Raised in the Adirondack mountains, Erica grew up with a deep love for nature, but it was really her time at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA that taught her the importance of passing that love on to younger generations. While in the Pacific Northwest, she had the opportunity to study in many inspiring programs that emphasized the importance of nature-education, nurturing the whole child, and time for free play in school systems. She holds a B.A. with concentrations in Art and Child Development. At Evergreen, Erica was introduced to Rudolf Steiner and the philosophical underpinnings of Waldorf education. After graduating, she spent a little over a year at a small Waldorf-inspired preschool on a farm in Olympia, first as an Assistant Teacher and then as a Lead. At LCWS, she has enjoyed three years in the Extended Care program as an assistant and then as the director. After working so closely with the Early Childhood branch of our school, she was inspired to begin the Early Childhood Teacher Education program at Sophia’s Hearth in Keene, New Hampshire.