jenn allen

jennallen@manzanitaschool.org

Jenn acts as the 7th grade Unit of Study teacher and mentor at Manzanita. She was a public school elementary teacher in Arizona, worked at an Environmental Education School in the Pacific Northwest, and has been a middle and high-school science teacher in Independent Schools in Los Angeles. She is the author of several articles, including “Brave with Braids: Empowering Young Female Voices through Environmental Education”. She spent the first year of her Master's program at a residential practicum program at an environmental education school on Bainbridge Island, WA, called IslandWood. She also acted as 1 of 7 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Fellows and participated in a study abroad program exploring ecology, sustainable and regenerative practices, and models for teaching/education in Costa Rica, both in 2014. She has a particular interest in the human nervous system, human development, and the psychological implications of teaching, and implements these interests in her classroom approach. Jenn values the space Manzanita provides her to tap into her intuition, connect with her colleagues, and ground into the Earth to maintain a creative and inspired teaching practice, believing that through the support of the land she and her class can navigate the unique path that is 7th grade and early adolescence. She wakes up feeling a sense of reverence and gratitude for the magic and deep transformation she witnesses daily in students, herself, and the world at large. Outside of school hours, Jenn describes herself as a lifelong learner and loves learning about quantum physics, ancestral roots, history, psychology, sociology, astrology, the natural and wild world, the universe, and so much more, including the slow-and-steady process of learning to play guitar. She enjoys going to the pottery studio, reading, hiking, spending time with her cats, writing, meditating, traveling, tending to her indoor jungle, dancing, biking, yoga, and almost anything that gets her outside.

Educational Background: Jenn has a BA in Education, an English Language Learner Credential, two certificates in Environmental Education, and an MA in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction. She also has received Bachelor's and Master's level training in DEIJ/B systems and curriculum integration, as well as Trauma-sensitive teaching practices.

Joined: 2022 (Year Nine)