Myles Vandegrift (Middle School Science Teacher)

Myles grew up in the small town of Ojai, California, skateboarding, surfing, and backpacking. He is a Point Loma Nazarene University graduate with a BA in biology, teaching credential in Life Science, and MA in Teaching and Learning.

He has passionately/enthusiastically been teaching middle school science for the past 27 years in San Diego California. He spent the first 21 years of his teaching career at Olive Peirce Middle School, then took a sabbatical from Ramona Unified School District to teach at Francis Parker School in Linda Vista from 2013 to 2015, and currently has return to Olive Peirce Middle School to teach 7th/8th grade science. He also teaches as an adjunct professor at Point Loma Nazarene University in the Department of Education training and inspiring future science teachers.

He absolutely loves teaching! His current teaching responsibilities include the following: teaching 7th and 8th grade science at Olive Peirce Middle School, teaching graduate students as an adjunct professor in the education department at Point Loma Nazarene University, and teaching an interactive Science Summer Workshop to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at Francis Parker School.

Over the years he has coached the school’s Skateboard and Science Olympiad Teams. He has a deep passion to connect with students, teach science in a meaningful/relevant way, and inspiring young people to reach their full potential! He believes every student can learn and every student can achieve high levels of learning with enough time, support and the right learning environment.

Myles believes middle school is such a critical time in their life and development; emotionally, academically and behaviorally. They are looking for someone to believe in them, accept them, challenge them and love them. He wants to help them discover what they are good at. That all middle schoolers would be provided with opportunities to discover their talents/passions and pursue them in a way that would make a meaningful difference in the world.

He also had the opportunity to lead multiple student expeditions to Catalina Island, Beijing China, Tambopata Research Center in the Amazonian Rainforest of Southeastern Peru, Gabon Africa with Operation Canopy (distance learning project), and trekking the Inca Trail to the lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu.

He has two children, Samuel (16) and Zoe (13), with his wife Stella, who is a graphic designer and speech therapist assistant. When he is not teacher science he can be found hiking Mt. Woodson/Iron Mountain, rock climbing, surfing, skateboarding, traveling the globe with his family, jumping on the trampoline with his kids, or watching their soccer games on the weekends.