GK12 Montana State University

Jeremy Harder was born in a quiet little town along the Delaware River in western New Jersey.  Surrounded by farm lands, deciduous forests, meandering creeks and bass-filled ponds Jeremy found an appreciation for the outdoors at an early age.  As he explored these areas with his grandfather after school and during summer break, Jeremy began to develop a keen sense of observing the oddities of the natural world.

As his appreciation for nature increased, he challenged his beliefs by attending a Quaker boarding school in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. At The George School, he became familiar with the beliefs of Quakerism.  There is an underlying message with Quaker Belief that upholds living peacefully in a community, sharing ideas, and creating an atmosphere characterized by respect for the individual, honesty, and cooperation.  He believes these traits to be self sufficient and practices them in his 4th and 5th grade classroom.

After graduating high school in 1991, he attended Denison University in Granville, Ohio.  Here he studied Psychology and Religion and obtained a B.A. in both studies.  Denison is a small liberal arts college located in central Ohio.  Within this small community he continued to practice being an integral part of the community.  He played on one of the nations topped ranked Division III lacrosse teams, volunteered at the National Children’s Museum, member of the religious department’s community program, and began an interest in traveling and working with children.

Needing a break from the academia world, Jeremy traveled with two friends on a trip “out West