FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Cole York is originally from Savannah, Georgia and has been living and working in Peru for the last decade. She founded Valley Camp in 2017 with the goal to provide new experiences for the children of the Sacred Valley. With over 10 years of experience working with camps in the U.S. and Peru, she believes that this type of experiential education encourages kids to get out of their comfort zones, think creatively, cultivate curiosity, connect with the environment, and gain self confidence. She loves Valley Camp because it is a safe and joyful space for the campers, team, and volunteers to learn and grow together. In her free time, she enjoys watercolor painting, reading, drinking coffee, exploring the Andes mountains, and riding her bike. Cole graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a BA in Art in 2014 and completed her Master’s degree in Sustainable Development at SIT’s Global Graduate Institute in 2022.

PROGRAM DIRCTOR

Julian is a passionate educator with a deep love and appreciation for nature, science, and art from Caldense, Colombia. After graduating with a degree in biology with a focus on insects and arachnids and working for “Teach for All” in the Darién Jungle and Cartagena de Indias, Julian moved to the Sacred Valley. Here he has worked in a variety of alternative education projects as a teacher and coordinator before joining the Valley Camp team. In his free time he likes to practice illustration, theatrical improvisation, and tattooing. Julian loves Valley Camp because it aligns with his life purpose of supporting young people develop socio-emotional skills, environmental awareness and respect for nature. He believes that education is the engine of change that Latin America needs.

FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR &

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Originally from Lima, Yessenia has been living in the Sacred Valley for three years. She graduated from the University of Lima with a degree in communications. She has experience in audiovisual production, internal communication, and hairdressing. In her free time she enjoys drawing and walking in nature. Yessenia believes in Valley Camp because it provides young people with tools to be agents of change and become aware of the importance of protecting the environment.

LOGISTICIS AND PITUMARCA COORDINATOR

Giuseppe Raylet is from the community of Urquillos in the Sacred Valley. Graduated from La Salle Institution in Urubamba, Giuseppe is a professional tour guide in Peru with a focus on adventure and cultural experiences. He speaks native Quechua and Spanish and is learning English. Giuseppe loves working with Valley Camp because it is a space where children can grow in values and where they learn to take care of the natural environment and contribute to society. When he's not working, he loves spending his time in the mountains and practicing adventure sports, such as mountain biking and long distance running.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION COORDINATOR

Jaseh joined the Valley Camp team in 2020. Originally from Merida, Venezuela, he has been living in the Sacred Valley since 2018. Jaseh is a professional firefighter, and has worked as a mountain and bike guide for over ten years. He is currently studying to become a certified UIAGM Mountain Guide at CEAM in Huaraz, Peru. Jaseh loves working with Valley Camp because he can transmit his love of the mountains and the importance of protecting the planet to the next generation.

PACHAR PEDAGOGY COORDINATOR

Currently based in Cusco, Fabi grew up in Sicuani, Peru. She is an educator and learning manager. She has a specialization in Culture and Gender Education from the Innova Teaching School. She has a Master's degree in Technologies in Education and Digital Competences at the International University of La Rioja in Mexico. She also designed learning experiences for Minedu in the “Aprendo en Casa” program during the pandemic. She currently works as a teacher at the Andino School International Baccalaureate School and as a pedagogical consultant at NGOs in the region. Fabi considers herself a passionate teacher for the construction of a just and equitable society.

URUBAMBA LEADERSHIP CLUB INSTRUCTOR

Rafael Rubio Vera is originally from Tacna, Peru and has been living in the Cusco Region for 10 years. He is a geological and civic engineer, specializing in sustainable practices such as bio-construction, soil care, and permaculture. Beyond engineer work, Rafael has a passion for teaching and has worked in education as a language teacher, academic tutor, and currently as a math and science instructor at a local high school. In his free time, he loves participating in theatrical and improvisation productions and exploring the outdoors. Rafael loves leading the Leadership Club because he is dedicated to better education for the youth in Cusco and believes that nature is the the best teacher.

CURRICULUM DEVELOPER

Ines is originally from Venezuela and moved to the Sacred Valley in 2019. She graduated from the Libertador Experimental Pedagogical University in Venezuela in 1990. Ines has worked at a teacher for over 30 years at the primary, secondary, and university levels. Beyond teaching, Ines has served as a coordinator for designing environmental projects, a coordinator for educational development in rural areas, and a facilitator of national environmental projects in Venezuela. She has also worked at camps in Venezuela focusing on environmental education. Additionally, Ines has a passion for holistic medicine and is trained in reiki, theta healing, therapeutic massage, and bio-manganic work.

Better known as “Cole’s mom,” Missy earned her teaching degree from Peabody College in Nashville, TN. She married Ty York and moved to Coastal Georgia where together they raised four kids. A former camp counselor for many summer, Missy taught in elementary and middle schools for 18 years and also coached soccer, community drama, and Odyssey of the Mind. Since moving to Tennessee ten years ago, Missy has been active in her neighborhood association and local garden club. Missy has also tutored and mentored in the public schools of Chattanooga. Missy has visited Peru almost every year since Cole moved there in 2014 and was present for the very first two weeks of Valley Camp, back in 2018.

Jose, also called “Perico,” is from Lima, Peru. He has worked in the travel industry for over 15 years, starting with PromPeru and the Tourism Board in 2005. In 2016 he joined the Explora team as the Country Manager for Peru, taking the great challenge of leading the opening of Explora’s first lodge outside of Chile. He is now in charge of the operations of Explora in the Andean Region, overseeing the lodges in Peru, San Pedro de Atacama, Easter Island and Uyuni. Working with Explora, Perico gained a greater understanding that deep exploration journeys have a transformative power in people by generating meaningful connections with ourselves, with the territories, and with the people who inhabit them.

A Jacksonville, Florida Native Raymur graduated from The Episcopal High School of Jacksonville, Florida and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received her MBA. She has been an active volunteer at St. Mark’s School where she has served in many capacities, including former head of the St. Mark's Parent Association and as a Board Member. She has also been an active volunteer at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville. She has also volunteered with Angels for Allison, and will be hosting Camp Sunshine at her home in Ortega for the third year this summer. She and her husband Phil, live in the home where she grew up with their four children, Alston, Lucy, Ford and William.

Shawn Wroughten is from Costa Rica, and currently lives in the Sacred Valley, Peru. The outdoors is his greatest passion. Whether it's surfing, climbing, hiking, or lying on the grass enjoying the sun, he enjoys spending time in nature and with Pachamama. Valley Camp's commitment to getting young people outdoors to experience nature is a wonderful calling!

Born and raised in California, Spencer was an adventure kid that grew up mountain biking, fly fishing, and rock climbing in the mountains. He moved to North Carolina for college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has lived there ever since. Living in Asheville, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Spencer works as an environmental attorney at a non-profit focusing on water and public-lands cases, as well as energy and constitutional law. In his free time, Spencer enjoys trad climbing, bouldering, fly fishing, biking, photography, and pottery.

Abigail was born and raised in Lubbock, TX and now live in Las Cruces, NM where she works as a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. She is connected with Valley Camp through the founder, Cole York. They studied together at Sewanee: the University of the South and overlapped in Peru from 2015 though 2017 while Abigail served in the Peace Corps as a Water and Sanitation Volunteer in Leymebamba, Amazonas. In her free time, she enjoy sgardening, hiking, and herding sheep with my dog, Tallulah. She is so proud to support both Cole and Valley Camp.

Gerardo, also known as “Gera,” is from from Lima, Peru and currently lives in Patagonia National Park in southern Chile where he works as the manager of the Explora Lodge. Gera has been working in the hospitality & travel industry for seven years, always in remote territories. He began as a guide in the Sacred Valley (where he first learned about Valley Camp) and in 2019 he was transferred to Chile and has been working in different locations: the office in Santiago, the lodge in Torres del Paine, and now in the Aysén region.

Gera believes in the Valley Camp mission because he is convinced it is a fundamental necessity for people to be connected with nature in order to be healthy and happy, in addition to being accountable for their role in the ecosystem. He loves that Valley Camp offers outdoor educational opportunities for children in Peru, where he is from, and especially in the Sacred Valley, a place he loves!