JULIA GATEWOOD

LEAD INSTRUCTOR

Julia grew up spending summers in Harpswell with their grandparents, happily wandering the shoreline and making friends with hermit crabs, snails, and seaweed (the slimier, the better). Those salty, sandy days, along with summer camp in the Berkshires and family camping trips, shaped how they see the world and their place in it.

After two years teaching ESL in a classroom in Madrid, Julia caught herself daydreaming about teaching kids through experience and nature instead of whiteboards. She believes that helping young people connect with themselves, each other, and the environment through play, teamwork, and mindfulness is crucial to healthy development. Julia was lucky to build a deep connection with nature growing up, so she knows how much it matters, and wants kids to have the chance to explore during the school day, too, not just when summer rolls around.

Julia is a winter person through and through, to them, there is nothing more empowering than being so well bundled that you are impervious to the Maine tundra. You’ll find her snowboarding, playing hockey, and, once the snow melts, swimming and climbing rocks and trees.