This page offers an overview of my professional background, including education, selected press and publications, evaluation work, and contact information, to provide context for my experience and leadership. A resume is available upon request.
Professional Profile
I work at the intersection of education, environmental stewardship, and community well-being, supporting cross-sector initiatives that connect practice, policy, and people. My experience includes coordinating partnerships, translating organizational vision into shared narratives, and making complex, community-based work accessible through clear documentation and shared learning for educators, families, funders, boards, and public agencies. My approach is relationship-centered, equity-informed, and grounded in continuous learning.
Education & Credentials
Michigan State University
Master of Arts in Teaching & Curriculum (MATC)
Completed: Summer 2020
Concentration: K–12 Administration
Antioch University New England
Graduate Certificate in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education
Completed: Summer 2018
Michigan State University
Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education
Completed: Spring 2003
Minors: Environmental Science, English & Spanish
Strategic planning, sensemaking, and thought leadership
Network and partnership coordination
Stakeholder engagement and relationship stewardship
Cross-sector collaboration and systems alignment
Program and project coordination
Narrative, documentation, and impact communication
Equity-centered, community-informed practice
My professional learning reflects a long-standing commitment to curiosity, growth, and interdisciplinary thinking, with a particular focus on climate, environmental, and sustainability education. I have pursued training in natural resources management through Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education, environmental and sustainability leadership through the Association for Nature Center Administrators, and nature-based early learning through the NAAEE Natural Start Alliance. My learning also includes inclusive and international education through coursework on teaching English language learners and supporting giftedness with the Government of South Australia’s Department of Education and Children Services; place-based and experiential education through Learning in Places with Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy, supported by the National Science Foundation; and Indigenous knowledge and equity through Anishinaabe Culture, Identity, and Racial Justice with Red Circle Consulting. In addition, I have engaged in sustained professional learning related to diversity, equity, social justice, food systems, and sustainability through Antioch University New England and Michigan State University, as well as learning and thinking frameworks through Harvard Project Zero, including Agency by Design, Visible Thinking, and Pedagogy of Play, which continue to shape my approach to leadership, reflection, documentation, and practice.
My professional experience spans education, environmental and sustainability learning, and community-based program leadership across early childhood, K–12, higher education, and informal learning contexts. I have worked in partnership with school districts, universities, nonprofits, public agencies, and community organizations to design, support, and document initiatives that connect people, place, and systems.
Across roles, my work has included program and curriculum development, professional learning facilitation, network and partnership coordination, leadership and governance support, and reflective documentation of practice and impact. I have experience translating complex, community-based efforts into accessible materials for a range of audiences, supporting shared understanding, learning, and continuous improvement within organizations and networks.
My perspective is shaped in part by international experience, having lived and taught abroad in Mexico for two years and Germany for five years, which continues to inform my approach to cross-cultural collaboration, relationship-building, and learning across contexts. Throughout my career, I have prioritized equity-informed, place-based, and systems-oriented approaches, with a sustained commitment to curiosity, learning, and collaboration in service of both people and the natural world.
Since 2019, I have served in leadership and policy-advocacy roles with the NAAEE Natural Start Alliance and the Michigan Children and Nature Coalition, contributing to policy-aligned guidance, field communications, and cross-state learning to expand access to outdoor, nature-based education. I am a co-founder and network leader of Michigan Teachers in Nature (MiTIN) and Michigan Early Childhood Outdoors (MiECO), where I coordinate distributed educator and partner networks to support shared direction, communication, and regional collaboration. From 2017 to 2024, I served as President and Director of the Michigan State University College of Education Alumni Board, leading the launch of the Forever Forward Legacy Endowed Scholarship and helping raise more than $100,000 to support future educators.
Through my leadership with MiTIN and MiECO, I supported the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) in championing updates to Michigan’s child care licensing rules as part of the state’s five-year review cycle. My work focused on elevating and shaping provisions for outdoor and nature-based child care, contributing practitioner- and systems-level insights to support innovative care models while maintaining strong health and safety standards. The finalized 2025 rules include new minimum standards that better recognize and support outdoor and nature-based programs, helping reduce barriers for providers and expand access to flexible, developmentally appropriate early learning environments across Michigan.
I maintain an extensive record of professional learning and training I have provided through conference presentations, professional development, and field-based training from 2019 to 2025. This includes facilitation for early childhood educators, K–12 teachers, administrators, higher education students, and child care licensing professionals, as well as coaching and leadership of a 16–20 person outdoor education team. Areas of focus include nature-based and place-based education, integrated science and social studies, equity-centered practice, risk-benefit assessment, and curriculum and program design. A complete professional learning and training record is available for reference: Full Professional Learning & Training Record.
Visit this page, which features selected press coverage, publications, and evaluation work that document professional contributions across education, environmental stewardship, and community-based initiatives.
Contact: Brooke Larm / brookelarm@gmail.com / (810) 339-1642