Michelle DeBruin has been teaching youth of all ages for over 8 years. Her primary goal is to engage young people in the process of self exploration and empowerment through art making and the wilderness. She is a 2005 Open Society Institute Baltimore Community Fellow and the Wilderness/Art Initiative founder and coordinator. She teaches art, psychology, earth science, health, and physical education through backpacking and other out of the classroom settings. She is a weaver, painter, and ceramic artist who also enjoys playing guitar, singing, cooking, and going on long hikes in the woods with her partner, two dogs, and new baby (born in August 2007).