Sara Lev
National Faculty
For over two decades, Sara has been dedicated to creating joyful, independent learning environments—especially for our youngest learners. As a long-time early childhood educator, she has worked as a classroom teacher, teacher-leader and instructional coach in a variety of school settings (TK-12), and from Day One, she has found that the heart of these powerful learning environments is Project Based Learning. PBL empowers all learners to think critically and direct their own learning, and to build meaningful connections, skills and relationships within diverse communities.
Originally from Rockville, Maryland, Sara moved to New York City after earning her degree from the University of Rochester. She began her career as an actor and American Sign Language interpreter, performing in educational theatre productions and touring with the National Theatre of the Deaf. Her experiences in interactive, student-centered performances led her to Bank Street College of Education, where she became deeply inspired by progressive education and constructivist learning. After earning her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, she and her husband, Alek, traded New York winters for sunny Los Angeles.
Sara is passionate about the intersection of PBL and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), and in addition to her work with PBL, she leads trainings for educators on yoga, mindfulness, restorative practices, culturally responsive teaching, and SEL.
Sara is the co-author of Implementing Project Based Learning in Early Childhood: Overcoming Misconceptions and Reaching Success (Routledge, 2020) with Amanda Clark and Erin Starkey, and is a contributing author to Making Mathematics Come Alive in the Elementary Classroom with Project Based Learning (NCTM, 2021). Her forthcoming book, Project Based Learning with Young Children: Inspiring Stories and Practical Strategies from Classrooms Around the World (Routledge), brings together stories from early childhood classrooms across diverse settings to illustrate the many ways Project Based Learning can honor young children’s curiosity, capabilities, and ideas.