Where the child's growth comes first.

We Are Passionate About Child Development.

Growing Outdoors was founded with the belief that after-school enrichment should be more than just entertaining children for an hour each day. We created a quality program that helps each elementary school child develop physical, intellectual, and social skills. Our nurturing and knowledgeable staff are always present to support the students while facilitating the 21st century skill based curriculum. Helping each child develop into the best version of themselves is what sets our after-school enrichment program apart.

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21st Century Skills

These are skills that children need help to develop because they aren’t developing them on their own. While parents may be worrying about math, science, and english, skills like critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and communication aren’t being taught. Our program focuses on developing and practicing these skills that every student will need as they mature in this ever changing world.

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We Call Them Exploratories

Children are specializing earlier and earlier these days. With a focus on giving children the opportunity to explore, we feel children are more likely to take a risk, push themselves, and try something that may be a little scary. When a child takes a risk, they learn and grow. That’s what 21st century learning is all about – pushing yourself to try something new, that may be a little different.

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The Evolution of Community

Everyone defines community a little differently, but for us, it’s about helping children to see the world around them. To reach out to a peer, a neighbor, a fellow student, and to support them. That’s why each of the programs we offer will have a component that requires them to work with others, to support each other and to hold each other accountable for the choices they make.

What Makes Us Different?

It starts with the people and ends with the support. Children do their best when they are in a supportive environment. And we feel that the supportive environment starts from the moment a staff member is hired. When we take the time to group interview, individually interview, call and speak with multiple references, followed by a background check, you can rest assured that we are finding the best of the best. And if we can’t find the right staff members, we won’t run a program until we can. It’s that simple. A supportive environment for our staff translates to a more supportive environment for each child participating in our program. That’s why each exploratory we offer will have at least one Growing Outdoors trained staff member each day in addition to the lead instructor. And when that staff member has a question, or a parent has a question, there is a First Aid and CPR certified lead staff member on site until the last student has gone home. We know it is harder to to do it this way, but we know that the program will be better because of it.

Who Are We?

Sam Dudley

Director (he/him)

A graduate of New York University, and a Los Angeles native, Sam came back to the child development field in 2015 after spending 7 years in New Orleans as the Associate Artistic Director of a non-profit theatre company. His passion for working with children stems from his 10 years in the summer camp field, where he’s worked with children age 4-17 in a variety of different camp roles. He’s proud that Growing Outdoors has expanded to 9 schools in the last 10 years! Sam hopes to bring positive after-school social/emotional learning to even more students.

Lissa White

Co-Director (she/her)

Lissa arrived at Growing Outdoors in 2018 after a decade with our sister company, Camp Kinneret, and after her time spent teaching the children of active duty/civilian members of the US Navy. She graduated with her degree in Early Childhood Studies with an emphasis in Developmental Psychology from CSUCI in 2011 and has adored adventuring through the field of education ever since! Lissa’s passions outside of work are her two silly doggies, traveling, kayaking, painting, singing, swimming, and playing with her four nephews. She loves working with Growing Outdoors and the team and is excited every day to cultivate growth and joy in each and every student.

Angel Rivera Degro

Assistant Director (he/him)

Angel entered our program in 2016 as an Exploratory Leader in the Oak Park area, followed by multiple years as a Site Coordinator at Brookside Elementary and MATES. After a small gap, Angel joined our staff once more as the Program Administrator, bringing his experience with Growing Outdoors to the table and continuing to positively impact students of all ages. In the summer, he continues to work with Camp Kinneret’s Lifeguards by certifying and training them, while also planning the program’s options for the following school year. Angel’s passion for aquatics, animals, motorsports, and athletics provides an active lifestyle that translates to an energetic approach to the students. He can’t wait to introduce students to new exploratories and make long-lasting positive memories at all the schools!

Nathaniel Hai-Ami

Program Administrator (he/him)

Nathaniel has been a valued member of the Growing Outdoors team since 2018. Over the years, he has worn many hats. Beginning as an exploratory leader and later stepping into leadership roles, Nathaniel now serves as the Program Administrator. He brings creativity, structure, and heart to every part of the job. In addition to his work at Growing Outdoors, Nathaniel also served as Head of Operations at Camp Kinneret, where he helped oversee logistics and daily operations during the summer season. He also served as a STEM/garden teacher at Sumac Elementary during the 2024-25 school year. Nathaniel’s passion for sports, music, and hiking all come second to his love of the show Survivor. Inspired by its strategy, teamwork, and spirit of adventure, he brings that same energy into his work with students—encouraging them to take on challenges, discover new passions, and create lasting memories.

Drop Us A Line

If you are interested in learning more about Growing Outdoors or are interested in having us join your school, contact us today!

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