / San Jose, Costa Rica Favorite animal in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Cougar
Federico grew up both in Los Angeles , CA and in San Jose, Costa Rica. He studied Spanish Lit and Linguistics at UCLA. He developed his love and curiosity for nature thanks to his participation in the UCLA Sierra Club. After college he completed the CR Ministry of Tourism guide certification course with license#17. Additionally, he took another naturalist/Ecotourism guide certification course at the University of Costa Rica School of Biology. Plus he completed a 2 week field identification course in Tropical Natural History, Ornithology, Botany, Herpetology, climate, and Zoology through the CR National Museum. He is also a certified NAUI Scuba Divemaster and Instructor. He has been an avid bird watcher for many years, claiming over 600 species of birds seen in Costa Rica alone (out of 910 sp). He has worked as an adventure guide, trek leader, tour director & naturalist in Costa Rica, Mexico, CA, AZ, Guatemala, Belize, Panama and Galapagos Islands NP, Ecuador. He is keen on learning and sharing everything he can about the GYE.
In 2001 he crossed North America from Washington DC to British Columbia , Canada , and south to Los Angeles in a VW Westfalia, indirectly following the Lewis & Clark trail (“Undaunted Courage” book as his inspiration). His trip took him to Yellowstone NP where he sited his very first Bald Eagle, Grizzly bear, and herd of Bison. And he witnessed the geothermal magnificence of Old Faithful! Since then he has always wanted to go back to this volcanic/nature wonderland. He took a course in Volcanology with Dr. Van der Laat from the UCR. He has climbed several active and dormant volcanos throughout the world such as Mt Chimborazo NP, Ecuador, Mt Cotopaxi NP, Mt Ittzacihuatl NP, Mexico, Mt Pacayas, Guatemala, Mt St Helens NP, WA, Mt Lassen NP, CA, Mt Batur NP, Bali, Mt Turrialba NP, Costa Rica, Mt Rincon de la Vieja NP, the “Yellowstone” of Costa Rica, amongst others. He is a great fan of volcanism! He is an avid mountain hiker and MTBiker.
Finally, he took a naturalist guide certification course through the University of Wyoming to enable him to better understand the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. His strong points are his passion and enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge and love of nature, wherever that may be.
Helen Lewis
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Favorite animal in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Osprey
Helen grew up exploring northern Wisconsin’s forests, lakes, rivers and bogs. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned dual degrees in Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies. There she had the opportunity to study marine and terrestrial tropical ecology in Ecuador, and she focused her studies on alpine plants in high Andean grasslands called páramos. Throughout her time in school and after graduating, Helen led 9 to 45-day canoeing, sea kayaking, and backpacking expeditions focused on leadership development amongst groups of young women. These trips led her from the Great Lakes Region to the tundras of the Canadian subarctic in Nunavut and Northwest Territories, where she developed a love of hardy plants and animals thriving in cold, dry places. In 2019, Helen moved to Jackson and began working for Teton Science Schools as a Field Instructor, marrying her passions for science and the natural world with her experiences leading in outdoor education. With this unique landscape and its wild inhabitants in the foreground, she has since had the opportunity to connect with hundreds of visitors in this spectacular ecosystem. When not out inspecting nooks and crannies of high alpine environments for hidden wildflowers, Helen enjoys trail running, cooking colorful meals, backcountry skiing, and learning about the ever-evolving intersections between people and the environment in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Logan Edgeman
Hometown: La Fayette, Georgia Favorite animal in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Great Grey Owl
Logan (he/him/his) grew up in southern Appalachia which connected him to the outdoors and natural world from an early age. While obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Leadership from Young Harris College in Northeast Georgia, Logan immersed himself in as many outdoor experiences as possible to better connect himself with outdoor places and communities. After working many seasons as a guide and field instructor, Logan began working with private and public colleges in the State of Georgia coordinating outdoor programming with an emphasis on introducing inner-city and underprivileged students to outdoor initiatives and sustainable practices while recreating outdoors. Logan‘s model for facilitating outdoor programs is to introduce, educate, inspire, and create an everlasting and expanding relationship with the natural world and diverse communities around us.
