Tara, Founder/Executive Director/Parent Coach
Tara started Pea Pod Playschool in 2015. Her son was a member of the founding cohort. Tara is the Founder of Pea Pod, a parent coach in the playschool classroom, a mom of two amazing kids, a dance teacher, and Camp Director of Camp Shazaam.
With a degree in Landscape Architecture specializing in playground and community spaces, Tara is an avid proponent of community building. In 2019, Pea Pod Playschool and Mt. Tabor Preschool worked together to recreate the Taborspace Playground. Tara donated her landscape design skills to the project and led the design process. She continues to nurture and maintain the playspace as it slowly matures into the community asset envisioned by the design team which was made up of parents of both Pea Pod and the Mt. Tabor Co-op Preschool.
Tara loves working with parents and kids. Over the past ten years, Tara has been on a personal journey of growth and discovery with a focus on parenthood, child development, trauma informed care, emotional healing, and empowerment. She believes strongly that the key to a child's mental health and future success begins with a positive foundation of social and emotional wellbeing by recognizing, allowing and validating feelings. In 2022, Tara completed a year long certification program called Wunderled, by Fairy Dust Teaching. The program is a mixture of Waldorf and Reggio Emilia teachings that looks at the Teacher, the Child, the Family and the Environment.
Tara is committed to creating brave, authentic spaces for people of all ages, and is passionate about fostering the next generation of change makers.
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Trainings and Certifications:
October 2017 Speaking with Kids: Compassion & Cooperation Workshop
March 2018 Hand in Hand Parenting Class, 6-week series
April 2018 NAMI Family-to-Family 10 week Class
August 2018 Yoga Playgrounds Teacher Training
February 2020 Non-Violent Communication Workshop
June 2020 Empowered Sensitivity: Making Sense of Your Child's Sense-Ability
February 2021 Roots, Rhythm, Race & Dance Masterclass by Karida Griffith
March 2021 Big Life Journal's Masterclass on Transforming your Child's Negative Self-Talk
July 2021-June 2022 Wunderled Approach Certification Program by Fairy Dust Teaching
June 2025 Mandatory Reporter Training
July 2025 Food Handler Permit
October 2025 Navigating Autism: Developmental Difference and Behavioral Challenges in Preschool Workshop
January 2026 Practicing Inclusive Community Through Play Workshop
Morgan, Assistant Executive Director
Morgan joined Pea Pod in 2022 as a stay at home parent who needed community after a long 2 years of parenting in Covid. An interested reader, Morgan had read No Bad Kids prior to Pea Pod but saw it come to life in the playschool as Tara interacted with the kids. Her daughter stayed at Pea Pod for 2 years and Morgan joined the Board of Directors in 2023. When Pea Pod started a preschool program, Morgan left the Board and joined Pea Pod as an administrative assistant.
Morgan’s pre-parenthood career was in human relations and management. She works with Pea Pod to enroll new families, hire and train new employees, and create schedules for the Parents On Duty.
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Trainings and Certifications:
Willamette University, BA in Art History, 2006
Seattle University, MBA, 2013
Mandatory Reporter Training June 2025
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