Meet Our
Marvelous Mentors

Nicole Young

Founder, Director & Mentor

Wilderness Survival, Nature Connection, Communication, Critical Thinking, Project-Based Learning, Social-Emotional Intelligence, Entrepreneurship, Skateboarding, Mentor Training

Nicole has lived and created on the cutting edge her entire adult life. A big part of this edge has been an inquiry and practice of doing education differently. She believes that children are born geniuses with a ravenous desire to learn – with the role of education being to foster these innate propensities and the child’s unique gifts to shine.

The founding principles of Visionary Village reflect this belief and the learning environment has been carefully crafted to customize the education experience for each individual that participates. The primary goal of our mentors is to encourage children’s curiosity and inquiry about their world and who they are within it.

There are numerous things that aren’t taught in most mainstream options, that Nicole has very intentionally infused into the classes that Visionary Village provides. Some of these classes are: Communication skills, social-emotional development, entrepreneurship, survival skills, alternative health and herbalism, critical thinking, propaganda recognition, leadership, permaculture and regenerative farming and gardening practices and many real life skills. Most of these things, Nicole didn’t learn until she was well into adulthood and believes in the importance of learning these things as a priority in childhood.

Nicole has homeschooled her children, who are now 14 and 16 years old and has always created alternatives for them that include community and mentoring relationships that she curated for her children’s specific needs and personalities.

mother, she’s helped catalyze a women’s skateboard movement, she’s created and lived in intentional community, she’s learned how to fully survive without modern amenities, she’s co-created a permaculture and earth living skills intensive and she is now a coach and consultant to passion-based women entrepreneurs. She strives to define herself by her inner truth and unique genius and to bring this out in others.

Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship


I've been teaching this to kids for 2.5 years and to adults for 15+ years. Here's a link to my business consulting and coaching website: www.nicolemorganyoung.com. I've been an entrepreneur myself for over 20 years and have started multiple successful businesses.

The curriculum includes creating a basic business plan, budget and spreadsheet, basic marketing skills both online and offline all based on an actual entrepreneurial endeavour of the kids choosing. Kids also learn about different investing opportunities with the profits that they make, from real estate to cryptocurrencies and everything in between.

The following is a list of trainings that I have gone through to learn this skills of financial literacy and entrepreneurship:

  • Vrinda Normand Copywriting Coaching Program- Advanced Direct Marketing Copywriting

  • Sage Lavine- Passion & Profits Business Coaching

  • Bill Baren Service Industry Coaching- 

    • Discovery Sessions, efficient conversion of prospects into clients. 

    • High End Client Enrollment System - all aspects of focusing on high revenue clients

  • Brand Building Business Coaching - Christina Morassi- 

    • High End Business Coaching

    • Brand development

  • Frank Kern- Online Marketing and Advertising

    • Sales Funnel Development

    • Copywriting

    • Lead capture, engagement and retention

    • Product Creation

    • Webinars that sell

  • Digital Marketer

    • Avatar creation

    • Marketing Funnel Training

    • Lead capture, engagement and retention

  • Marketing Quest - Suzanne & Jeffrey

    • Niche Identification and Refinement

  • College Video Production & Editing 

    • Storyboarding

    • Video Editing

    • Video and Film shooting

    • Directing

  • James Wedmore-

    • Business By Design- online course creators to "Digital CEO's"

    • Youtube Marketing, “Video R.O.I”  

  • TRIBE w/Stu McLaren- How to create profitable membership sites

  • John Gallagher / Product Launch Formula

    • Hands-on training and guidance in implementation of Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula with Kajabi

  • Peter Schlenczka - Partner in top consulting firm, McKenzie Partners

    • Corporate Strategy development and implementation. (Worked closely for 2 years)

Naturalist Training Field Trips & Nature Explorers


I've been teaching naturalist skills and about CA ecology to adults and children for 18 years. I also trained naturalists through my previous program called, "Regenerative Design & Nature Awareness" program, which was a collaboration with the Regenerative Design Institute and 8 Shields and ran nature programs for homeschoolers in Santa Cruz through Fox Tracks Nature, The Riekes Center & Sanctuary.

Training & Experience

Communication, Responsibility & Emotional IQ


I've been teaching this for the past 2.5 years at Visionary Village Santa Cruz.

The curriculum is pulled from both Non-Violent Communication and Conscious Relating through The Hendricks Institute and includes recognizing different emotions and describing them, speaking compassionately to oneself and others, practices for staying presence, having peaceful conversations, maintaining mental health and navigating difficulties in relationships.

  • Non-Violent Communication- On and off for the past 20 years

  • Conscious Relating 9 Month Intensive with Grace Clayton- 2013 - 2014

  • Forgiveness and Ho O Pono Pono w/Aunty Mahealani- 2013

Nicole Young has studied and taught wilderness survival skills since 2000. She began her journey by taking classes with Tom Brown Jr, at his Wilderness Survival School. She then went on to test her skills in the mountains of North Carolina and honed them further at Wilderness Awareness School’s “Anake Program” in Washington State.

Lawrence Martinez

Literacy

Through Rhymes & Beats, Hip Hop & Drumming


My name is Lawrence Martinez. I have the honor of living in the Pleasure Point area of Santa Cruz. Music is a passion of mine and I did have the blessing of being in a band for 10 years, get signed to a record contract and tour. This allowed for a whole lotta rapping :)

Afterwards, I was able to attain a B.A. in Psychology and that led to an 8 year run as a Behavior Therapist. I worked closely with developmentally disabled children, teaching them skills across the educational spectrum respective to their individual assessments. It was during this phase that a friend gave me a cajon and in time, I leaned to play it.

I do love surfing and enjoy photography as well. The Village is an awesome environment and I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to share life gifts with such a beautiful set of students and their families.

Theresa Herning

Theresa Herning has served in the field of education for 30+ years and counting!
She has a multiple subject credential and has worked as a classroom teacher in grades KN-3rd for 8 years.

Other experience in education has been working with students as a Reading/Literacy Specialist and as a Homeschool teacher working in alternative education public charters schools with TK-12th grade homeschoolers and their parents for 22 years.

Educational travel leading student trips, is also a passion-having led week long excursions to Washington DC /Gettysburg and Natural History Science trips.

Guiding and teaching students/homeschool parents, and facilitating learning in unique real world settings is her joy!

Lauren White

Play Based learning classes for 2-5 year olds and Project Based Learning for 5-7 year olds.

Hello, my name is Lauren White, Teacher LoLo.

Lauren grew up in Los Gatos and lived there until moving away to San Luis Obispo for college. While in SLO she attended Cuesta College where she earned an AA in Mathematics and Science, with a concentration in Plant Science.

After earning her degree, she moved to Aptos in 2015 with her sister and mother. She then met her now husband, Eddie, who is a mechanic for a school district in San Jose. Lauren has been a Stay at Home Mom for the last two years. Prior to staying home, she worked at Holy Cross School, where she wore many hats, spending time with the children was her favorite part!

Lauren loves spending time outdoors gardening, playing with her horses (which she has had for 18 years) camping and just making memories with her children. She has a daughter that is 2.5 years old and a son that will be starting Kindergarten this year! 

PHILOSOPHY:
My goal in the classroom is to create an environment in which children can learn through hands-on experiences and have the freedom to explore the world around them at their own pace. All children have the ability to learn and succeed if they are given the opportunity and motivation to do so.

I believe that education should be fun as well as informative. In my classroom, I will incorporate games, art, music, dance, gardening, and other hands-on activities. I love creating “take home items” as well as holiday themed projects. I want every learning experience to be inviting for the young children so that they can learn while playing.

I am always looking for new ways to improve my teaching methods and keep up with new developments in my field, so I welcome all feedback from colleagues, parents, and the children!

Rachel Harper

Play Based learning classes for 2-5 year olds and Project Based Learning for 5-7 year olds.   

Hi, my name is Rachel Harper and I am proud to be part of the Visionary Village community!!

My career working with young children began at the early age of 11 when I became very intrigued with all of the different developmental stages.  I jumped at every opportunity to be a mother’s helper and by the age of 15, I was confident enough to start caring for children by myself, and from then on I knew it was my calling.   

In 1997 I moved from Austin to Santa Cruz with my family and soon after started a job caring for an 18 month old. I began attending classes at Cabrillo College to obtain my Associates degree with a specialization in Early Childhood Education.  After nannying for various families, I shifted gears and started teaching preschool.   

I got pregnant with my first child in 2007, and immediately decided to open The Butterfly Garden Daycare.  I operated as a large license from 2008-2017 caring for infants through school-age, and then made the bittersweet decision to close after both of our children were in grade school.  

Thereafter, I went back to my career as a nanny, and that leads me to August 2023.  I did not expect to teach preschool/young children again, but the opportunity landed in my lap to become a mentor at Visionary Village co-leading the preschool learning classes, and as the stars were aligning it became perfect for my next chapter in life.  

Some of my areas of expertise and interests are: Music education(theory, rhythm and ukulele), Cooking, Art, Photography and knitting. My style of working with young children is a gentle, patient, child-lead, yet very hands on approach.  I truly believe that children’s learning and development is inherently nourished by allowing them to fully explore their environment through play, art, sensory, music and early education.

Hugh

Allan

Language Arts, Surfing, Guitar, Photography & Local History, Rock Band, Scriptwriting for Video & Chess

I am Hugh Allan, a Santa Cruz resident who graduated from UCSC in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature. After growing up just outside of New York City, I now look back on the standardized education I received with mixed feelings: the regimented and repetitive nature of school often dispelled my interest in learning, but particular passionate teachers and their engaging style of teaching saved me time and time again from falling to the wayside. My mission in teaching your kids is based upon the principles that great teachers instilled in me, which work through a shared excitement for the subjects and an empathetic, inclusive learning experience. These classes hinge upon student collaboration, group involvement, and sharing a positive learning experience, qualities that are sorely missed in these times of relative isolation.

Subject Specific Bios:

Surfing: While I was a kid, I wanted nothing more than to be fifty yards offshore waiting for a wave to pulse my way. I spent my childhood and teenage years surfing every weekend on the beaches of Long Island, New York, and have for the past six years been a regular in Santa Cruz lineups. As of late, I have surfed with countless students and find it to be one of the most fulfilling pastimes to share and teach. When kids first experience the revelatory thrill of riding a wave, I am reminded of what drove me to the ocean time and time again at that age. 

Chess: My experience playing chess is one of overwhelming interest and drive to improve. I’ve played many different games over the years, often competitively, but none have held my love and respect like chess. I have studied countless hours under the coursebooks of Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky and now aim to share what I've learned from the masters with my students. 

Screenwriting for Video: While studying Creative Writing at University of California, Santa Cruz, Hugh worked closely with a mentor in Screenwriting for multiple years. During that period he gained extensive experience in both writing screenplays and pitching/ producing his work into films.

Trudy Kretschmer

I was born in San Francisco and raised there. I was very involved in dance for 19 years and as a kid very much outdoors; either bike
riding, roller skating, tree climbing or playing baseball in the street! I got married and I have two daughters and one granddaughter.
My husband and I live in the San Lorenzo Valley now and have for 22 years.

I have an A.S. Degree in Early Childhood Education from Canada College in Redwood City, an Assistant Montessori Guide credential from AMS Montessori in San Leandro as well as an AMS certificate as Head Guide for Montessori Sensorial Curriculum from AMS Santa Clara. As part of my ECE education I was exposed to a variety of Pedagogies including Reggio Emilia and the Waldorf method. What I appreciate about all of these educational philosophies is that they are child based and child centered and not designed to turn out merely compliant factory workers as in a utilitarian style of education.

Montessori in particular was impressive to me in that she stressed the education of the Whole Child and “Education for Peace”. When I had a child, I enrolled her in a
Montessori school from age 2 until age 9 when she “aged out” of that
school.

I began my career in teaching in 1999 Canada College Child Development
Center and became Head Teacher there. Since then I have taught 6 years as an Assistant Montessori Guide at Santa Cruz Montessori in Aptos and 9 years at Common Threads Montessori in Santa Cruz. I learned an incredible amount from those teachers and the Director.

I have worked with special needs children in a 1:1 capacity; developing some sensorial curriculum tailored to their needs. I returned to Montessori training in 2016 and got my AMS training as a head guide for the sensorial materials in order to provide the best possible experience for the Special Needs students.

Later that year I transferred to the Young Children’s Community at SCMS where I worked with toddlers as head guide until I retired in 2021. Then I served as a substitute teacher and homeschooled my grandchild until September 2023, when I decided to retire completely from SCMS.

One thing I will freely admit to is that I am a kid at heart so I like to have FUN with the material! I figure, if I’M bored, then they are
likely bored! My philosophy is much like Maria Montessori and I agree that as much “hands on” as possible is best.

As my grandchild is a member of Visionary Village, I look forward to continuing our
Homeschool adventure in an expanded capacity with other children; old
friends and hopefully new!

Alisa Merline

Alisa is from St. Louis Missouri where she grew up with her parents, her two younger brothers and numerous pets. Her love for animals started from birth and she has cared for them all of her life. Her most recent addition to her animal family has been four wagon driving horses. Her experience with her horses has added a new dimension of animal care and training.  With these two teams she has been teaching horsemanship and has become a wagon driver.

Her love of animals and people have enabled her to make a living doing something she loves. She brings a teaching style that is interactive and focuses on the strengths in her students. Because she has continued her education throughout her life she believes that a student has no age and everyone has something to contribute.

Alisa loves music and plays a variety of instruments. She has sung in choir almost all of her life and credits her love of music to her mother who was an operatic soprano. She also loves to garden, cook and hike under the redwoods.

She lives in Felton with her boyfriend, Craig of 28 years. They are pet parents to 6 cats, 2 dogs and 4 horses.  They have rescued and fostered hundreds of animals throughout their lives together.

Alisa looks forward to the next chapter of her life sharing her passion for animals.

Emily Contreras

Farm & Nature for 8-10 year olds Ecological Field Studies for 11-13 year olds

Hi! I’m Emily Contreras, nature name: “Birdie.”

I’ve been working with children for over 10 years as an outdoor educator, nanny, gymnastics instructor, preschool teacher, and camp counselor. My work with children has led me to explore and deepen my connection to the Earth, as I ask myself: “What is the greatest gift that I can give to children in this time?” The answer, for me, has been: deep connection to self, community, and the Earth.

I’ve taken a deep dive into the worlds of permaculture, ancestral/survival skills, regenerative agriculture, TEK, forestry, ecological restoration, soil biology, and child development. All of these areas of exploration guide my mentoring style and philosophy. In addition to my work, I also enjoy playing guitar and singing, dancing, reading, painting and drawing, hiking, and learning everything I can about the flora and fauna with whom we share this world.

Bonnie McKinney

Nature Explorers for 4-7 year olds Farm & Nature for 5-7 year olds

I am a certified Permaculture Educator for Children and a former indoor preschool teacher. I love bringing children outdoors in nature to experience and cultivate a real connection with the natural world. I studied Child Development and Early Child Education at both West Valley College and San Jose State University, and began my career in education with a three-year stint teaching in a homeschooling co-op for children ages 2-7 in Santa Cruz.

I was the Children's Program Director at the Natura Institute of Ecology and Medicine at Commonweal Garden in Bolinas and I had the opportunity to create two new initiatives: the Permaculture for Kids Program and the After-school Nature Program. I have worked with Kairos Learning Community and Visionary Villages Homeschooling Program in Santa Cruz as a Nature Mentor and spent over a thousand hours leading outdoor nature camps for kids.

I founded Peninsula Forest and Beach School in 2018 and I currently direct this program and will be a mentor at Visionary Village Santa Cruz.

I continue with my own professional development and have completed the training workshop for outdoor educators offered by the Institute of Permaculture Education for Children in Portland. I took on a forest school mentorship with Forest Friends of Earthwise Education in San Rafael and completed The Nature Led Approach Certification, a comprehensive workshop and nine-month mentorship offered by Kathleen Lockyer of RxOutside. I have participated in 4 rounds of the Ecology of Leadership program and am currently in a 2-year training program with Thomas Hubl exploring my individual, ancestral and collective trauma and hope to be weaving in more trauma informed care into my classes and programs.