Aja Appel takes learning beyond her Forest Grove classroom

Published 5:00 am Monday, August 4, 2025

Aja Appel has spent the past 17 years helping children find their place in the world, both inside her classroom and far beyond it.

As the lead first- and second-grade teacher at Pacific University’s Early Learning Community, Appel doesn’t confine her lessons to the desk. Her classroom often spills into the Fernhill Wetlands, Zephyr Organic Farms and local businesses with hands-on, experiential learning that helps students explore the local community.

Appel quickly found her place in Forest Grove after earning her master of arts in teaching from Pacific University in 2007. When longtime professor Mark Bailey founded the Early Learning Community the following year, she stepped into a role that felt as natural as it was meaningful.

“I was eager to return and be part of something meaningful,” she said. “Joining the (Early Leaning Community) teaching team felt like coming home.”

That feeling of home now informs how she approaches her work. Appel fosters a classroom environment rooted in connection and curiosity — with each lesson designed with creativity in mind for a meaningful experience.

Under her guidance, students raise salmon and tadpoles to learn about life cycles, experiment with kitchen chemistry and tackle projects like egg drops to grasp engineering principles. Thematic units weave reading, writing and math into larger concepts without losing the spark of exploration. One day might include sewing or building; the next, a forest hike to study native plants or a trip to the Tualatin River to release salmon fry.

“Our students are baking, climbing trees, gardening, sewing, building and creating. It’s a joyful and meaningful place to teach,” she said.

Since opening in 2008 with just 43 preschool and kindergarten students, the Early Learning Community has grown to serve more than 100 students from preschool through fourth grade annually. Along the way, Appel has witnessed the long arc of student growth — seeing some of the children who once sat in her classroom return years later as adults.

“One of my proudest moments was seeing one of my very first (Early Learning Community) kindergarteners graduate from Pacific University with a degree in education this year,” she said. “What a full-circle moment — and what a joy this journey has been.”

For Appel, teaching is a constant process of discovery — not only for her students but for herself.

“My job constantly challenges me to grow, adapt and innovate. It’s never boring — and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

The Early Learning Community at Pacific University

2043 College Way, Forest Grove

503-352-1482

pacificu.edu/about/campuses-locations/forest-grove-campus/early-learning-community 

A private early childhood school known for its hands-on learning and creative teaching.