Growing Spirit · Johns Island
Meet Our People
The people who lead the pods, the pond days, and the creative Fridays.
Growing Spirit · Johns Island
The people who lead the pods, the pond days, and the creative Fridays.
Director, Growing Spirit & CKC Johns Island
Willis founded Growing Spirit and has taught outdoor education for 15 years. A College of Charleston Studio Art graduate, she teaches painting, sculpture, and pottery, and grows both a garden and an herbal medicine practice. She brings the Creative Curriculum to the co-op every Friday.
Founder, Carolina Kids Co-op
Jess is a lifelong educator from New York City who founded Carolina Kids Co-op in Conway, SC in 2021. What started as about 100 students in Myrtle Beach has grown into 12 locations, each run by local entrepreneurs, including the Johns Island location that partners with Growing Spirit.
Literature
Sage brings over three years of outdoor education experience from summer camps, plus a year teaching literature and journalism at Growing Spirit. She meets every student where they are, bringing an understanding and willingness to work with learners of all abilities. When she's not teaching, you'll find her kayaking or hiking the marsh with her dogs.
Math, Science & Social Studies
Alyce has been teaching since 2008 in Germany and the United States, helping children discover their inner light, find balance, and explore the world. A mother of five and grandmother of three who spent 33 years in Germany, she brings her love of herbology, flute, and yoga into the classroom.
Music
A professional musician and songwriter for over two decades, Joel has taught music for 15+ years, guitar, piano, vocals, drums, and more, and invites students to find and play the songs that connect with them.
Emotional Literacy
Wendy blends ten years in psychology with thirteen years in childhood development, helping students build resilience, emotional vocabulary, and self-awareness.
Math and Science
Chris holds a BSE in Biomedical Engineering from Duke and an MS in Immunology from NC State, and managed research labs at Duke for two decades before joining CKC Johns Island to teach Math and Science.
Creative Writing
Stephanie has taught in the Charleston area for several years, blending a background in art and sociology to guide students through creative writing, mixed media, and confident artistic expression.
Children's Art
Olivia brings creativity, positivity, and a love for working with children, drawn from her time at a pediatric dental office where she learned the value of patience, encouragement, and making learning fun. Her goal is to create a space where every child feels welcome, inspired, and excited to expand their knowledge through expression and creativity, trying new things and enjoying the process of learning. When she's not making art, she loves hiking and camping, often finding inspiration in nature.
Emotional Learning
Grace is an experienced educator and wellness facilitator with 12+ years of teaching and group facilitation across educational, wellness, and community settings, having taught ESL in Kentucky and Brazil, yoga since 2014, and Reiki since 2020, alongside breathwork, sound healing, and somatic movement. She brings warmth, creativity, and presence into the learning space, meeting students where they are and inviting curiosity rather than prescribing a single way of learning.