
Middle and High School players practice their match skills through drills, live ball games and matches while participating in tennis camp!




Pike Lake Kids‘ Zone was thrilled to have the opportunity to go to the trampoline park for their first field trip. Everyone had such a great time! Thank you, DEFY, for having us!





Bay View Kids‘ Zone had a blast at their first field trip to the YMCA in Hermantown. They enjoyed the pool, bounce house & gym games. Thank you, YMCA for being a great partner!





Our Director, Kristal Berg, and Assistant Director, Sarah Klyve, spent time in Estes Park, CO attending an international nature-based conference to learn more about enhancing our early learning nature-based programs! Early Learning experts from all over the world attended, and their favorite session was about Native Learning Gardens led by educators from Chile. Another highlight was the Denver Forest School! They so graciously gave a tour of their space and shared important information about what makes their school so successful in Denver, CO.





Our inaugural Adventures on the Trails camp took place the week of June 12th in Hermantown. Led by incredible HES teachers, Mrs. Hren & Mrs. Martin, our students got to discover the wonderful trails the Hermantown area and Lake Superior Hiking Trails have to offer. Each day students participated in a new adventure and explored our local animals & their habitats. Watch for more camps like this in the future!



In observance of Juneteenth, all Community Education programs and offices will be closed for the day. This includes our Kids' Zone sites and Summer Preschool programs.


We would like to welcome Vanessa Zack to the team! She will be working as our part-time Nature Based Teacher at Pike Lake Elementary! Read more about Vanessa below.
My name is Vanessa Zack, and I found my love for teaching and education while attending ECFE with my children. I recently graduated with my Bachelor of Education from Western Governors University. I love to spend time with my children who are 10, 7, 4, and 3. My hobbies include archery, hiking, hunting for beach glass, xc skiing, biking, and my absolute favorite... reading! I am so excited to be working with our district(s) families and helping children grow!


Our Hermantown Kids' Zone had a blast at the trampoline park. Thank you, DEFY, for this awesome experience.





Green Thumb Gardening Club enjoys learning outdoors while getting the garden started at the Hermantown Community Learning Center. Students will meet every Tuesday throughout the summer to continue caring for the garden.



Summer swim lessons at the Proctor High School pool help keep kids cool while learning how to swim!



The First Day of Summer Kids‘ Zone at Pike Lake was a SUCCESS! We are looking forward to more fun in the following weeks!




Bay View Kids' Zone enjoyed some free time on their first day of summer care!


Pike Lake Kids‘ Zone had a blast celebrating the last day of the school year with Root Beer Floats. Also, we had to say farewell to some 5th graders.





Bay View Kids‘ Zone had a blast celebrating the last day of school with snow cones. Also, we had to say farewell to some 5th graders.





We would like to welcome our new teacher, Becca Bell, to the team! She will be working at Bay View as a Nature Based Teacher. Read more about Becca below.
Growing up in Minnesota, and since spending much of my adult life here, I've come to cherish the seasons and freshwater we're blessed to have here particularly in Duluth. With an B.A. degree from St. Olaf and a Master's in Environmental Education from UMD, I've since become passionate about sharing that love for our world with my students. For the past seven years I've loved guiding the imaginative, creative, big body, and mindful play of some of our youngest learners in our natural world and I'm now eager for a new beginning with Bay View! When I'm not teaching you'll find me hiking with my dog, Juni, in and on the water, challenging myself with cross-country skiing and mountain biking, and being an auntie to both my nephews and chosen family. I'm honored and excited to be a part of your family's forest preschool experience!


Full Circle Yoga came to visit our summer nature classes! The kids loved learning new poses on this beautiful day. ☀️


Some of our Proctor and Hermantown Kids' Zone staff were recently CPR certified. Thank you, Elmer Engman, for the skill-building class!




Today is the start of Summer Kids' Zone. We would like to welcome all of our students back as summer kicks off!


Welcome Ms. Jodi! Learn more about her below.
My name is Ms. Jodi and I’m so excited to be teaching Stepping Stones this year! This will be the start of my sixth year in the Early Childhood Education Program. I am married to my husband Nathan, and we have two boys, Blake and Brecken. In my free time I enjoy listening to audiobooks, shopping, and spending time with my friends and family. I love teaching because I love making learning fun for others!


It's officially summer break! We look forward to seeing you all this summer at our programs.
