I’m Caitlin-

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I’m an educator, lifelong learner, and the Founder of Roots & Ripples Learning. For more than a decade, I’ve worked at the intersection of experiential education, career development, and workforce innovation. My career has taken me from higher education, to non profit management,  where I’ve partnered with students of various ages, faculty and educators, employers, and executive leaders including C-suite leaders in national security to explore how people learn, grow, and prepare for an ever-changing and interconnected world.

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I hold a Master’s degree in Human Development from the University of Rhode Island and an Executive Certificate in Design Thinking and Innovation from Johns Hopkins University. Throughout my career, one question has remained at the center of my work and mission:

How do we cultivate learners who are curious, adaptable, and equipped to navigate an increasingly interconnected world? And now as a mother of three boys, that question became deeply personal and coupled with the disruption of AI that challenge became more inspiring.

 

Choosing an alternative educational path for my own children gave me the opportunity to reimagine what meaningful learning could look like. Not confined to subjects or classrooms, but rooted in curiosity,  relationships, and experiences. That vision became Roots & Ripples Learning.

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I believe children don’t need more information as much as they need more opportunities to wonder, observe, ask meaningful questions, make connections, reflect, and understand how the world works as an interconnected system. Whether we’re exploring a local farm, a forest, a watershed, or a historic community, the goal is never simply to learn about a place. It’s to develop a way of thinking that prepares children to become lifelong learners, thoughtful problem-solvers, and compassionate stewards of their communities.

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Roots & Ripples Learning exists to cultivate systems thinkers through place-based, experiential education connecting children with the people, places, and stories that shape the communities they call home. My hope is that every child, parent, educator, and community member leaves with more than knowledge. I hope they leave with curiosity, and the understanding that even the smallest actions can create lasting ripples.