Our Team

Sara Lev

For nearly two decades, Sara has been committed to cultivating learning environments that foster joy and independence for all, especially our youngest learners. As a long-time early childhood educator, she has worked as a classroom teacher, teacher-leader and instructional coach in a variety of school settings (TK-12), and from Day One, she has found that the heart of these powerful learning environments is Project Based Learning. PBL empowers young children to think critically and direct their own learning, and to build meaningful connections, skills and relationships within diverse communities.

Sara earned a Bachelors degree from the University of Rochester and a Masters in early childhood education from Bank Street College, and is a member of the National Faculty of PBLWorks. She is passionate about the integration of Project Based Learning and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), and in addition to her work with PBL, she often facilitates workshops and trainings on the topics of Yoga, mindfulness, restorative practices, resilience and SEL with a variety of organizations such as Yoga Ed., Circle Ways and A Thousand Joys.

Sara is the co-author of Implementing Project Based Learning in Early Childhood: Overcoming Misconceptions and Reaching Success (Routledge, 202) and a contributing author to Making Mathematics Come Alive in the Elementary Classroom with Project-Based Learning (NCTM, 2021). She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.

Connect with her on twitter @saramlev

Instagram: Saram_lev

Amanda Clark

Amanda has been in the field of education for over 20 years. She began her career as an elementary teacher at the nationally recognized Downtown School in Des Moines, Iowa. As a classroom teacher, Amanda created numerous projects for her students that required them to think critically, problem solve, inquire, and wonder. While at the Downtown School, she served as a building literacy leader and instructional coach. Most recently, Amanda was an Assistant Professor of Education at Central College. Amanda is currently an educational consultant, working with educators to strengthen their understanding of Project Based Learning regardless of where they are on their personal PBL journey.

Amanda is passionate about teaching and learning. She has earned certifications in Reading Recovery, Cognitively Guided Instruction, and Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Launch. Her research interests include designing projects based on the learning goals found in the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and facilitating projects with young learners. She is a member of the National Faculty of PBLWorks, and is the co-author of the book, Implementing Project Based Learning in Early Childhood: Overcoming Misconceptions and Reaching Success (Routledge, 2020).

Connect with her on Twitter @AmandaClarkPhD

Erin Starkey

Erin has been in education since 2008. She has taught in classrooms, written curriculum, and has served as a district instructional coach and technologist. It is through PBL that Erin has witnessed a profound difference in how learners engage in the classroom. Her passion now lies in coaching teachers as a part of the ECPBL team and as a National Faculty member for PBLWorks where she is able to utilize constructive questioning and create conversations that lead teachers and administrators to new understanding, specifically around incorporating high quality Project Based Learning. 

Erin holds a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Abilene Christian University and an M. Ed., with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction, from Texas State University.

Connect with her on Twitter

@edtechtraveler