Julia Sonderman

I have worked in childcare for seven years. I began volunteering as a museum docent, giving art history lessons to children before moving onto nanny work for 4 years. I took a break for some time to work on my degree, work as a Lab Assistant at the Museum of the North and as a field tech. When I moved to the Bay Area in 2022, I started working as a kindergarten assistant in a Waldorf school. Although I knew the importance of holistic learning, my work in the Waldorf environment gave me a deeper understanding of this, as well as giving me so many tools to carry with me. After my second year as an assistant, I decided to take a break to finish the last year of my B.A. in Anthropology! 

Working with children in the environment that the Riekes Nature Program provides has been incredible. It’s truly like this little oasis from the busyness of the Bay Area. I can see how learning in an outdoor environment provides children with a chance to discover and explore, practice respect, connect with the Earth, and think critically. It is truly transformative! 

Outside of childcare, I am working on my Anthropology BA with a minor in Early Childhood Development through the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In my spare time, I love reading and hiking with my husband Nathaniel, as well as drawing and painting.