Is mostly formed by a group of mothers and grandmothers passionate about children and nature. Most of the team has their own story of the“why” they decided to join one of the Parent & Child Institute Communities, and with the time, after realizing the change in our own lifes or after our child health, sensory disorder or behavioral improvements, we decided to leave behind our professions to reinvent ourselves and become childhood advocates, committing to remind society its sweet meaning almost forgotten and restoring the right of PLAY it for the this and future generations of children.
OUR TEAM
"IF A CHILD IS TO KEEP ALIVE HIS INBORN SENSE OF WONDER, HE NEEDS THE COMPANIONSHIP OF AT LEAST ONE ADULT WHO CAN SHARE IT, REDISCOVERING WITH HIM THE JOY, EXCITEMENT, AND MYSTERY OF THE WORLD WE LIVE IN."
- RACHEL CARSON
The Leaders
Ursula Castaneda
Program Director
Parent & Child Institute
Mexican. Mom of two boys and one girl under 7. Certified in Waldorf Education and as Nature-Based Educator by Erafans. Former Accountant, self-taught Nutritionist and Childhood Advocate. Comfortable with English , Italian and Spanish languages. Mom at our community since 2016.
Committed to restore childhood since 2018.
Karina Simon
Program Coordinator
Adventures in the Forest
Brasilian. Mom of a teenager and two school age children. Certified Nature-Based Educator by Erafans. Psychologist. Former Preschool teacher and Introductory level Synergetic Play Theraphy practicioner. Comfortable with English, Spanish, French, Hebrew and Portuguese languages.
Committed to restore Childhood since 2020.
Katja von Elbe
Conscious Parenting
& Trauma Specialist
American. Mom and Grandmother. Certified Nature-Based Educator by Erafans. Master in Special Education and Certified Conscious Discipline consultant. Comfortable with German, Spanish and English languages. Former Preschool teacher.
Committed to restore Childhood since 2011.
Parent & Child Institute Team
Facilitators at the Parent and Child Institute, supports the community of Parents and Caregivers to set and understand their common goals in parenting. The role of a Facilitator is to assist parents in planning how to achieve these goals while understanding and validating the real needs and rights of the young children under their guidance. In doing so, the Facilitator remains "neutral" meaning they does not take a particular position in the topic but advise in an objective way for the adults to made their own decisions.
Adventures in the Forest Team
Mentoring consists of a long-term relationship focused on supporting the growth and development of the child. At Adventures in the Forest, Mentors becomes a source of indirect wisdom, co-learning, with the responsibility to become a role model and support to discover life's wonders. Mentors are observes that avoid to advise, give ideas, judgements or resolve conflicts between the children and during specific actions on their play.
The Team Leaders
Karina Simon
Lead Mentor Enchanted
Brasilian. Mom of a young adult, a teenager and a school age boy. Certified Nature-Based Educator by ANBE. Psychologist. Former Preschool teacher. Speaks Portuguese, English, French, Hebrew and Spanish.
Committed to restore Childhood since 2020.
Anita Armas
Lead Mentor Oleta
Venezuelan. Mom of a teenager girl. Certified Nature-Based Educator by ANBE. Bachelor of Arts with
a major in Cinematography. Former tv producer. Nature walk lover.
Committed to restore Childhood since 2018.
Luko Jonas
Lead Mentor Enchanted
Japanese. Mom of a school age boy and a preschooler attending MNP. Bachelor in Psycology, Associate Degree in Welfare and Child Care in Tokyo College. Nature lover. Speaks Japanese and English. Parent in our Community since 2022.
Commited to restore childhood since 2023.
The Mentors
Suzanne Kerpel
Facilitator
American. Mom of a school age boy attending MNS and a preschooler attending MNP. Bachelor of Arts in English and Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Certified Life Coach and Personal Trainer. Loves Nature, Hiking, and Camping. Speaks English and Spanish. Parent in our community since 2019.
Committed to restore childhood since 2021.
Juliana Alzate
Mentor
Colombian. Mom of a school age boy attending MNS and a preschooler attending MNP. Certified Yoga Instructor and former Preschool Teacher. Speaks Speaks Spanish and English. Parent at our community since 2017.
Committed to restore Childhood since 2022.
Katja von Elbe
Mentor
American. Mom and Grandmother. Certified Nature-Based Educator by Erafans. Master in Special Education and Certified Conscious Discipline consultant. Comfortable with German, Spanish and English languages. Former Preschool teacher.
Committed to restore Childhood since 2011.
Katy Caulfield
Mentor
American. Writer, Author of the Quantum Series about personal development and spiritual growth. Life Coach. Bachelor of Arts in Communications. English as Foreing Language Teacher. Comfortable with English, Spanish and Sign Language.
Committed to restore Childhood since 2024.
"THERE IS NO NEED FOR FORCED LESSONS, LECTURES, ASSIGMENTS, TESTS, GRADES, SEGREGATION BY AGE INTO CLASSROOMS OR ANY OF THE OTHER TRAPPINGS OF OUR STANDAR, COMPULSORY SYSTEM OF SCHOOLING. ALL OF THESE , IN FACT, INTERFERE WITH CHILDREN'S NATURAL WAY OF LEARNING." - PETER GRAY
Miami Nature School
an Acton Academy Affiliated
Miami Nature SCHOOL - MNS* it is a partnering organization of Miami Nature PLAYcamp - MNP since they both share the Community and Nature based approach as part of their educative mission and has become the next step for school age children of families embracing alternative education.
If you have a school age children and you are interested in learning more about alternative education we invite you to contact them at info@miaminatureschool.com and/or visit their website and complete the inquiry form - https://miaminatureschool.com
*Even when MNS and MNP shares the same educational goals they are independent entities with their own regulations and processes.
Ana Maria Cordido
Miami Nature School
Co-Founder & Head of the School
"WE DISCOVERED THAT EDUATION IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH THE TEACHER DOES, BUT THAT IT IS A NATURAL PROCESS WHICH DEVELOPS SPONTANEOUSLY IN THE HUMAN BEING."
- MARIA MONTESSORI
Administrative & Support Team
Maria Havilland
Accountant
Luz Elena Silva
Mint & Cocoa Photo
Jonathan Eastman
Family Therapist & Game Master
Conscious Discipline Specialist
Samantha Garcia
Camp Assistant
Patricia Perez Chapelin
Mental Health Consultant
Patricia Leon
Founder - Director Miami Nature PLAYschool
Co-Founder Miami Nature School
Founder The Childhood Nature Project
Peruvian. Mom of a teenager. MBA and Educator Specialized in Andragogy, Leadership, Marketing and HR. Level 3 (In-Person) Forest School Teacher by Forest School Association UK. Certified Forest Kindergarten Mentor by Cedarson Nature School. Certified Nature-Based Educator by Erafans. Speaker at Forest Kindergarten Certification. Speaker at multiple annual Nature-Based Conferences about MNP Methodology. Montessori Instructor Newborn to 6 years. Former Leadership Instructor at UPC Post-graduate Business School. Former Independent Consultant at Cornell IRL. Speaker for Grupo Consulta at the Women Leadership Program for Hochschild Mining Co., Lima-Peru. Active volunteer with Let Grow, Surfrider, Friends of Oleta State River and Pelican Harbor Seabird Station. It was nominated as Badass Women of the Year in Business 2022 by the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. Synergetic Play Theraphy Practicioner Certification in progress.
Committed to restore childhood since July, 16th 2009
