Our Mission

To provide responsive, creative and high-quality educational opportunities to youth, teachers, families and creative professionals in the Morongo Basin.

Our Approach

Our passion for teaching is grounded in our understanding of how children and youth learn. In the moments when we stop to observe the ways water moves through the desert, or why more insects gather around certain plants, questions rise up as powerful entry points for learning. When we encourage children and youth to follow their curiosities, we give them chances to experiment, to practice vulnerability, and gain a deeper understanding of our wild and wonderful desert environment and themselves.

Our work as educators is to cultivate spaces that center around questions, and to help raise children who are accustomed to being valued, listened to, and supported. 

Our Community

Our classrooms are inclusive spaces; We value all families, cultures, gender expressions, ethnic backgrounds, abilities, religions and belief systems. Within our learning environments, we most often highlight the stories of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ artists, activists and people as these voices are so often not amplified to an equitable degree. We acknowledge that we all “breathe the same air” in our society. This means that prejudices, stereotypes and racism affect us all— affecting marginalized communities disproportionately and often fatally. As a program, we are actively committed to strengthening our support for all families, and undoing the perspectives and frameworks that do not serve the goal of equity.

Our Team

  • Executive Director & Teacher

    Kimberly grew up in rural New York, surrounded by fields and woods full of adventure-potential. She is the third generation of educators in her family, and deeply values the importance of art education and social-emotional literacy.

    Kimberly has worked as an artist and educator for the past 18 years in the widest spectrum of education settings, including the SFMOMA, NYS State, SF & Palm Springs Unified School Districts. She holds a Master Teacher level Early Childhood permit, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography from Rhode Island School of Design, 26 credits of Early Childhood Education education, certification for classroom-based Visual Arts education from Visual Thinking Strategies, and after-school education training from NJ After 3.

    It is her continued joy to create unconventional learning environments and frequent opportunities to lead for the youth of the Morongo Basin in a setting that reflects the magic & wonder of our beautiful desert, and to ensure that the perspectives of children and youth are valued, shared and revered.

  • Desert Kindergarten & Eco-literacy Teacher

    Maya has been working with homeschool and unschool families in various ways for nearly 20 years. She was introduced to unschooling back when she was 13 and quickly decided it was the right path for her.  Maya has led workshops for homeschooled teens on many subjects from fermentation to fairy houses at Not Back to School Camp, and works with families year round as the NBTSC camper and family liaison.

    Maya is a certified permaculture designer through Oregon State University’s Permaculture Institute of North America, and has been working with her husband, Damian Lester, on developing their own desert permaculture site here in Joshua Tree. Maya could not be more pleased to be combining her loves of child-led education, permaculture and desert ecology as an Institute of Inquiry teacher.

  • Program Assistant & Assistant Teacher

    Genesis is joined us in 2023, and we already cannot remember how we managed without her! Genesis brings a great deal of enthusiasm, support kindness and experience to our program. Check back soon for her bio.

  • Adjunct Teacher

    Chrix has participated in a myriad of professional productions both on-stage and in front of the camera in his 18 years of acting experience. He was recently awarded a Desert Theatre League Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor from his role as Orin in Theater 29’s production of Little Shop of Horrors.

    Chrix attended Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts on the central coast of California, and later received his BA Specialization in Shakespeare from the University of California Los Angeles.

    Chrix delights in igniting the creative spark in his students, and hopes awaken a lifelong passion for writing and theatre within his students.

Our Board

We are thrilled to announce we’ve assembled our first Board of Directors. We’re so grateful to work with this experienced group of community members.

Check back soon for more information!

Employment & Career Support

  • One of our goals in expanding into an Early Childhood Program is to create accessible, well-compensated career opportunities for residents of the Morongo Basin. We enthusiastically accept students of Copper Mountain College for observations, completion of their practicum class, or internships.

    If you are interested in a career in Early Childhood Education, or wish to learn more about how to receive training, please feel free to contact us at info@instituteofinquiry.org.

  • If you are interested in a career as an educator and are pursuing work experience in the field of teaching, we are often in need of volunteers during hikes or community events and we are happy to provide some job training, periodic evaluations and letters of recommendation. To learn more about how to volunteer, please feel free to contact us at info@instituteofinquiry.org.

The Institute of Inquiry is an inclusive Equal Employment Opportunity employer that considers applicants without regard to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disabled or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. BIPOC and LQBTQIA+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

We are enthusiastic members of the California Association of Forest Schools and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.