Michelle Ahring

I'm an Oak Park mom of two amazing teens and two lab-mix rescues, Kelso and Scout. I’m also a teacher, wife, and a nature & science enthusiast. I spent the last five years teaching Nature Preschool at Austin Gardens for the Oak Park Park District and am incredibly excited to bring my love of nature and science to the students of Pilgrim. Before working for the park district, I ran a successful in-home child care and after-school program for a decade. This allowed me to help provide for my family while spending a lot of time with my own children when they were young. It also allowed me to pursue my passion for child care & development. I have a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Earth Science and I know that using nature and science to engage young learners creates a life-long love for learning and nature.

My family and I love to be outdoors discovering what insects and other creatures are around and searching for geodes and other unique rocks. Playing by the ocean is where I am most at peace. We love camping, gardening, playing on Spoon Lake and traveling. Our family goal is to visit as many national parks as we can.

I strongly believe that playing & discovering the world around us in nature, is the best way to learn organically. I value strong communication with and support of my students and their families. I’m so excited for this school year to begin and honored to be working with the amazing team at Pilgrim.