Toni Ouradnik

Toni is an educator, outdoor guide, writer, and performer who has been working in the Bay Area for the past 26 years. She has been a resident of East Palo Alto since 2007, and her teenage children are EPA born and raised. She is thrilled to have the chance to teach in her own community!

As a naturalist and teacher, she has had the opportunity to teach in many different settings and situations, indoors and out, in the city and under the redwoods. While each different learning environment has its own advantages and challenges, Toni’s heart-forward relationships with her students and their families remains central to her work in every setting.

Toni believes that the social/emotional development and growth of a child should be at the core of all education. We are all more connected to our learning when we are treated with respect, given autonomy and choice, and guided in the steps needed to build productive, authentic relationships. These essential elements are necessary for both the children and adults in learning, and Toni is grateful for the opportunity to lean into this philosophy as she teaches at The Primary School in East Palo Alto.