Our Team
FOUNDER/DIRECTOR/FACILITATOR
Jennifer Morgan, EdS
Jennifer Morgan has spent her entire life exploring and playing in the outdoors. Born and raised in East TN, she spent many hours playing in the Cherokee National Forest, the Great Smoky Mountains, and her very own backyard. She is passionate about sharing the joy nature brings with others, especially youth. Jennifer has attended and worked at different traditional camps throughout her life and often thinks about how these experiences were critical in preparing her for adulthood. After college, she spent her first two years as a counselor at a wilderness program in Northeast Alabama. While there, she met her husband and co-founder of Shoals Forest School, Chris. Jennifer and Chris married and moved to Knoxville, TN, where Jennifer spent eight years teaching in various educational settings. After relocating from Knoxville to the Shoals, Jennifer quickly realized the potential to bring outdoor programming to youth in the area and began planning to make this dream possible. Presently, Jennifer is a high school ELA teacher in the Shoals and delights in being a part of her students' academic and personal growth. She received her forest school teacher certification this spring through Southern Adventist University’s Outdoor Education Forest School Teacher Institute. Jennifer and Chris have three boys that keep them busy. The boys are the best adventure buddies (most of the time), with each one bringing a unique perspective and experience to all of their adventures. She is incredibly excited to bring the opportunity of forest school to families in the area and can't wait to share the wonders of nature as a supplement to the traditional school year.
FOUNDER/DIRECTOR/FACILITATOR
Chris Morgan, MA
Chris grew up in Florence, AL, and enjoyed camping and scouting from an early age. He earned the honor of Eagle Scout his junior year in high school. Since graduating from college in 2002, Chris has spent 21 years working with youth in various settings. He holds a Master's degree in counseling. He spent seven years as a mental health counselor at a wilderness boarding school in Alabama and six years as a school counselor at a high school in Tennessee. When he returned to Florence with his wife and kids, he decided to pursue a middle school math and history teacher position. He currently teaches middle school math at a public school in the area. Chris enjoys finding peace in nature and is excited to help children and youth discover themselves in the natural environment. He sees Shoals Forest School as a perfect educational supplement to the typical indoor, highly structured school environment.