My name is Lori Laliberte.
I grew up on the east coast with my parents and sister, in Connecticut. I went to Assumption College in Worcester, MA graduating with a degree in Social and Rehabilitation Services and an elementary education certification. From there I ventured out to see more of the country living in incredible places like: San Francisco, CA, Yellowstone National Park, WY, Steamboat Springs, CO, and Portland, OR. Much of that time was spent teaching four year olds in rather progressive, innovative classroom settings.From the start, I knew that the typical classroom was not a place I could see myself (or kids) fully thriving. The seed of Expeditionary Learning (EL) was planted just before I moved to Boulder to get my master’s degree. I tailored my graduate work, at the University of Colorado, to learn more about the history and best practices of EL classrooms. Who were the “greats” in experiential education? What were they doing with and for kids? When could I get back in the classroom?
When I finished my degree, I wrote to Odyssey and RMSEL and told them I would deliver their newspapers or wash their windows just to be a part of an EL community! The Odyssey School brought me on board and I’ve been here ever since. My first 6 years were spent in a third/fourth grade classroom. Last year, I began teaching kindergarten and have looped up with this amazing crew into the first grade. This will be my eighth year teaching at the school and my second year as a member of the school board.
