Sawyer partners with hundreds of educators who are stars in their communities. From inspiring class content to engaging teaching style, these educators are known for their enriching activities that empower both children and parents alike.

We got the opportunity to chat with Curious Jane, an organization that offers cool, creative, and fun camps for girls in grades K-6th in Denver and New York!

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! I’d love to hear a bit more about you and why you started your business.‍

I started Curious Jane to give my girls and all girls a place to be creative and inventive in a high-energy space. My own background is in Industrial Design and love the process of prototyping, experimenting and ‘thinking with your hands.’

Can you describe an inspiring moment you’ve had as an educator?

The campers make *amazing* things that I never could have imagined, but one specific element that inspires me every summer is the incredible staff who are drawn to Curious Jane to bring their expertise and enthusiasm to ‘their younger selves’ – they are so excited to work with the campers.

What’s the most rewarding thing about teaching children?

Impact, large or small. Now that it is our 14th year of camp, counselors are applying who started as campers so many years ago. It is not uncommon for them to share about CJ projects or moments - that they still hold close - from summers far back.

What’s one time a child surprised you and made your day? 

In her first-grade CJ class, Nola gathered a mess of pipe cleaners, felt, stuffing and yarn. She glued them together in a specific composition, tied it to her head and said “Look, I’m a brainstorm!” It still makes my day.

Why is after school enrichment so important for children?

The school-day and classroom learning is bolstered by after-school and summer enrichment. Students get to experiment and learn in different ways, and they compliment each other. And overall, after-school and summer give room for a lot more ‘physicality’ in their learning, which is also important. 

How do you think children can discover their passions when they’re not in school or your programs?

They can discover their passions through play, curiosity, and adventure!

What is your favorite Sawyer feature?

My favorite features are the ease of the user interface, the flexibility with which to set up classes and schedules, and the fantastic support features - both online help center and quick email response - for any question big or small.

What's one trick you learned from another educator that you still practice?

Create a strong classroom foundation from the outset, and comfort and creativity can flow freely from there.

Have you discovered new customers on the Sawyer marketplace?

Yes!

How do you balance your time between running your business (from an operational perspective) and teaching/connecting with parents and students?

Because I train our Directors, who then oversee our Instructors, I don’t currently spend a lot of time hands-on with students. I work mostly with the staff (which I love doing) and families.
I also spend time developing curriculum, creating new programs, and managing business operations.

How has Sawyer helped your business? 

Sawyer is a strong system, simple to use and incredibly sophisticated. This means it has a lot of functionality and flexibility, and at the same time… any of our directors or administrators can use it easily. In the past, registration systems had to be managed by a single expert and this was overwhelming. Now, access and use can be diversified across a broad group of people. Additionally, Sawyer includes features on a single platform (like camps, parties, classes, private groups etc) that used to require multiple platforms. This is soooo much better!