I am Danette K. Riehle, M. Ed, the daughter of Danette “Danny” B. Riehle, M. Ed (1941-2022). Danny founded the Living Classroom Learning Lab, and I am continuing her legacy with my daughter, also Danette, and my brother. A pioneer in environmental education, Danny was also an environmentalist, artist, scholar and horticulturist. As an elementary teacher, she presented at the National Science Teachers & National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conferences and CoAuthored the U of Chicago’s Everyday Math. I share her character traits and passion for nature through our environmental education curriculum. As a teacher and naturalist, I hope to inspire children to reach their true potential.

Years before she passed, her son, Andrew J. Riehle became Danny’s Living Classroom Technical Director, and I became her Co-Author and Curriculum Director. Little Danette, her granddaughter, is the star of the videos.

I aspire to be the master teacher that my mom was and had the opportunity to teach alongside her in her environmental classes and in my own classroom. I am experienced in integrating the arts into STEM. I hold a Masters in Education from the University of Colorado with endorsements in Special Education and Physical Education. Previously, I earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology from the University of Chicago where I played soccer and am a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame. 

I have three children who I adore and enjoy seeing the world through their perspectives. My husband and I live in the mountains of Colorado. I love to hike, bike, ski, paddleboard, kayak, play and coach soccer and ice hockey, experiment with growing seeds at altitude, listen to live music and connect with friends and family.

When I began working with my mom on the Living Classroom, I was struck at the vastness of her extraordinary endeavor. Over forty units and two hundred individual lessons have been imagined, taught, written, made into videos and converted to be website accessible. I would not have imagined that our work together has turned me into a curriculum developer, script writer, production manager, animation director, videographer, video and audio editor and child labor negotiator with my daughter in exchange for Robux and request your forgiveness as an actor, as I am a teacher by nature. 

I have been incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to collaborate with my mother who, by the very nature of her presence and engagement in her personal and professional life, made a substantial and positive impact on her family, community and school. In her memory, I strive to be as talented as her.