“I want to levitate with Mr. Josh,” exclaims Creekside student and Specialty Camper Jayla Taylor. Mr. Josh is Joshua Clougher. He has been with Kids’ Country for six years and is Head Teacher at Creekside. Watching him in action, you’d wonder if he really can levitate—or teleport—as he moves from one group of kids to the next at record speed.

For Josh, working with kids brings out his own inner child and creativity. He loves challenges and trying new things—and so do his students. Drawing on his talent for experimentation, Josh creates project-based lessons for the kids. Among their favorites is food science where students try new recipes and then figure out what might make them better. Other popular projects for the kids have been making soap, lip balm and other bath products.

“The best part of my day is seeing how happy kids are when they discover something new,” says Josh. “You visibly see the sense of wonder on their faces.”

Kids’ Country’s Executive Director Stacy Litteral sees what a great asset Josh is to the teaching staff. As she puts it, “Josh really goes the extra mile. He built Creekside’s beautiful school garden. And the kids love him!”