former Director- Michele Karnbach (2019-2022)

Michele Karnbach

Director- Outdoor Lab

Hello Everyone! I am so excited to join the staff of the Phoebe Hall Knipling Outdoor Lab as the new Director! The Outdoor Lab is an old stomping ground and being here is both familiar and welcoming. In 2005, I started working at the Lab as an instructional assistant under the direction of Neil Heinekamp. Since I left in 2010, I have been busy raising my young family, getting a teaching license and teaching 6th grade science for Prince William County Schools. When the opportunity arrived to come back to the Lab, I jumped. I believe I bring a complete perspective to the Lab with my experiences as a staff member, a parent, and as a teacher in a classroom.

My goals are threefold in the coming years:

continual revising and tweaking of our current programs to better support teachers in the classroom;
develop new curriculum to offer more programs to teachers that will help them meet their teaching standards; and
support the AOEA in its mission to make capitol improvements so we can meet the needs of a growing population in Arlington County Schools.

I look forward to being part of the stewardship of the Outdoor Lab while at the same time meeting the challenges that come from a growing population. I intend to find a balance between the best use of the space while still allowing as many students as possible to visit and be exposed to nature. I look to the future with optimism and hope as I begin this new journey where we can keep the best traditions as we innovate new ones.