Ella Maloney, Lead Teacher

Ella has been teaching at BOPN since Fall 2021 and believes that all children deserve the opportunity to experience the wonder of exploring the natural world.

Growing up in Ohio, Ella was raised in the city but spent much of her time exploring the outdoors. Some of her most cherished childhood memories are the ones she spent outside, camping, splashing in creeks with her little brother, or digging in the garden. Ella’s own education always swayed towards the alternative and in high school she had the opportunity to explore her interests through several long-term internships. It was during her internship supporting the classrooms of the very preschool she attended as a young child that she fell in love with early childhood education.

Ella developed a passion for education as well as nature and quickly pursued other opportunities to support children as they grow and learn through play, exploration, and wonder. 

Ella has 10 years of professional experience in education. She has worked with a wide range of students, class sizes, and environments. Through her years as an educator, she has developed an expertise for working with students of all ages and backgrounds. Ella’s diverse work experience spans everything from teaching kindergarten and first grade in a traditional classroom setting to leading early childhood workshops for her local science museum. 

Her passion for education also brought her to teach internationally; Ella has taught in Ecuador and served in the Peace Corps teaching in Guyana for several years. Most recently, before joining BOPN, her appreciation for the outdoors brought her to work for the National Parks Service as an Education Technician Ranger at Big Thicket National Preserve.