Our faculty members foster immersive experiences that connect students with the history, culture, economy, and environment of their local communities, facilitating learning that transcends the four walls of a traditional classroom.

Our educators adeptly blend academic theory with real-world practice, creating an educational experience that’s simultaneously rigorous and relevant. By engaging students in their local communities, they cultivate a deep sense of place, nurturing not just educated individuals, but also conscientious local stewards.

MEL CHRISTENSEN FLETCHER – Head of School

Mel is a passionate educator and school leader who arrives at Brightfield School with a deep commitment and reverence for place-based learning experiences…

MEGAN PHILLIPS – Grades 3/4 Teacher

Megan Phillips has been deeply rooted in Midcoast Maine for sixteen years, living and working at Chewonki in Wiscasset. There, she has taught outdoor and environmental education, led extended backcountry trips in Maine, northern Quebec, and Labrador, and managed diversified farming systems….

KATIE MATHEWS – 5/6 Homeroom & 5-8 Humanities Teacher

As a West Coast native, from an early age Katie loved exploring the Sierra Nevadas and wading in the Sacramento River tributaries. She graduated with a Bachelors in English from California State University, Chico and was always a Humanities major with an inkling to learn outside the classroom…

MICHAELA OBERKFELL – Science & Math Teacher

Michaela went to Colby College where she majored in Biology with a concentration in Biochemistry and a particular interest in field biology, including Vertebrate Natural History, Ecology, Taxonomy of Flowering Plants, Ornithology, and Woody Plants…

ANGELINA SIMMONS – Director of Teaching & Learning and 1/2 Teacher

Growing up near Oven’s Mouth Preserve in Boothbay, Angelina developed a profound love of nature while exploring the wooded areas along the banks of Oven’s Mouth River…

EMILY BELL-HOERTH – Art and Music Teacher

Emily Bell-Hoerth is deeply rooted in the Midcoast-Maine community, and has taught in outdoor and place-based education for 10 years…

MAE CORWIN – After School Coordinator

Mae Corwin grew up on the Southern shore of Long Island where she and her family spent most of their days on the water. At sixteen, her family moved to Wiscasset, Maine and traded their skiff for a sailboat and sandy shores for rocky ones…

MARLIE RENY – Support Teacher

Marlie Reny grew up in Midcoast Maine, immersed in the rhythms of a fishing and farming family. From an early age, she developed a love for the outdoors and earned her Maine guide’s sea kayaking license at just 19…