Meet the Education Team!
Kent Chapple | Education Program Manager
Kent was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest (Portland, OR), and has over 14 years of experience developing and delivering environmental education and science programming, including Northwest cultural and natural history, organic gardening, foodshed, and aquatic and marine science education. He has worked with programs serving children and adults in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and California. Kent earned his BS in Biology from Southern Oregon University and his Masters in Education from the University of California Santa Cruz. He has a passion for curriculum development and has implemented various best practices for science education, including the Next Generation Science Standards that we use as a reference point for OxEd programs. Kent also has deep experience building and leading teams and a solid commitment to team and culture development. Kent likes things that start with “B,” such as boats, bikes, books, blueberries, beets, and being on and around water. He also loves to geek out on often-overlooked invertebrates and learn the stories of places (new and familiar), their people, and their more-than-human inhabitants.
MK Kirkpatrick-Waite | OxEd Assistant Manager
MK is originally from Monterey, California. During her time in California, she received a BS in Environmental Management and Protection, with a focus on Environmental Education at Cal Poly Humboldt. For several years after you could find her navigating through redwood forests with students at residential outdoor school programs. MK moved to the Pacific Northwest in the fall of 2020 and continued to work in environmental education throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. MK became a program coordinator for a residential program in North Cascades National Park. During her time there, she created and implemented EE programs based on Next Generation Science Standards for schools from Whatcom, Skagit, and King County. MK’s passion for placed-based education and sustainable practices brought her to Oxbow, and she is looking forward to working with the community members of Snoqualmie Valley. You can find MK digging through fresh dirt with students in Oxbow’s Living Playground, or walking along the many trails that the site has to offer.
Jamie Kisela | OxEd Program Coordinator
Jamie grew up in Snohomish, WA. She was inspired by her own Montessori and non-traditional education background to pursue working with young people, but fell in love with environmental science during her time at Everett Community College’s Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) program. She spent her college and early career learning how to combine these two interests and fell into the Environmental Education field.
Jamie earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Washington, and a M.A.Ed in Urban Environmental Education from Antioch University Seattle. She has 10 years of experience working with youth across a variety of program formats in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest. Most recently, she worked at an outdoor self-directed learning center, and as the education director for a small rainforest conservation nonprofit in St. Louis, MO. Jamie has experience in program design and facilitation with Montessori, traditional schools and NGSS, self-directed learning centers, and outdoor informal education programs. She is excited to return to her home and family in Western Washington and to spend her days outdoors at Oxbow. Across all roles, she works to center youth voices and autonomy, consent, and community.
In her free time, Jamie is a collector of hobbies. She enjoys hiking, biking, paddle-boarding wood carving and woodworking, candle making, crochet and knitting, linocut print making, painting, cooking, and spending time with loved ones.
Catherine Ullery | Education Specialist
Born in Ohio and raised in Washington, Catherine learned to appreciate both fireflies and forests at a young age. She graduated from Whitworth University with a B.A. in English and a minor in Environmental Studies. After graduation, she began working for the National Park Service, which allowed her to explore new states and ecosystems across the West. Most of her work was in environmental education, where she taught curriculum-based programs that engaged the students through experiential, place-based learning opportunities. After living in 7 different states, she has returned to her home of Washington and is excited to explore the Snoqualmie Valley. She looks forward to creating safe spaces for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with our natural world through curiosity, wonder, and fun.