Jenny Michaelson joined the Stepping Stones team in 2018. She is so excited to be part of an organization that brings middle school students into nature to connect with
themselves, their community, each other and the wider world.

Jenny grew up in Santa Barbara, CA. She earned her degree in Political Science and
Italian Literature from the University of California San Diego. After college she spent
time in Washington DC and a few years living in Italy. She returned to Santa Barbara to teach. She spent 11 years teaching middle school students and traveling with them by bicycle on an extensive outdoor education program focused on providing middle school students a coming of age experience in a school setting. During this time she also earned her PhD in Education.

In 2005 she became a mother. She and her family then moved to the Bay Area. She has spent the bulk of that time at home with her two kids. Her latest projects outside of motherhood have included a dedicated yoga and meditation practice, working on a
Restorative Justice research project, opening an Etsy shop of her creative creations and working as a reading guide for students in Oakland who were under-performing on reading.

Jenny loves to do anything with her family. She especially loves playing games, hiking, biking, running with her beloved dog Jax, and spending as much time at the beach and in the ocean as possible.