Online Registration for 2020 is now CLOSED. Don't worry, we still have space and you can register for workshops when you arrive at the event! Please arrive at 8:30am so that you will have time to get signed up before workshops begin.
Workshop Leaders!
JOIN US IN THANKING THEM
FOR THEIR HARD WORK!
New 2026 classes---Registration Feb 3
Dance of Flowers
Ethan Robison is the youth education program coordinator for Pollinator Project Rogue Valley. Ethan, and the Pollinator Pals team, have spent the past 4 years teaching students throughout Southern Oregon about the importance of native plants and pollinators. These interesting organisms impact our lives in so many important ways, and everyone, especially kids, deserves to know about how amazing Oregon's wildlife is!
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RAFTASTIC!
Jeremiah Lewman’s love for being in the water and propelling down rapids in a kayak started at an early age. By the time he graduated from North Valley High School in 2004, he had "rode" many ripples throughout the northwest. With a focus on science, he graduated from SOU and went on to earn a Master's Degree in polymer science from the University of Oregon in 2009. After working in scientific industries, he returned home to Merlin further expanding the firm his father started in 1980. Today SOTAR, a family run business, is recognized as a world class manufacturer of whitewater inflatable boats. It’s no surprise that Jeremiah and his family are in the river whenever time allows.
Drones Will Save the World
Susan Lockwood and Mary Lockwood are sisters and technologists. Susan is the co-founder of Rogue Valley Technology Consulting, where she leads major software projects for companies and communities across the country. Based in Grants Pass, they bring decades of experience in sustainable, high-impact technology, and they’re excited to share how coding and smart tech can help keep our planet healthy.
Design Your World
Jessi Russell is a registered architect in Oregon and California who’s been designing real-world spaces for over 13 years. She works at ZCS, an architecture and engineering firm, whose team is currently designing the new Grants Pass Library. When Jessi was a little girl, her notebooks were bursting with hand-drawn floor plans of castles, cozy cottages, and dream homes galore. Her favorite part of architecture? Solving real-world puzzles, like how to make a space both beautiful and useful, and turning those ideas into places people can experience in real life. She believes every girl has the spark to imagine something incredible and the skills to build it.
Magaly Sorto earned a BFA in Dance from California State University, Long Beach, then spent 22 awesome years as a stay-at-home mom, homeschooling her six children and nurturing their growth and education. As they grew up and became more independent, she decided it was time for a new adventure. She went back to school and earned a Master’s in Architecture from Arizona State University. Now she has been working at ZCS for almost two years. It’s never too late to learn, grow, and try something totally different!
Hip Hop
​Dani Lockwood is so excited to be a part of this program. She is 19 years old and has been teaching hip hop for 4 years and jazz dance for 1 year. Dance has always been a part of her life. For 10 years she was a part of the dance teams, starting at All That Jazz and moving with them to Southern Oregon Dance Center. Dance is her safety net, but teaching is her passion. Her dream job was to teach hip hop and her fist job got her that opportunity! She says “the Dance Center is a blessing and all the staff set good examples. I am so glad I can pass that on to the girls at Girls Rock!”
It's For the Birds
Larrine Hampton is Garden Supervisor at Home Depot, Grants Pass. While she began work in 2021 as a part time cashier, her hard work resulted in her becoming skilled operating forklifts, order pickers and other equipment, one of the first female employees to gain these skills. Soon assignments took her to the paint and millwork department, then front-end supervisor and now a section supervisor. In addition, she is Captain of the Employee Committee, Kids Workshop and the Voice of the Associate. She plans to keep moving up and become a great leader.
Decay Detectives
Theresa Strandquist is the Recycling and Community Outreach Coordinator for Southern Oregon Sanitation. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and spent two years teaching before transitioning into the recycling and waste education field. Theresa now leads outreach programs for schools, families, and community organizations, helping people understand what they can recycle and why responsible waste practices matter. She is passionate about making recycling simple, engaging, and meaningful for the communities Southern Oregon Sanitation serves.
Magnetic Minds
Pete Lentz is a lifelong science aficionado. He grew up reading National Geographic, catching snakes, looking for fossils, and playing with a chemistry set. A bit later, he went on to study geology and engineering, culminating in a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Engineering from the University of Arizona. Besides that accomplishment, Pete has worked in chemistry labs, mines, public universities, and for the Oregon State Police doing all kinds of sciency jobs. Currently, Pete is working as a science instructor at Rogue Community College. Pete also loves to travel, and has lived in France and French Guyana, which is in South America.
Science with a Side of Art
Tara Laidlaw has worked in outdoor and place-based education for nearly 20 years, and currently serves as the Education Program Manager for Southern Oregon Land Conservancy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Stanford University, and a Master's degree in Natural Science and Environmental Education from Hamline University. When she's not at work, she loves spending time in her gardens at home and exploring local trails on foot, by bike, and on cross-country skis -- usually with her nature journal close at hand.
Myco Schroeder has worked as an outdoor educator for the past 10 years, and currently works as the Education and Engagement Specialist for Southern Oregon Land Conservancy. As a certified naturalist and outdoor educator Myco celebrates the reciprocal learning experience between facilitator and participant with curiosity and gratitude. Myco is living out their passion in sharing magical moments outside while fostering care for the natural world. They hold a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University.