People

I grew up immersed in forests and developed an early appreciation for environmental literacy that continues to shape my work today. My background includes studies in natural sciences and human development, as well as experience in both formal and informal education settings. I have worked with learners of all ages (from infants to adults) through roles as a substitute teacher, early childhood educator, and prevention specialist. Currently, I work with the Lumber Heritage Region of Pennsylvania, where I integrate environmental education with the region’s rich cultural and industrial history.

I serve Westgate Community School as the Environmental Education Coordinator. Westgate is a K-12 charter school that focuses on whole child education. EE lessons and service learning projects are incorporated weekly with support of on campus chickens, goats, barn cats, gardens, and bee hives.

My work as an environmental scientist focuses on water quality, aquatic organism health, and stream convservation and restoration. Part of my work includes educating the public and preK-12 audiences about the American eel, a fascinating fish native to our Pennsylvania watersheds. 

Sydney spent the bulk of her childhood learning and growing under the canopy of the southeastern deciduous forests that make up her home state of Virginia. She earned her B.A. in International Studies with a minor in Environmental Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. Following her undergraduate schooling, she began working as a youth environmental educator, leading her to eventually pursue her M.A. in the University of Utah's Environmental Humanities Program to study how nature-based programs can better support nature-connections across diverse groups. While in Utah, she also co-founded Camping in Color, an overnight program designed for black youth and their families in the Salt Lake Valley area to enhance a sense of belonging, appreciation, and engagement in the outdoors. She joins the Natural Start Alliance team excited to further her work in making quality early childhood environmental education more accessible to all.

I currently serve as a Farm to School Educator with the School Food Project as an EE Corps/AmeriCorps member. In this role, I support students in building a place-based understanding of food and nutrition. Teaching students where food comes from naturally intersects with the collective health of the non-human world and humans, community well-being, and equity. Through our programming, we honor farmers in surrounding communities while exploring how local food systems support the three pillars of sustainability: environmental stewardship, economic resilience, and social equity. These lessons aim to foster stewardship while empowering students to reframe how they understand and relate to their environment.

 

Preethi Mony is a specialist in the field of environmental education, program evaluation and grants and has a wide range of experience from developing resource matierials, conducting programs with children and adults, as well as evaluating programs and grant reporting.

Growing up in the busy metropolis of Mumbai, she quickly recognized the importance of the social aspects of conservation in protecting the natural world. She has worked with organizations in India and the US to help with environmental education program planning and resource development. She has over 20 years of experience working with zoos and museums to evaluate programs and exhibits and recommend strategies to improve the overall visitor experience. Over the last 2 years, she has worked at a local community college to support grant work (federal, state, and private) as well as to inform data driven decision making in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. She brings all of these experiences to her current role of EE Grant and Program Manager at NAAEE.

Preethi holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University. She earned her M.S. in interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida, and a B.Sc. in Life Sciences from the University of Mumbai, India.