Meet the staff behind The Outdoor Education Center at Camp Olympia! Our former HISD certified teachers provide exceptional hands-on, outdoor educational programming for schools and districts throughout the area. Our experienced staff will facilitate authentic interactions with the natural ecosystems and will work with your school to create a program tailored to your specific needs and grade level.
Kimberley Williams, a certified teacher, started her career with the HISD Outdoor Education Center where she realized how important instilling a passion for learning and the outdoors is for future generations. She now leads the Outdoor Education Center at Camp Olympia where she can impact students and teachers from schools throughout Texas. When she isn’t teaching the wonders of the outdoors, she is spending time with her husband and two girls exploring various parts of Texas and finding the best hidden spots they can.
Fun fact: Kim’s family was one of the first 300 in Texas!
Brian McDaniel graduated from Houston Baptist University where he played collegiate soccer. His teaching experience includes being the Science Lab teacher at HISD’s Robinson Elementary, where he earned New Teacher of the Year. Additionally, he was a teacher with HISD’s Outdoor Education Center, where he received Outdoor Educator of the Month honors. Now as a leader with the Outdoor Education Center at Camp Olympia, he looks forward to facilitating meaningful learning experiences and exploring nature with students. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, camping, and riding his motorcycle.
Fun fact: Brian has hiked Macchu Picchu in the Andes Mountains.
Allen Bartell has over 30 years of experience in outdoor education, most recently as the program manager for HISD Outdoor Education Center. He is a master teacher with extensive experience in education leadership, curriculum, and inquiry science as well as trained and certified through Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science Leadership Institute. He has shared many of his innovative, multidisciplinary, student-centered lessons at professional conferences including CAST and TEDX SFASU. He is a proud father of two preschool daughters.
Fun fact: Al collects sand and has about 8,000 samples from various spots around the world!