Our Overnight Adventures Team
Meet our wonderful staff, each bringing their own unique knowledge and experience to Nature's Classroom Institute. All are CPR and First Aid trained, background checked and will undertake ongoing NCI training to ensure they deliver the best learning experience possible.
Wisconsin Team
Outreach Director
Carrie Benzinger
After joining our Montessori School in February 2018, Carrie also joined the NCI Lake Geneva WI team in October 2018. Carrie grew up in the Milwaukee area, is married, has 3 sons and currently lives in the Mukwonago area. She enjoys cooking, baking and spending time with her family. Carrie is interested in everything Nature’s Classroom Institute (and Montessori School) offers students and is eager to learn much more about the entire program. She loves working with our Wisconsin schools to handle all of the logistics for them. If you would like to book a field trip to Camp Lake Carrie will be your contact.
Education Director
Matt
Matt has been working in outdoor education since 2018 and has been teaching since 2014. Matt has worked in conservation landscaping, invasive management, and education. A native of northeast Tennessee, Matt received his undergraduate degree from UNC Greensboro in English and History, and his graduate degree from Goshen College in Environmental Education. In his spare time, Matt loves to read, to hike, to bird, and to watch movies. His favorite animal is the whale, his favorite color is purple, his favorite band is the Avett Brothers, and his favorite movie is the Lord of the Rings.
Environmental Educator
Jessica
​Jessica is from upstate New York and is a recent graduate of Binghamton University with a Bachelors in History and Biological Anthropology. She has spent her last 7 summers teaching swimming and the last 3 winters teaching skiing. She loves working with kids and discovering new things. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, biking, cooking and exploring nature.
Environmental Educator
PK
PK is from India and has been in the outdoors since 2018. She is always determined and dedicated towards her work and is always open to learning new things and extraordinary experiences. She loves cooking and traveling. She has worked and traveled in India and UAE and is now ready to go on an exciting journey with us.
Environmental Educator
Charlotte
Charlotte recently graduated Marquette University with a bachelor’s in Journalism and Social Welfare and Justice. She’s passionate about finding healthier and alternative ways to live and learn in synchronicity with the planet. During the last few years, she’s worked with Milwaukee community centers and a health clinic to help provide resources and education to Milwaukee kids. She enjoys video games, reading, and walking in the woods with her dogs.
Environmental Educator
John
John grew up in northern Illinois and has always had a love for the outdoors. His enthusiasm for nature was fueled by family hikes at the local state park and by programs put on by the county’s conservation district. When he finished college John went to work at a summer camp in Wisconsin. He enjoys the outdoors and wants to help others enjoy it too. When not teaching John enjoys writing, hiking, biking, canoeing, and exploring the world around him.
Environmental Educator
Jordan
Jordan is an educator from Rockville, Maryland. Before this, he worked odd jobs around the country, allowing him to work in towns and national parks in Alaska, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. He discovered a love for outdoors activities and environmental education during his first summer in Alaska. Before working for NCI he worked at the Hillel at the University of Wisconsin.
Environmental Educator
Sarah
Sarah grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and found a love for outdoor education through the High School Marine Biology program with the Shedd Aquarium. She then went on to teach environmental education in her time at Florida Gulf Coast University, through their Panther Posse program. These expanded her passion for the outdoors and desire to instill a sense of wonder in the community around her. In her free time Sarah enjoys paddleboarding, crocheting, and identifying mushrooms.
Environmental Educator
Eliana
Eliana grew up in Kenosha, WI and recently graduated from Beloit College with a Bachelors in Environmental Biology. During her education, she got to explore and learn in different environments and is excited to do the same at NCI. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting, canoeing, and hiking. Eliana hopes to share her love of all things nature at Natures Classroom Institute as an environmental educator.
Texas and California Team
Outreach Director
Britta
Britta first discovered her love for nature while exploring the woods and creeks in her Texas hometown. Her passion for environmental education has led her to teach children in multiple, diverse ecosystems all over the world, including in Montessori classrooms from ages 1 through adolescence. Britta has been with NCI since 2015 and loves having the opportunity to ignite students' passion for learning, year after year.
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Environmental Educator
Torion
Torion Jones is from sunny San Diego,CA where he has a natural passion for the wonders of nature and an unconditional love for all people. Torion successfully obtained a BA in Behavioral science and a Masters in psychology where he primarily works with a different population of youth. However he has partaken in the realm of Environmental Education for six years on and off, not only changing lives but also changing into the best version of himself, broadening his horizons and expanding his consciousness. Torion enjoys surfing, traveling, reading, hiking, swimming, and biking as personal hobbies and ways to decompress or relax.
Environmental Educator
Cody
​Cody Sirikhamphoune is from Rochester New York which is where he spent the majority of his life trapped in the inner city. On a whim Cody became a trail worker in the Appalachian Mountains of New Hampshire during the summer of 2024. Through doing the trail working job, he discovered his love for nature that he never knew existed before. Which brings him to his brand new adventure in Texas with Nature's Classroom Institute where he can be with nature and continue his career interest in education.
Florida Team
Outreach Director
Britta
Britta first discovered her love for nature while exploring the woods and creeks in her Texas hometown. Her passion for environmental education has led her to teach children in multiple, diverse ecosystems all over the world, including in Montessori classrooms from ages 1 through adolescence. Britta has been with NCI since 2015 and loves having the opportunity to ignite students' passion for learning, year after year.
Education Director
Nathaniel
Nathaniel is an avid outdoor enthusiast whose passion for environmental education began on his 6th grade EE field trip. He enjoys hiking, camping, and sharing the outdoor experience with others. He began working in Environmental education in Ohio and has loved it ever since!
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Environmental Educator
Tori
Growing up in rural North Carolina, Tori quickly developed a love of nature and a passion for being in it. After working with rehabilitated sea turtles, Tori discovered a call for teaching and educating the public on the environment. Tori found her passion for Environmental Education while working with children, and has continued to spread the love of nature everywhere she goes.
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Environmental Educator
Matheu
Growing up in North Alabama Matheu developed a deep passion for Wildlife and Nature. Graduating From Alabama A&M with a B.S. in Forestry he hopes to share his wealth of knowledge with all those he meets. Matheu continues to pursue his passion for the natural world through hiking, photography, and wildland firefighting.
Maryland and DC Team
Outreach Director
Austin Wood
Austin has been with Nature’s Classroom Institute since 2016, he has worked across all NCI states and believes he has the most important job in the world, reconnecting our future leaders to nature! He has brought his passion for education and the outdoors to Florida and soon Maryland. Austin started with us in Texas and then helped with the first California season. In 2018 Austin then moved to Florida to help develop the program in the sunshine state. D.C Field trips are next on his agenda as he continues to help the growth of NCI.
We would love you to explore the idea of working at one of our many sites as an Environmental Educator.