Our Staff
Join Our Team
We are looking for friendly, energetic, and passionate people who loves to work with children. If you are looking for a unique summer experience, and want to spend a portion of your summer time to be an inspiration for our future generation, apply now and join our team!
Position available: Qualified instructor, assistant, and high school volunteer
Campbell, CA
Palo Alto, CA
San Jose, CA
Monica Ku, M.A. Ed.
Founder, Camp Director
Our founder and camp director Monica Ku has been passionate about education for as long as she could remember. After the birth of her daughter, her interest in education was re-ignited, so much so that she decided to take a career change into education. She is a certified Montessori Early Childhood teacher with the American Montessori Society.
Ms. Ku believes that every child has their own unique potential, and their potentials are limitless. One of the best ways to learn is in a fun environment where learning is engaging, without pressure, and sparks children’s curiosity. Hence, Camp Curio was born. She wishes to bring fun into leaning for all children where they will emerge with more knowledge and confidence. Ms. Ku has a Master’s degree in Education from St. Catherine University with emphasis in Montessori education and is currently teaching at Canyon Heights Academy.
When not teaching, Ms. Ku enjoys spending time with her family, thinking about ways to make cool experiments, and creating new things. She is fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and is enjoys learning Spanish on her free time.
> American Montessori Society certified in Infant/Toddler level and Early Childhood level
> California Child Abuse Mandated Reporter certified
> Children Safe Environment certified
Jiwon Kim, M.S. Biology
Co-Owner, Camp Director
Ms. Kim is a dedicated and accomplished scientist and educator. She graduated with distinction in Biology from Purdue University, where she was awarded the prestigious Charles C. Chappelle Fellowship for her postgraduate studies.
At Purdue, Ms. Kim taught first-year biology laboratory courses and contributed to the development of an integrated K-12 engineering science curriculum as part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) project. She holds teaching credentials in Science, Math, and Russian for K-12 education.
Currently, Ms. Kim serves as the Middle School Science Department Leader and teaches 7th-grade science at Sacred Heart School in Atherton. She also leads the school’s Science Fair Club and Math Olympiad team, inspiring students to develop a passion for STEM. For the past three years, Ms. Kim has served as a judge for the San Mateo County and California State Science & Engineering Fairs and was honored with the SCVSEFA Teacher Special Award in 2021 (Green Ninja) for her outstanding contributions to science education.
In her free time, Ms. Kim enjoys learning languages. She is fluent in Russian, Korean, and English.
> American Red Cross CPR certified
> California Child Abuse Mandated Reporter certified
> Children Safe Environment certified
Rea Vallarta, M.A. Ed.
Camp Director
Mrs. Rea Vallarta is the Vice Principal at St. Leo the Great School. She attended San Francisco State University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Teaching. She also attended Santa Clara University for her Master’s Degree in Teaching and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. She has taught for many years in the Diocese of San Jose, specifically kindergarten, first and second grade. Mrs. Vallarta has taken many leadership roles throughout her educational career as a teacher mentor, religion coordinator, summer school academic coordinator and summer camp director.
Mrs. Vallarta believes in creating a safe and engaging learning environment that can help each child develop a love of learning. She enjoys being a summer camp director to help keep children engaged in fun, learning activities and to continue to guide and mentor teachers in their practice.
Mrs. Vallarta is a mother of two and has an energetic golden doodle named Bruno! She enjoys spending time with her family and reading in her spare time.
> Competent in conversational Spanish
> CPR/First Aid certified
> California Child Abuse Mandated Reporter certified
> Children Safe Environment certified
Lauren Chan
Instructor
Lauren Chan is a current student at the University of Washington in Seattle and is majoring in marine biology. She likes all things aquatic and is a frequent visitor of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where she hopes to work in the future.
Lauren has worked at Camp Curio from its start in 2021 as an assistant and has stayed with the camp ever since. Throughout the past summers, she has enjoyed leading games and craft time, helping campers start fun new experiments, and occasionally dissecting a brain. She is looking forward to leading a class on her own and sharing her interest in science with her campers.
In her free time, Lauren loves to draw and hang out with her cats, Soup, Bean, and Winston. She recently started playing hockey and is attempting to learn how to play the bass guitar.
Michelle Herman, M.A. Ed.
Instructor
Michelle is an educator with a passion for teaching and a dedication to creating inclusive, empowering learning environments. With a Master’s in Teaching and a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from the University of San Francisco, Michelle brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom. Her teaching journey has taken her through various roles, including Middle School Math Teacher, Fourth Grade Teacher, and Math Program Specialist, Grades 3-5, in which she has developed and implemented engaging, innovative curriculum.
Besides teaching, Michelle likes to spend time hiking around the redwoods, breathing in the fresh ocean air, and going on adventures with her two young children. She believes science is about making sense of our world, and that there are endless opportunities for learning both inside and outside of the classroom!
> California Child Abuse Mandated Reporter certified
> CPR certified
Mrs. Kristin Schaefer
Instructor
Mrs. Kristin Schaefer is a First Grade teacher at St. Leo the Great School. She attended the University of Arizona where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. She moved to San Jose in 2007 and attended National University for her Education Specialist Instruction Credential in Moderate/Severe and Masters of Science is Special Education. She worked at a school for students with Autism for 18 years before starting at St. Leo the Great.
When not teaching, Mrs. Schaefer enjoys cooking and making sourdough bread. She lives with her husband and two children. She knows American Sign Language and is a Daisy Troop Co-Leader.
> California Child Abuse Mandated Reporter certified
> Children Safe Environment certified
Tho Pham, M.S.
Instructor
Mr. Pham joined Canyon Heights Academy in 2017. Before joining Canyon Heights Academy, he taught math for 19 years, and IT support for three years at private schools in Milpitas, Sacramento, and Washington State. Mr. Pham received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Phoenix and a Master’s Degree with an emphasis in Management Information Technology from National University.
> American Red Cross CPR certified
> California Child Abuse Mandated Reporter certified
> Children Safe Environment certified
Monic Aguilar, M.A. Ed.
Instructor
As an experienced elementary educator with a Master’s in Education and a strong foundation in hands-on, inquiry-based instruction, I bring a dynamic and student-centered approach to science education. My work across diverse classroom roles—from leading second and fourth grade classrooms to designing interdisciplinary units aligned with Amplify Science and FOSS—demonstrates my ability to make complex scientific concepts engaging and accessible. I have led morning and closing meetings to build classroom community, facilitated creative and academic summer programs, and fostered student curiosity through collaborative, exploratory learning. My background in Kinesiology further supports my understanding of movement-based, experiential learning—ideal for active, outdoor camp environments.
> California Child Abuse Mandated Reporter certified
> CPR certified
TBA
Instructor