Meet The Prairiewood Mentor Team

As Education Director, Lori Ann develops curriculum, offers Professional Development, and advises and mentors students. Her background in education ranges from graduating college with a Secondary Education teaching license; to studies with Wilderness Awareness School, Project WILD, The Human Path Herbal Medics Academy, and Association for Nature-based Education; to a combined 15 years as an outdoor camp counselor and nature-based educator.

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Her past, current, and upcoming offerings include:

* Clover Patch Kids (sensory immersion & nature play for ages 1-8)

* Wild Wanderers (naturalist & wilderness skills for ages 9-14)

* Teen Mentors (outdoor leadership for high schoolers)

* S.T.E.A.M. Jr. Mentors (project-based STEAM learning for grades 6-12)

* Oklahoma History (grades 6-12)

* Game Design & Development (grades 6-12)

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Mary is a self-taught visual artist from Stillwater, Oklahoma who has worked with Prairiewood Forest School students since its founding in 2021! Mary's path into the art world is non-traditional, but her passion and personal development has been a life-long immersive education. Mary is also certified as an Association for Nature-based Education's Nature-based Teacher (level 2).

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Her past, current, and upcoming offerings include:

* Prairiewood Pack (homeschool co-op for ages 4-14)

* Wild Wanderers (naturalist & wilderness skills for ages 9-14)

* Teen Mentors (outdoor leadership for high schoolers)

* Nature Art Journal Club

* Wild Maker Camp

Deah's education is primarily in the sciences (she has a Master’s degree in Experimental Psychology), but she is equally passionate about art-making. Deah is currently illustrating a book, and in the past had a painting in a juried art show in the Paseo District. In graduate school, she taught undergraduate students statistics and interpersonal psychology. Deah has homeschooled her son for the past six years, and has taught homeschoolers of all ages a variety of topics including art, poetry, the Science of Art, and even a “how to teach” course.

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Her past, current, and upcoming offerings include:

* Wild Studio: The Science of Art

* Creative Writing Circle

* Life Skills Lab

Aidan has served as Executive Director of our home nonprofit, St. Francis of the Woods, since 2014. A lifelong Oklahoman, he earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in 2009 and both practiced law and taught middle school Social Studies before pursuing ministry.

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His past, current, and upcoming offerings include:

* American History 

* British History

* History of Film

* History of The Inklings

* World Religions

* Celtic Christianity
* U.S. Government

* Comparative Government

* Constitutional Law & the Supreme Court

Amber is very excited to introduce your kids to ASL and Deaf Culture. She has experience as a sign language interpreter for several years, a home educator, and has now taught sign language for a number of middle and high school students. Amber is a nurse practitioner in the emergency department, and also helps lead first aid trainings for our students and Mentor team.

 

Amber is excited to bring American Sign Language into the forest so our students can learn a new language through movement and games.

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Her past, current, and upcoming offerings include:

* Wild Elective: American Sign Language

* Health (including CPR, First Aid, & Stop the Bleed)

Dr. Rice has come back to teaching after retiring as professor of English at the University of Central Oklahoma. His Rhetoric class at Prairiewood follows the comic-style textbook he wrote to make the subject more engaging for his college students! Besides his love for literature, Allen also brings his experienced as a published author to his English Language Arts classes here.​

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He will offer his first Prairiewood classes in the 2026-2027 school year:

* Rhetoric & Argumentative Writing Lab (grades 6-12)

* Medieval Literature: King Arthur (grades 6-12)

* Life Skills: Interviewing for Success

Dr. Wiggins has been a science educator for 17 years and a biologist for 14—so you could say she really loves asking questions and figuring out how the world works! Dr. Wiggins started her career as a certified elementary and junior high science teacher, then returned to school to earn her master’s and PhD in Integrative Biology. Along the way, she's taught everything from genetics to physiology, developed lab activities and websites, written science curriculum, and led workshops for educators on topics like evolution and inclusion in science. She also teaches at Oklahoma State University and recently completed her Nature-Based Teacher Certification to bring even more outdoor learning into the mix.

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Her past, current, and upcoming offerings include:

* Wild Labs: Science (project-based learning for grades 6-12)

* Science of Learning Skills Lab (grades 6-12)

Justin is a dedicated and inspiring educator who also serves as a Teaching Associate Professor of Philosophy at Oklahoma State University where he's been teaching since 2012. With a rich academic background, including a PhD in progress from the University of Arkansas, he has a keen interest in helping students explore the intersections of religion and ethics. Recognized for his passion and excellence in teaching, Justin has been nominated for the Arts & Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award and has received prestigious fellowships, including a Research Fellowship in Medieval Religion of the Middle East. 

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He will offer his first Prairiewood class in Block 6 of 2027:

* Socratic Seminar (grades 6-12)

​Kathryn began work at our host nonprofit St. Francis of the Woods in January 2023 as the Donor and Development Coordinator. Kathryn led the youth ministry at St John’s Episcopal Church in Norman, OK and helped host programs for First Nations communities with the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma. With a Bachelor's degree in Botany/Plant Biology, Kathyrn gets to enjoy Prairiewood's abundant biodiversity alongside our students when she's assisting at classes!

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Besides tracking student enrollment forms, scholarship donations, and all the other behind-the-scenes work of running Prairiewood, Kathryn assists at at the following classes:

* Wild Labs: Science

* Wild Studio: The Science of Art

Chelsea studied Production Animation at DigiPen Institute of Technology and has participated in several years of Oklahoma's Oklahoma City 48 Hour Film Project, including an entry that won the People's Choice Award. As an unschooling parent for over a decade, she's excited to share her experience with students at Prairiewood!

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Her past, current, and upcoming offerings include:

* Introduction to Filmmaking