Our Staff
Leadership and Administration
Megan Patterson | Founder & Executive Director
Megan Patterson is the Founder and Executive Director of Worldmind, an outdoor-based, non-profit independent school in Denver, and the Founder and CEO of Beyond Exceptional, offering free and tuition-based homeschool enrichment, tutoring, consulting, and parent and teacher education. She holds a certification in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Business School.
Specializing in neurodiversity and twice-exceptionality, Megan is dedicated to creating dynamic educational systems where students can thrive. Being twice-exceptional herself, as is her son, she understands the importance of tailored educational environments.
While working on her master's degree in Ecological Teaching and Learning, Megan conducted research on outdoor-based and place-based education and various neurodiversities, including ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and giftedness. Her passion led her to establish Worldmind and collaborate with the State of Colorado as the only pilot program for outdoor-based early childhood education, resulting in state licensure for outdoor-based preschools.
Worldmind, which began as an outdoor-based enrichment program in 2015, has expanded to include elementary and middle school grades, with a high school hybrid model launching in August 2024. The school focuses on small group learning, social-emotional learning (SEL), and STEAM education in an outdoor setting.
Megan, trained in trauma-informed education through Life Space Crisis Intervention, also offers individual and family consulting and teacher training. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, backpacking, and camping with her son and two dogs.
Caroline Griesel | Emotional and Physical Safety Director
Caroline began at Worldmind as a parent in the Child and Caregiver program. After apprenticing for two years, she became a lead teacher, leading Worldmind programs such as the Child and Caregiver program and the Homeschool Enrichment program. Upon completing a Level 3 Forest School Certification from the Forest School Association in the UK, she began teaching Forest School programs for Worldmind Elementary and Middle School, along with Worldmind’s kindergarten class. In 2021, she took on the role of Director of Emotional and Physical Safety at Worldmind, guiding Worldmind staff in their endeavors to maintain safety in all facets.
Caroline’s future goals include expanding Worldmind’s educator training program, expanding her knowledge of trauma-informed education, and gaining her preschool director qualification. Inspired by her childhood fishing and collecting shells on the beach of Galveston, Texas, she hopes to make a lifelong connection to nature and self-exploration and learning through nature available to anyone.
Caroline holds a bachelor’s in Zoology with a focus on Entomology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She has 8 years of experience in education, including teaching children’s English classes in Japan and being a para-professional in public schools. She also spent some time in Ecotourism, researching ecological relationships between ants and sea birds and guiding kayak tours to the research site.
Caroline specializes in neurodiversity and twice-exceptionality, and she is trained in trauma-informed education through Beyond Consequences Institute. She is an amateur naturalist and adventurer who loves stargazing, bushcraft, and curating her collection of rocks and minerals.
Justin Way | Early Education Director
After returning home from one of his trips abroad, Justin decided to return to graduate school and earn a master’s degree in Early Childhood and Childhood Education. While there, he began to question the methods and structures utilized in the traditional American classroom. In doing so, the concepts of nature deficit disorder, nature and forest schools, and nature Rx began to take root as solutions to many of the flaws the traditional school system exhibits. After working in DPS for a year, Justin moved to a position with the city of Aurora where he developed, coordinated, and taught a nature-based program for overlooked and underserved youth, families, and communities in Aurora and East Denver. More recently, Justin helped start Worldmind's Elementary Education Program and has moved into a leadership role as Assistant Director of Early Childhood Education at Worldmind.
In his personal life, Justin enjoys traveling, hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, climbing, birding, family and friends, playing guitar, reading, and doing yoga. Justin tries to live a vibrant and balanced life full of fun, happiness, and love that he hopes his students feel every day. Happy trails!
Worldmind Primary & Secondary Teachers
Jennifer Baker | Math & Science Teacher
K-6 Connecticut Certified Teacher for the past fifteen years, Jen has taught math and science at the middle school level and has been immersed in teaching math to K-1 through the Russian School of Mathematics. Her own educational journey is soundly based in a public alternative pilot grade school program that emphasized service, social action, and experiential learning, where their days were spent in exploration and child-led learning. She attended a public high school and graduated with a degree in Outdoor and Environmental Education from Prescott College in 1991.
During her parenting years, she facilitated her two children’s educational path using inspirations from John Holt, John Taylor Gatto, and the homeschooling community. After receiving her MS.Ed from the University of Bridgeport in 2008, she taught 7th-8th grade science in a parochial school, then entered the public school system as a grade 7 special education assistant, followed by grade 6 science/math for 5 years. At this time in her career, she returns to what matters most: connecting children to themselves, their community, and nature through experiential activities, discovery, and reflection.
Scott Levi | Math & Social Studies Teacher
Scott is proud to be from Denver. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Northern Arizona University and a master’s degree in Teaching from the University of Northern Colorado with an endorsement in elementary education. After working in both state and national politics, he found his next public service calling via education. He started out teaching chess and frisbee after school, became a substitute teacher for Cherry Creek School District, then worked for two years as a Denver Math Fellow teaching middle school math intervention in Denver Public Schools. Camping, backpacking, and other positive outdoor experiences proved vital to his formative years; they instilled in him both a respect for sustainable adventuring and a deep appreciation for Mother Earth. Equity and mathematics are especially important to Scott, and he perseveres to inspire the next generation of lifelong learners to think critically and resourcefully about global and local issues.
In his free time, Scott enjoys cycling, disc golfing, ultimate frisbee, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and developing computer programs with his lifelong friends online.
Amy Snodgrass | Literacy Teacher
Amy holds a master’s degree in Secondary English Education and a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. She began her career in education by volunteering with creative writing programs in Oregon School for the Deaf and Oregon State Penitentiary. She worked as an assistant teacher in Dallas, Texas before finding her home in Denver, where she spent four years teaching fifth grade reading. In addition to English Language Arts, she has experience teaching music, creative writing, and art. Amy is a proponent of the Forest School model because she believes the best education fosters curiosity and confidence in learners. She is passionate about project-based curriculum design that fosters strong habits of discussion through both shared readings and choice texts.
She spends her time reading, practicing yoga, playing cooperative board games, hiking, writing poetry, and illustrating comics and graphic novels.
Employment
Worldmind hires year round for preschool through 9th grade teaching positions. A Colorado teaching license or ECE certification is required. Outdoor/environmental education background desired. Please send a resume to Executive Director/Founder Megan Patterson to apply: worldmind@worldmindeducation.org.
Worldmind Early Education Teachers
Jessica Lugo | Preschool Teacher & Director at Washington Park
Jessica attended the University of Central Florida, where she earned a degree in Elementary Education. After teaching kindergarten for four years in Florida, Jessica and her husband made a big leap to venture somewhere new, moving to Denver in 2009. Being a Colorado resident has been especially magical for Jessica because of the ability to experience the cycle of all four seasons instead of year-round heat and humidity in her previous Florida home.
During Jessica’s time in Colorado, she has taught in a variety of settings in early childhood education and has noticed that her favorite times teaching are the moments of being outdoors with children. She believes that the wonder of nature and beauty of discovery while being outside is truly delightful, and she looks forward to learning with the Worldmind community. In Jessica’s free time, she spends time outdoors walking, riding her bike, and exploring new areas.
Taylor Emanuelson | Preschool Teacher
Taylor was born and raised in the Denver Metro area, where she fell in love with the mountains and anything outdoors. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Environmental & Sustainable Studies with a Biological Sciences minor in December 2020 and intends on using her degree to help advocate for the planet while teaching the coming generations the importance of the natural world. With her experience throughout her childcare career as a nanny for multiple families, an after school care instructor, a summer camp manager, a preschool teacher, and a vocal instructor, she is ecstatic to continue her career at Worldmind to help guide the curious minds of little ones!
During her free time, Taylor loves hiking, singing, camping, reading, spending time with friends and families, and of course exploring. She hopes the intention, gratitude, happiness, and empathy in which she leads her life will be passed on to the students at Worldmind!
Hannah Seibert | Preschool Teacher
Born in rural Michigan, Hannah started exploring and loving the outdoors as soon as she can remember. After graduating with her bachelor’s in Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services, she made the exciting move to Colorado to work with students at the University of Colorado, and of course, to enjoy the outdoors. In 2019, she moved to Bangkok to teach seventh grade English, and this is where she learned she loved inspiring and guiding children.
After returning back to Colorado in 2020, Hannah worked as an outdoor adventure instructor, nanny, and a camp director. Finding an outdoor school that combines inquiry-based learning and free play has made Hannah immensely excited to work with Worldmind. She’s looking forward to fostering an environment where children can connect and learn from all of the wonderful benefits of being outdoors.
In her free time, you can find Hannah hiking, skiing, backpacking, drawing or making jewelry.
Tracy Schamel | Preschool Teacher
Born in Denver, Tracy spent most of her time growing up on horseback, exploring the foothills and southern parts of Colorado. At an early age, she had her first experiences in teaching through introducing people to horses and riding. She began her career in early childhood right out of high school while continuing her education at Red Rocks Community College.
Tracy has been an early childhood teacher for 25 years. Over the course of her career, she has had the opportunity to train in a wide variety of programs including: Creative Curriculum, FrogStreet, High Scope, and Reggio Emilia. She shifted focus in 2021 to nature-based education and continues to build her knowledge base in this area.
Tracy spends her down time riding her horses, taking her cats for walks, crafting, and building her photography portfolio while exploring the many state parks around Colorado.
Abigail Atkinson | Preschool Teacher
Abby grew up on the Western slope of Colorado. She spent much of her childhood connecting with nature through rafting, kayaking, hiking, and camping. She moved to Golden in 2006 where she worked as a nanny while pursuing a degree in Industrial Design. Finding her true passion in childcare, she stepped away from design to continue her work as a professional nanny and raise her own two children.
Throughout this time, Abby focused her energy on learning about early childhood development, conscious discipline, and positive caregiving strategies. When her youngest began kindergarten, she worked as a paraprofessional in an autism center classroom before accepting her dream job - teaching nature school - with Worldmind.
As the parent of two twice-exceptional children, Abby brings her experience, knowledge, and deep compassion for all human beings into her daily work. In her free time, she loves stand up comedy, making things with her children, and camping with her family.
Anna Sager | Assistant Preschool Teacher
Anna was born and raised in northeast Louisiana. She found her love for being outside growing up on the bayou surrounded by cypress trees and swamp creatures. Anna’s first job in high school was at the Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum, where she quickly realized how much she enjoyed being around children. After obtaining certification in babysitting through the American Red Cross Organization, Anna went on to become a cheer coach and led three teams to national championships. While in college at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, she continued to work as a cheer coach as a and nanny. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Public Relations.
Anna moved to Colorado in 2019 to be closer to the mountains. She fell in love with Worldmind while working at the summer camps in both City Park and Washington Park and welcomed the opportunity to stay on as a teacher for the school year.
Anna enjoys going to concerts, traveling, kayaking, swimming, journaling, meditating, and spending time with her friends and family. Her favorite pastime is spending time with her nieces and nephew any chance she gets.
Amanda Henry | Kindergarten Teacher
Amanda was born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden. Being a student of an outdoor/inquiry-based environment herself, she feels grateful to have encountered the Reggio Emilia approach at an early age and is passionate about passing on that experience to others. Amanda’s career in early childhood education began at the Scandinavian School of Jersey City, a Reggio Emilia inspired preschool with a strong connection to nature and the outdoors. Amanda attended the Reggio Emilia International Study Group with a few other members of Scandi in the fall of 2019, and she is currently pursuing a degree in Sociology to further her understanding human behavior.
In addition to Sweden and the US, Amanda has lived in Japan and Berlin. Diving and the ocean brought her to Hawaii, where she met her husband. They have recently moved to Denver from New Jersey and are thrilled to get to know Colorado and return to skiing, which has always been a part of Amanda’s life. She has also set her sights on learning how to horseback ride.