Leigh Peake

Leigh Peake joined GMRI in 2014 as Chief Education Officer, leading GMRI’s extensive work with K-12 teachers and students across Maine in order to nurture the next generation of ecosystem stewards in Maine and across the Northeast.

Leigh came to GMRI after a long career as an educational publishing executive and entrepreneur, including fifteen years at Heinemann Publishing in Portsmouth NH where she directed the work of ten editors in the development of one of the premier lines of professional resources and services for teachers. She also served as President of Corwin and Sr. VP of SAGE Publications in California and as Director of New Enterprise Initiatives at Education Development Center (EDC) in Waltham MA.

Leigh brings her entrepreneurial spirit and product development experience to creating models of education that break down the walls between in- and out-of-school learning. She is passionate about the opportunities climate change education provides for youth to develop the essential skills of science and mathematics. She has committed her career to supporting educators in their work and elevating teachers and informal educators as professionals and collaborators.

On the national scale, Leigh brings a practitioner perspective into dialogues around advancing STEM education. She places high value on creating genuine partnerships between researchers and practitioners and is Principal Investigator on numerous federal awards that reflect this commitment. She is also thrilled to have supported the creation of the Learning Sciences Lab here at GMRI to explore how people across the lifespan learn about data, models, climate science, and climate change adaptation.

Leigh started her career as a teacher and comes from a family of educators, including a grandfather who ran a one-room schoolhouse in rural Virginia. She is an alumna of Smith College and received her Master’s Degree from Brandeis University.