Chris Kramer is an innovative and experienced educator with over three decades of teaching across multiple grade levels, subjects, and diverse learning communities. He joins SMS after teaching middle school science, math, and STEAM at Parker School in Kamuela, Hawai‘i. Chris brings a project-based, student-centered approach to the classroom. His teaching philosophy emphasizes creativity, curiosity, and real-world application, evident in hands-on STEAM projects like solar cars, wave studies, and food-drive arcades. Previously, he taught 4th grade at Soda Creek Elementary in Steamboat Springs, CO, where he also led science fairs and supported gifted learners. Chris’s career includes experience in California and Massachusetts, where he piloted environmental science initiatives and mentored new teachers. A fluent Spanish and German speaker, he holds credentials in three states and a B.A. in German from UC Berkeley. Outside the classroom, Chris enjoys surfing, hiking, skiing, scuba diving, and writing poetry, and is passionate about sustainability and community engagement.