Cara brings over 15 years of education experience to her position, specializing in environmental education and professional development for beginning educators.  As the Garden Programs Manager at Life Lab, Cara directs field trips, summer programs, and internships for college students learning how to teach. She is passionate about creating inclusive, accessible programs for all students and about inspiring the next generation of garden education leaders!  Growing up in Chicago, she jumped on opportunities to volunteer and work at learning institutions, such as at the Field Museum of Chicago.  She graduated  from UCSC with a B.A in Environmental Studies and a minor in Anthropology.  At Developmental Learning Solutions she tutored and taught high school level science to home-school students with learning disabilities.  She worked at Watsonville Wetlands Watch as a wetland educator for elementary and middle school students and as an After-school Program Coordinator for a high school mentorship program.  At Web of Life Field (WOLF) School, a residential outdoor science school, she was an Educator Naturalist and Program Director at several sites around California.  Cara is trained in Positive Discipline strategies for the classroom, as well as cooking with kids, program development, crop rotation, chicken husbandry, inquiry-based learning, SEL, and how to write a land acknowledgement.  She has also worked as a professional Pastry Chef!  When she is not hard at work, she is hard at play, hiking, dancing, climbing, cooking, and traveling with her husband and wife.