Registration for the 2026-2027 School Year is

now open!

Click the link below to fill out a registration form. Once the form has been submitted, we will contact you with next steps to start your learner on their outdoor learning adventure!

Registration Form

Our Mission:

“To help prepare young minds for lifelong learning through play, exploration, and connection in God’s creation.”

Our desire for Stillwater Field School is to make learning FUN, INTERACTIVE, & ENGAGING for your child. We aim to cultivate curiosity and build foundations for LIFELONG LEARNING.  We are all about fueling and empowering kids to explore, ask questions, and connect with one another as we guide activities and explore the farm and surrounding areas.

Our Team

Michelle Herman

I grew up in rural Iowa with two older brothers and 32 acres of wide-open space to explore—a childhood that sparked my lifelong love of the outdoors and my desire to share it with others. After graduating from Iowa State University, I headed west to instruct outdoor education classes at North Idaho College and pursue commercial guiding. I’ve spent 11 years leading people of all ages into the backcountry on whitewater rafting, backpacking, rock climbing, and mountaineering adventures.

I discovered my love for teaching and cultivating curiosity while working as a preschool teacher at an early childhood learning center in Spokane. It is such a joy to combine my passion for the outdoors with my love of teaching and spending time with children.

My most favorite thing in life is being a wife to Henry and a mom to my two sweet girls. :) When I’m not at Stillwater, you’ll usually find me off the grid—exploring new places, cooking, skiing, trail running, mountain biking, canoeing, or climbing with my family and friends.

Founder/Operations Director

Erin Lewis

Erin grew up on California's Central Coast, where participating in 4-H and FFA sparked a lifelong appreciation for agriculture, hands-on learning, and the outdoors. Raising animals and spending countless hours exploring both the mountains and the ocean instilled in her a deep love for nature and the endless opportunities it provides for curiosity, adventure, and learning.

Working with children has been Erin's passion for as long as she can remember. She earned her degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Colorado State University with dual concentrations in Early Childhood Professions and Prevention and Intervention Sciences, giving her a strong foundation in child development, early education, and supporting children's growth.

For the past four years, Erin has worked as a preschool teacher, where she has loved creating engaging, hands-on learning environments that encourage children to wonder, ask questions, build confidence, and discover the world around them. She is passionate about fostering each child's natural curiosity while helping them develop the skills and character to thrive.

Erin has also served in children's and youth ministries at several churches, where one of her greatest joys was leading summer camps and retreats that invited children to experience God's creation through exploration, play, and adventure.

Outside the classroom, Erin enjoys hiking, kayaking, taking long walks, embroidering, reading, and spending time outdoors. She is grateful for every opportunity to explore and appreciate the beauty of God's creation.

Assistant Teacher
Field Director

Henry Herman

Henry grew up in a Latino neighborhood in Chicago, where he learned Spanish on the school bus and fell in love with food, art and culture. He spent summers on his family's farm in Iowa and later worked as a tree nursery hand, arborist, cheesemaker, and ranch hand. That love of land and culture took him around the world, volunteering with kids in the townships of South Africa, on First Nations reservations in British Columbia, and in orphanages in central India.

For four years, Henry taught snowboarding with Eagle Mount, an adaptive program in Big Sky, Montana, where he discovered his love of teaching kids through adventure. He spent a decade designing playgrounds, parks, and trails for kids as a landscape architect, from Mountain West ranches to the FIFA World Cup and the Himalayas. He led land art workshops with public school students in Bozeman (building with sticks, mud, and rocks—kids love it, and so does he).

Henry helps lead youth group at Mosaic Church in downtown Spokane and directs our Homeschool Enrichment Program, where he helps children cultivate curiosity, confidence, and wonder through hands-on exploration, meaningful work, imaginative play, and time immersed in God's creation. He continues to work part time as a landscape architect in Spokane. Off duty, you'll find him jumping in the river, snowboarding, gardening, and wandering the great outdoors with his wife, Michelle, and their daughters, Jubilee and Haddie.

“Our 3.5 year old daughter had the most amazing year at Stillwater! She had so many wonderful stories to tell and songs to sing each day about all she learned. She became such a resilient little person by spending so much time outside in all weather! The staff did a great job helping families select the right gear for each season. And the community was outstanding, the most incredible and nurturing teachers and the sweetest little learners! We would highly recommend Stillwater Field School to families who love the outdoors!”

— Brooke Helm

Located under the ponderosa pines at Sweet Mercy Farm, we spend our days surrounded by chickens, llamas, two cows, organically grown produce and the simple wide-open. We believe that the best learning opportunities happen outdoors as we explore and create. When in need of shelter, we utilize our log cabin.