Meet the Team

The quality of the program is due to the quality of the Teachers.

The teachers are dedicated to their practice and are honored to be your child’s guides as they learn, play, and grow at Kind Roots.

All Kind Roots teachers are current in their First Aid and CPR certification and have passed a criminal background check.  Each teacher must receive at least 16 hours of continuing education in child development each year. This requirement is over and above what the state licensing regulations require and is crucial in maintaining qualified teachers for the ongoing success of the Kind Roots program.


  • Founder/Teacher

    Annie comes into nature-based child care by both passion and professional training. A Stillwater native, she earned a BS in Early Childhood Education & Child Services from Montana State University in Bozeman, where she also developed her love for nature-based learning. Throughout her undergraduate years and beyond, Annie gained valuable experience in a variety of early childhood programs, including Dodge Nature Preschool, camps, and nanny settings. Recently, she received her Nature-based Teacher Certification from the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools.

    Annie is not only a dedicated educator but also an entrepreneur who opened her own nature-based preschool. She brings her expertise to Kind Roots Early Learning & Care, where she teaches and fosters a love for the natural world in young children. Beyond the classroom, Annie plays an active role in her community by organizing summer events for the local parks and trail department and serving on the board of the local nature center, where she helps run enriching programs.

    Annie’s passion for nature-based education is matched by her love for her family, and she’s thrilled to bring another special connection to the school—her son, Beau, who will be joining the Kind Roots community.


  • Lead Teacher

    Meghan spent much of her childhood being outdoors at her family's cabin near the Canadian border, learning to respect nature and all it has to offer. Though she suffered from anxiety as a child, it disappeared in the middle of the deep woods. Her professional career started in cosmetology, but she discovered she wanted something more. Instead, she was drawn to working with children as a paraprofessional and nanny. Meghan has traveled and lived in Big Sky, Montana and New Zealand. Now back in Stillwater with her husband/travel partner, they are proud parents to Ophelia and a newborn baby. She describes Kind Roots as a dream job. "I wholeheartedly know children benefit from exposure and resources right outside our doors." 


  • Lead Teacher

    Ben is an environmental educator, and grew up in Stillwater. He graduated from University of Minnesota Duluth with a degree in Environmental and Outdoor Education, with Early Childhood Studies. He's worked at several outdoor education centers and schools in Duluth and around the Stillwater area. Ben is passionate about connecting people of all ages with the wonders of nature, especially young learners! Growing up with three brothers and very adventurous parents, his family vacations were usually spent camping, hiking, paddling, and swimming all around Minnesota. Recognizing that not every child gets to experience an upbringing like this, he feels that it is his life's work to connect people and their planet.


  • Teacher/Naturalist

    Alyssa Janilla has worked with children as a special education paraprofessional for five years, starting in Saint Paul Public Schools, and most recently at a local charter school here in town. She is a licensed substitute teacher and taught kindergarten for three months in 2023. Alyssa has designed and led ecological-themed outdoor after-school adventure clubs including: Compost Crew, Buckthorn Brigade, Dirt City, and Winter Warriors. She has her bachelors of science degree in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. Alyssa has worked at several local nurseries, including Abrahamson's and Gertens, where she enjoyed providing horticultural education to customers of all ages! In 2013, she started her own garden maintenance and landscape design business in which she works closely with clients to install new plantings and maintain existing gardens. Alyssa loves stand-up paddle boarding Minnesota's beautiful waterways, and exploring national parks and public lands on road trips.