OUR TEAM AND OUR MISSION
Brooklyn Wild, LLC is a mission-driven company in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. We function as a low-profit LLC and measure success through our positive impact on our students, families, employees and community above considerations for our bottom line. Our mission is providing the space, time and permission for outdoor exploration and unstructured play to the young and the young at heart. We operate all outdoor classes using the principles of forest schools and adventure playgrounds, with a staff
trained in playwork--a professional approach out of the UK that supports play without judgment. We believe children have the right to play freely and to access the outdoors and communal spaces, and that adults have the right to play too.
Scroll down to meet our playworkers.
STACY BOYD
Founder, Executive Director, and Playworker
Stacy (she/her) is a Sunset Park resident and mom to two boys, ages sixteen and seven, who thrive when they get outside. When her older son entered school, she knew he needed a program with hands-on projects and lots of movement, but she didn’t realize he needed those things because his brain was wired differently. Through her advocacy for him within the school system, and what she learned from experienced teachers and therapists, Stacy started taking him outside for play. It helped him regulate his emotions and develop better balance and gross motor skills—the essentials for sitting still in class! But during the school year—with long schedules and short recess times—getting outside was harder. Her son was often indoors, in an adult-led environment for the school day plus after school. When her younger son headed to pre-K, she wanted something different. So, in 2018, she founded Brooklyn Wild. Stacy has been a playworker since 2018. She is certified in Advanced First Aid and Pro CPR, and has completed playwork training with Play:Ground NYC and Morgan Leichter-Saxby, a leading international play researcher who has worked in the field for more than a decade.
Stacy has a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology and is a former member of Community Board 7. In her day job, she edits commercial fiction and manages branded product lines at Harlequin/HarperCollins.
LISA KITCHENS
Playworker
Lisa (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist, educator, and student of nature. Her work often explores the intersection of the arts and nature, and she takes particular interest in the connection we have to the natural world as well as the interconnectedness of communities around the world. She is the founder of Earth Stories Initiative, a platform that uses storytelling and education to connect young children to the more-than-human world. With over fifteen years of teaching experience, she is passionate about child-driven, play-based learning outdoors! She was a 2022 artist-in-residence with The Arctic Circle Residency in Svalbard, Norway, and a 2018 recipient of the Voices of the Wilderness Artist Residency through the USDA Forest Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska. In her free time, she enjoys peaceful walks through Greenwood Cemetery and making puppets.
ANDERS NILSSON
Playworker
Anders has been living in Sunset Park for 8 years and is loving it. As an experienced guitar teacher he engages with children and adolescents every day. He believes in learning through improvisation and embraces an organic approach to kid play and exploration. He fondly remembers his summers back in Sweden being equated with a sense of freedom and openness. He and his family enjoy hiking, the beach, eating and playing outdoors.
YASMAN YUDEH
Playworker
Yasman--a beach, park, and water lover--is a Brooklyn native, mom of two children (a son who's two and a daughter who's four), a nurse, and a nurse educator. As a teenager, she babysat nieces, nephews, and cousins, and enjoyed attending camp with The Center for Family Life in Sunset Park. She believes in learning through play in nature. Nursing taught her the impact the outside environment has on our health, in improving healing and promoting longevity. The best memories she has are camping and kayaking near the Delaware River. Yasman has a Master's Degree in Nursing Education and a vast array of experience with all ages across the lifespan. Joining Brooklyn Wild is a self-reflection of her childhood and she is excited to work with children of the community!
KATHRYN HARRISON
Playworker
Kathryn Harrison has taught children of all ages during her 30+ year career in education. She taught in the classroom as well as in small group reading and math intervention. Kathryn earned a B.F.A. degree as well as a M.Ed., which set her on her career path and fostered her love for teaching children. Six years ago, she embarked on the biggest and best adventure of her life by moving to New York to help care for her then baby granddaughter (now 6 ¾ years old), Luna.
TARAN KILGOUR
Camp Counselor
Taran is a rising senior attending Millennium Brooklyn High School, and one of his favorite things to do is play and hang out. He enjoys all kinds of play, though he prefers more physical activities. He has been babysitting for more than a year and loves helping kids grow and learn. He is looking forward to being a camp counselor this summer!
CHARLIE DEWITT
Camp Counselor
Charlie was the very first kid to play at Brooklyn Wild, since Stacy is his mom. He comes to Brooklyn Wild with more than a year of junior playworker experience and a summer season as a counselor-in-training at Frost Valley YMCA's Farm Camp. Charlie thrives on being with friends and playing outside. You'll often find him at the Sunset Park playground swinging as high as possible and gathering folks for big games of tag. A rising senior at The Summit School in Queens, he loves animals and working with children.