the KIVA family 

For years, Kasey has asked herself these questions, "What would life be like if we humans truly practiced living in balance with the natural world? How do we tap into this potential?" Kasey is an avid wanderer and explorer of wild places, delighting in the diverse array of landscapes and species. Her love for this planet is so deep, that she grieves the ways in which human lifestyles have deteriorated this intelligent balance of creation. Yet, her hope is abundant. She believes that humans are brilliant, and know deep down how to activate our wild, unique gifts that we each bring to the world. She feels that when this gift is expressed, we fulfill an ecological niche, just as other species do. Through working with youth for the past 12 years, she has seen that when the conditions are right, there is an immense potential for children to channel their inner-genius in service to something greater than themselves. She founded The Kiva Center in 2014 with a vision to create a culture that uplifts one another to embody the gift to the world that we are, living lives full of purpose and love.

Jay Schwartz is a loving and passionate educator, community herbalist, women's coach, and womb healer. Her work with menstrual health and female empowerment led her on a journey of exploring wellness, sustainability, and spirituality through a cyclical lens. With her degree in Education from Brandeis University, Jay uses her love of song-leading and passion for rituals, movement, and mindfulness to help people feel closer to the Earth,divinity, and their bodies.With prior experience working in Waldorf schools, Jay is excited to embark on an intimate & playful journey with the Kiva community!

bio coming soon...

Jackie Casper is a forward-thinking marketing, fundraising, and event planning leader with over 20 years of experience and hails from Chicago. Her vast experience has afforded her the opportunity to work with Fortune 500 companies across the globe as well as several small start-ups and nonprofits. Jackie and her husband moved to Colorado with the intention of moving back to Chicagoland in five years. They have been Colorado residents for 14 years now and have no plans to ever leave. The beauty of Colorado and all the opportunities to connect with nature and life in this great state, have led Jackie to discover her passion to help organizations that support children become the best they can be in this world. Before joining The Kiva Center, Jackie spearheaded the fundraising and event planning for a private school in Northern Colorado, increasing their fundraising goals significantly over five years. She has also worked for several non-profits in the children’s healthcare fields. In her spare time, you can usually find Jackie with her family on a trail, a paddleboard, in her garden or from the sidelines of either of her daughters’ sporting events cheering them on.

Simon is a joyous, playful, and thoughtful educator, bringing years of experience with both nature and children to Kiva. Whether it's co-creating games on the spot, joining pre-existing activities, or sharing group-facilitation challenges he loves, Simon is constantly encouraging those around him to connect and learn through play. His deep gratitude and appreciation for the natural world and the wonders it holds are imbued into everything he does at Kiva, from chasing falling leaves, to leading earth-based songs, to stopping everything to gaze at red-tailed hawks circling high overhead. With over a decade of experience as a camp counselor, wilderness guide, and group facilitator, Simon holds children in the fullness of their emotions with kindness, curiosity, and care. He loves to empower those around him to share vulnerably and honestly, as the community around them can then support their struggles most effectively! Simon can be found in his free time living the Kiva way - scampering around barefoot, playing games with friends, adventuring outside, and singing his way through the seasons of the land.

John Holcomb is a 20-year-old unschooler with a deep appreciation for personal growth and resilience. From a young age, he faced significant challenges—losing his father at nine and experiencing the loss of his home in a fire in December 2021. Rather than letting these events define him, John chose to embrace them, believing that there is no bad change, only painful change. His perspective on life is shaped by the idea that experiences don’t define a person; rather, people define their experiences. John has sought out diverse and challenging opportunities that push him beyond his limits. In 2023, he spent four months on the waters of Alaska as a commercial fisherman, an experience that tested him both physically and mentally. Initially struggling to keep up, he nearly lost his spot on the crew but ultimately proved himself, embracing the hard work and forming deep connections along the way. The long days on the water gave him time to reflect, and meaningful conversations with a crewmate helped him gain new perspectives on life. For the past year, John has worked as a lifeguard and was recently promoted to Head Guard, a position he will officially step into starting in June. He is also in his fourth year as a scare actor at Anderson Farms, where he thrives on bringing immersive experiences to life-as Ted John spent seven years as a student at Kiva, where he learned valuable life skills, grew as a person, and found a supportive community. When he turned 18, he was invited to return as a mentor. After coming back from Alaska, he stepped into this role, working with 6- to 12-year-olds in Kiva’s homeschool enrichment outdoor program. Now, he helps guide and support young students on their own journeys of growth and self-discovery, just as he once experienced. Through every challenge and triumph, John remains committed to growth, embracing life with gratitude, curiosity, and a drive to become the best version of himself.

Chris Hopper is a passionate, multi-talented human from Boulder, CO whose main desire is to create a more connected, loving, and free world through teaching life skills to children. He has over 11 years of experience working with children of all ages. He discovered his natural ability to connect with kids when he began teaching gymnastics as a young adult. At the same time, he began teaching piano lessons and playing music professionally which helped him balance his love of movement and music. Years later he delved into both circus skills and parkour, having a love for juggling and ground skills as well as the freedom which comes through the “art of overcoming obstacles.” Chris has a deep love for nature and has spent much time backpacking, rock climbing, mountaineering, spearfishing, sailing, and surfing. In 2014, he joined the AscenDance Project, a dance troupe that dances on a climbing wall and has performed all along the Colorado Front Range as well as in Singapore. Your kids are sure to have fun, develop skills, and be inspired in his presence.

Zoë Barley was incredibly lucky to have grown up in Boulder, Colorado. She spent much of her childhood traipsing around the hills, playing with her dog, tearing through novels, and dancing on a competitive team. She moved to California for college and ended up graduating from Stanford University in 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology and minor in Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies. After spending a bit more time in Cali, she decided it was time to return to her Colorado roots. She is thrilled to be a part of the Kiva Center team and spend her days learning about and loving this beautiful planet of ours alongside such a fantastic group of students and educators. Outside of work she continues to love dancing, reading, laying in the sun, and trail running.

Karen has worked as an elementary school teacher in Idaho and West Germany, a health and safety manager supervising hazardous waste site clean ups, and a children’s advocate. In her retirement she has followed her heart and become an avid birder and naturalist. She currently works as a volunteer naturalist for Boulder County, leading a variety of public programs. Through several challenging years of her life Karen discovered that her passion for bird language calmed her nervous system and became a valuable mental health tool. She has followed this passion into a deeper understanding of nature connection by completing the 9 month Immersion program at Wilderness Awareness School, graduating in 2024. She believes that nature connection is the birthright of every human and has the potential to develop characteristics of greater happiness, vitality, empathy, love, focus, vitality, and presence in those who experience it. Karen’s intention in volunteering at Kiva is to act as an elder, bringing story, awareness and deep listening to the children as they move through their day, with the hope sparking curiosity and awe in the natural world and people in their lives.

Allie is an adventurous soul from Cincinnati, Ohio with a passion for helping others grow through connection with themselves, others, and nature. After earning a BA in Psychology and Sociology/Criminology from Ohio University, she worked as a care manager before moving to Asheville, NC, where she discovered her love for mentoring children in a therapeutic wilderness program. Now based in Westminster, Colorado, Allie enjoys exploring the outdoors, making earrings for her jewelry business, disc golf and spending time with her fluffy pets. She loves bringing positivity and creativity to your kids’ learning journey.

Gianna is the co-mentor for the Eco-Explorers after-school program in Denver. This is their second year with The Kiva Center, in 2023 they were the teacher's assistant. Gianna is currently in their first year of university, studying animal sciences. They enjoy being with loved ones and spending quality time together doing fun activities. Gianna is excited to get students more excited about spending time outside.