Julie Justice
Julie Justice is an accomplished educator and conservationist, currently serving as Director of Environmental Education at The Montessori School of Rochester. In this leadership role, she works within school administration while maintaining active classroom and substitute teaching responsibilities, ensuring her strategic initiatives remain grounded in direct student engagement. Beyond the school setting, she serves her community as a Cub Scoutmaster and assistant scoutmaster for a local troop, further demonstrating her commitment to youth leadership and character development.
With more than 15 years of professional experience in formal and informal education settings—approaching 25 years when including Sunday school teaching—Julie has built a career centered on experiential learning and environmental stewardship. She has previously served on education teams at Sea Life Michigan, the Michigan Science Center, and Cranbrook Institute of Science. At the Michigan Science Center, she was recognized as Kidstown Champion, where she redesigned the toddler learning space, developed preschool curriculum, created five overnight programs to help Scouts earn belt loops, and contributed to modifications and expansions of the NOVA and Supernova STEM awards programs for younger children.
Julie’s professional focus emphasizes environmental education, sustainability, and hands-on STEM experiences for young learners. She champions community partnerships, student leadership opportunities, and practical life skills development through initiatives such as microeconomy projects, gardening programs, and hydroponics. At her current school, she has introduced composting, recycling systems, and a bottle-return program, established an annual beautification day, and launched a hydroponics station that produces approximately 50 pounds of food annually. Guided by values of honesty, accountability, and service, Julie consistently models what it means to be both an educational leader and a helper within her community.
• Certificate for Informal Learning in Museums
• Michigan State University - BS, Zoology, Zoo & Aquarium Sciences, General Zoology, and Ecology, Evolution & Organismal Biology
• Kappa Delta Alumni
• Association of Zoos and Aquariums
• Certified NOVA Counselor
• Youth Counselor, Troy First United Methodist Church
What do you attribute your success to?
ADHD-driven creativity and being an innate problem solver: lots of ideas, able to see patterns and fix problems for students and programs.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
A college advisor encouraged completing a required internship; that internship (Virginia Aquarium) shifted her path into education.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Keep clear divisions between work and home, carry a notebook for ideas, never give up, and always be ready to help 'How can I help?'.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Biggest challenges: staff burnout, limited after-school staffing and coverage, and being short-staffed on difficult days.
Opportunities: expand partnerships with nonprofits, broaden Scout Reach/NOVA programming into extended-day formats, and grow sustainable school programs that tie curriculum to real-world food production and stewardship.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, accountability, and support.