My name is Julia Umstead and I am the Director of Kinderfolk as well as the lead Pre-K teacher. I have lived in Lewisburg since 2015 with my husband and our daughter, a Kinderfolk alum. I graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2004 with a B.S. in Rehabilitation Services and in 2010 with my M.Ed in Adult Education. I was a preschool teacher from 2005-2011 at the Bennett Family Center at Penn State University. In my years at the Bennett Family Center, I had the opportunity to mentor early childhood university students and spent my time acquiring extensive early childhood development education.
I have lived in central Pennsylvania my entire life, and settled down in the Lewisburg area 20 years ago. I have two daughters: Kaelyn, who is a speech language pathologist, and Ella, who is starting her junior year of high school this year. Ella is a Kinderfolk alum, having been a member of both the AM and PM classes. When my youngest graduated from Kinderfolk and moved on to Kindergarten, I stayed involved in the program as a substitute teacher. I’m excited to have a bigger role in the program as the co-teacher of the PM class. We made so many memories and good friends through our experience as a family with the preschool, and I can’t wait to help facilitate that for our current Kinderfolk families!
I grew up in the Boston area and graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Boston with a degree in English Literature. I first came to Lewisburg in 2003 with my husband David, who is a Chemistry Professor at Bucknell, and immediately fell in love with the area. Over the years, I’ve met so many great people as I have become involved in the local community through volunteer work with the Public Library for Union County, the Lewisburg Arts Council, and Cub Scout Pack 3509.
Both of our children are Kinderfolk alum. My husband and I really appreciated how well the program prepared our kids for school that when the opportunity arose to become a part of the Kinderfolk family, I jumped at the chance.
I started my teaching career in New Jersey public schools, where I taught third grade for one year and second grade for seven. When my husband’s job took us to Mississippi, I taught first grade, and then became their School Librarian. I also worked there as a Director for Sylvan Learning Center, overseeing the Beginning Reading Program. After having my first and only child, I chose to stay home with her. Soon after her first birthday, we were relocated to Texas, and then again to Lewisburg, PA, where my daughter attended Kinderfolk and had a wonderful experience. When she entered Kindergarten, I accepted a position at Kinderfolk and loved it, until once again, after two years, we were relocated to New Jersey. I was broken-hearted about leaving! Three years later, my husband retired, and we returned to Lewisburg, because it is “home” to my daughter. No more moving! I feel very fortunate to have a second chance to work for such an outstanding preschool, and I’m so looking forward to meeting your preschoolers!
kinderfolkpreschool.com 