Meet our director
Hi, I’m Carolyn.
I founded The Field School of Hvar, because I believe that schools can be an engine for healthy communities and a powerful instrument for building agency in young people.
I am an American by birth and upbringing, and I now live on Hvar with my partner, who is local, and our young son, who was born in Croatia. We chose to live on Hvar because of the free-range childhood that we felt the island could offer our family. Recognizing that other families - both Croatian and international - share our aspiration for a holistic approach to child development, I began investigating how I could bring together the best possible educational community in our island paradise.
Before coming to Hvar, I began my career in grassroots placemaking, convening a festival of culture and technology that drew 20,000 attendees. I went on to work under the head of operations and fundraising at The Aspen Institute, a global think tank based in Washington, D.C. I am a “double Hoo” with an undergraduate degree in literature and an MBA from the University of Virginia.
Outside of work, home, and learning Croatian, my passions are (as you might expect from the themes in our program) hiking, gardening, and reading. I am extremely grateful for all the wonderful people I have already met on this journey to launch The Field School of Hvar, and look forward to meeting new allies and co-conspirators as we continue onward. If you are inspired by the work we’re doing, please get in touch!
Our Guides
Our program is driven by an experienced group of educators, representing a variety of child-centric philosophies of education.
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Kinder
A nature-based Waldorf teacher with a Master’s in Teaching, Laura has been leading young children in interdisciplinary, holistic education for over six years at an Australian beach school.
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Gardening and Cooking
Silvija is an acclaimed zero kilometer restauranteur and has led numerous farm-to-table workshops for children, including a “tomato fesitval” which involved over 100 local public school children. She is a mom of 3 and full-time resident of island Hvar.
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Guide, Kinder
Claire is a certified Forest School teacher from the UK with 20 years of experience working with young children in emergent, play-based settings. She is also an adult yoga instructor. Claire was part of the Field School’s founding faculty in 2024.
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Grades Guide
Hayden is a parenting coach and Synergetic Play Therapist with ten years of experience as a counselor and teacher in school settings and private practice. He is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate and Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master’s degree in Counselling from Colorado State University.
Hayden is also a dad of three and fully fluent in Spanish.
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Grades Guide
Piper is a an outdoor educator and journalist whose passion for conservation has taken her as far as mangrove forests in Kenya and the islands of coastal Maine. Piper has a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing and holds certifications in Waterfront Lifeguarding and PADI Open Water Diving.
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Grades Guide
Steve is an outdoor educator with a degree in Political Science from from the University of Oregon. Most recently he served as an Assistant Program Director for the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program in California, and he has also led nature-based youth programs in Jackson Hole and Gulf Shores. Steve is a certified Wilderness First Responder and Red Cross Lifeguard. He loves fly fishing, snowboarding, gardening, free diving, conservation, and seeing kids thrive.
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Grades
Sarah is a Montessori educator with over 20 years of experience nurturing children, adolescents and adults including those with special needs. She is a licensed sailing instructor.
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Excursions
Raised on Hvar and trained as a marine biologist, Mira is the president of the island’s popular mountaineering society, where she leads rigorous mountaineering schools for children and adults. She is also a certified scuba instructor and holds a boating license. Mira is a key administrator at The Field School of Hvar, as well as a Guide of day and half-day excursions. She is a member of the Field School’s founding faculty.
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Early Childhood
Hailing from England, Tanya is an early years educator with a certificate in Montessori education, as well as a homeschooling mom to two young daughters.
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Teen Guide
Hailing from Arizona, Treven is a veteran naturalist and educator who has been connecting young people with the outdoors for over a decade. He has certifications in fire science, birding, tracking, and wilderness first response.
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Grades Guide
Joining Field from the Island School of Eleuthra, Katie is an outdoor educator with a passion for ecology, marine biology, and ecosystem restoration. She holds a Bachelor’s in Journalism and Media Studies, and has PADI Open Water Diver certification, Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguard certification, and American Canoe Association Paddling Instructor certification. She speaks conversational Spanish.
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Kinder Guide
Raised on Hvar, Zoa is celebrating the completion of her Master’s degree in Education from the University of Split. She has already been busy teaching as a substitute in local schools and is excited to share Dalmatian language and traditions with children from around the world.
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Grades
An educator with over 18 years of experience of delivering individualized learning, particularly in maths, across diverse settings and age groups.
Culture & Strategy
The core faculty are supported by seasoned professionals in education, strategy, and design.
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Advisor, Early Childhood
Kelsey is a seasoned early childhood educator, currently facilitating a forest kindergarden classroom for 3 and 4 year olds while completing her M.Ed in nature-based learning. She was a Field School Guide in 2024.
Visit her website, Among the Fairies.
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Community Experience
An accomplished photographer, community manager for global creative networks, brand director and strategist, Yagmur is driving culture design for The Field School of Hvar. She holds dual degrees in Architecture and Arts.
See her portfolio.
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PlayLab
Shannon is the Founder of Hatch Partners in Play, and Co-founder of The Creativity Project, both of which foster and protect equitable access to high quality, open-ended inquiry in childhood. Shannon will be activating a PlayLab at The Field School of Hvar in Session 1 of 2025.
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Advisor, Secondary School Program
Currently leading experiential learning at the Buckley School in Los Angeles, Ivan was a 2024 Guide at The Field School and has taught at some of the world’s most innovative and prestigious institutions.
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Advisor, Board Development
Currently a Director of Deal Management at EY-Parthenon, Fotini began her career as a Fulbright Fellow and holds an MBA from the Georgetown McDonough School of Business. She is donating her time to help The Field School of Hvar build its first advisory board.
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Culture Design
A digital anthropologist and strategic leader with over a decade of experience running global innovation labs with some of the world’s best loved brands, Katie is donating her time to hone The Field School of Hvar’s parent and community experience.
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Educator in Residence
Thalis is an early childhood educator with a background in fine arts and nature-based learning. Her strategic interest is in enriching the partnership and dialogue between parents and teachers.
