Maria Zieja
Outdoor Educator | Certified Teacher | Nature Advocate
Certifications & Education
State Certified Teacher in New Jersey (Grades K–6) and Massachusetts (Grades 1–6)
Master’s Degree in Mathematics Education (K–8)
ANBE Certified Nature-Based Educator – Levels 1 & 2 (Level 3 to be completed Summer 2025)
Wilderness First Aid / Adult, Child, Infant CPR and AED Certified
NJ Forest Fire Service, Division A – On-Call/Part-Time Wildland Firefighter (FFT2)
Advocates for: Reducing excessive screen time for children (and adults!)
About Maria
Maria's love for the outdoors and passion for land, natural resources, and wildlife protection and conservation shine through in her teaching approach. In the outdoor classroom, she delights in observing children take risks, develop independence, and engage in developmentally appropriate, hands-on learning about the place and season in which they live. She believes the greatest benefits of outdoor education come from engaging all the senses, fostering cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth for learners of all ages.
When not inspiring young minds at SGP, Maria can be found trail and mountain running, hiking, snowboarding, strength training, stand-up paddleboarding, and fishing. An avid ultramarathoner, she has completed races from 50K to over 100 miles throughout the Northeast. She also dedicates her time to volunteering with Morris and Sussex Counties - Special Olympics New Jersey, and hopes to become a volunteer firefighter with the Randolph Township Fire Department.