The concept of Oregon Education Alternatives and teaching science classes to Christian homeschool groups, came from a discussion with a friend of mine. Stephanie is a stay at home mom with four great kids. She homeschooled her children and was sharing some of her experiences with me.
Stephanie felt her time was limited as she strived to give her children a top-notch education. She felt confident teaching all of the subject areas, but wished for a program that helped to supplement her home science classes. Availability of laboratory equipment, chemicals, scientific models and age appropriate lesson plans made teaching science somewhat challenging.
Before the birth of my two sweet boys, I was a full time science teacher for the Beaverton school district. I have always been passionate about education and was missing teaching. Stephanie asked if I would be willing to teach a small group of homeschooled children a science class. We talked, planned and created a framework for our new and exciting endeavor. We chose to focus on teaching science classes to the ever-growing population of homeschooled children in Oregon. Our first class, Marine Biology, was held at the Southlake Foursquare Church in spring of 2004. In the future, we plan to expand into other high-need, difficult to teach academic areas.
In my classes, I always strive to create a comfortable atmosphere for children to explore hands-on activities, conduct scientific experiments and learn about their world. Please join with me and other involved parents to help our children build a strong foundation of knowledge for life.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Karper
President
Oregon Education Alternatives
Oregon Business Licence # 21803
oregoneducationalternatives@yahoo.com
Meet The Founder!
Kim Karper
Education:
Masters in Education, 2000
Pacific University,
Forest Grove, OR
Certified to teach Middle School & High School
B.S.- Biology, 1994
B.A.- English, 1994
Evergreen State College,
Olympia, WA
Awards:
National Science Teacher’s Association Award- 2001
Best New Science Teacher in the Portland Metro Area.
Experience:
Oregon Education Alternatives, 2003-present
6149 SW 161st. Place
Beaverton, OR 97007
Taught hands-on, experiment based science classes.
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Portland State University-Saturday Academy, 2000-present
Portland, OR
Taught marine biology classes and summer camps for middle grade students.
Whitford Middle School, 2000-2003
Beaverton School District
Taught integrated science, reading and Chinese history.
Mad Science, 2000-2001
Portland, OR
Taught after-school, experiment based science classes to K-5th graders.
United States Peace Corps, 1998-2000
Zambia, Africa
Taught rural fish farming practices to community groups in isolated areas. Taught 10th and 12th grade biology at Mpongwe Secondary School.
