Charles Wright Academy proudly announces that Rixa Evershed will be joining staff as the Director of Early Childhood Education. 

“Rixa is a progressive educator who places students at the heart of decision making and program design. Her commitment to hands-on and project-based learning in a variety of early childhood education settings will help to further our mission of active, joyful learning in the early childhood program,” noted Susan Rice, Head of School. 

Most recently Ms. Evershed was the Director of Education for Nature Nurture’s Farm in Olympia, Washington where she worked with children and youth through an open-ended, nature focused, experiential play program to build connections to nature and animals. In addition, she teaches childhood development and family studies coursework for the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

“I am just thrilled to have found CWA. The idea of finding joy in the learning process is something that I have used to guide my career. When children are given an opportunity to pursue their interests in an authentic way, they learn to love learning. By allowing children to inquire, create, collaborate, explore, problem solve, fail, persist and imagine possibilities, we are creating the critical thinkers that will be the inventors of tomorrow,” stated Ms. Evershed. “I am looking forward to lending my expertise to reimagining the education process and opening up the possibilities of project based learning for children in the Lower School. Based on my years of doing just this, I think that educators and parents will be amazed at the outcomes that we will see children attain when given the opportunities to inquire and explore. Learning should be joyful!” 

Ms. Evershed holds a bachelor of arts in child development from University of Alaska Fairbanks and served as the affiliate president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children for six years.