Since I was very young, I have always wanted to engage in work that improves the quality of lives of others, both locally and globally, in a direct and meaningful way.
The common thread of my career has been working in educational and nonprofit venues, both in the United States and overseas, providing authentic and experiential learning opportunities that empower individuals — from students to mature adults — to thrive, using their passions and talents to make a difference in their communities and beyond.
I have deep respect for the active role IHE plays in nurturing positive agents of social, environmental and community change in ways that do the most good with the least amount of harm to people, animals and our earth.
One of my favorite tenets in IHE’s teachings is that ”one person can do so much, but there’s so much more you can do by educating others.”
I believe the work of IHE is a strong and important force behind efforts to “change the DNA” of our educational system, this notion of disruptive innovation in education. Through the disruption of our classrooms, and curricula designed and customized through the positive lens of humane education, I believe that transformation is well underway.
Kim Childs is the operations manager at IHE. She spent more than two years studying anthropology and sociology at the University of Vermont in Burlington. She also spent three semesters in Egypt, studying at the Arabic Language Institute at the American University in Cairo, followed by a term of Middle East studies. Kim holds a B.A. in international affairs with a minor in anthropology from the University of Maine in Orono.
In past years, Kim worked for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in mid-coast Maine in various roles and is also an alumna of three of its programs.
For several years, Kim led cultural and educational tours primarily in the Middle East, but also in the United States, Canada and Europe. This work led to the founding of her own educational travel company, which she operated with her husband for several years.
In recent years, Kim has worked in Maine in the areas of public health and geriatric social work. Before joining IHE, she worked at the College of the Atlantic in the Office of Institutional Development in Bar Harbor. She currently lives on Mount Desert Island with her husband, Doug, son Gabriel, and daughter Isabella.
