SDCOE Getting to Know: Abby Van Artsdalen

With a background in environmental science and a love for the outdoors, Cuyamaca Outdoor School was a natural fit for our October #StarEmployee, Abby Van Artsdalen.

“Outdoor educators are a very specific breed of educators,” she explained. “You have to be excited to teach in the rain, in the heat, in all the elements.”

Van Artsdalen came to SDCOE in 2018 from Santa Cruz because she heard about the strong focus on science and state standards in our Outdoor Education programs.

She worked as an outdoor education program specialist for five years before moving into a more administrative role last year. In her new role as program assistant, she helps everyone acclimate to the experience as they arrive, organizes where students sleep, and helps connect everyone with the support they need to thrive at camp.

Each week, the school gets a new batch of hundreds of students and their teachers, and Van Artsdalen said she loves having the chance to get to know so many people.

Part of why she’s so good at the job is because of the experience she had as a program specialist. Because of that, she knows what it’s like for the other employees at the school, said Kris Pamintuan, principal at the school.

“Abby is awesome,” Pamintuan said. “She’s got a great attitude. She’s hardworking. She’s always willing to help out anywhere.”

Van Artsdalen said it’s a team effort to make sure that as many students as possible get to participate in the full 6th Grade Camp experience.

“We are all here to make sure that students have that connection to nature while learning something,” she said. “I believe that our program really does attempt to reach students who may not have these opportunities otherwise. We treat each student as an individual and make sure they have equitable access.”