Director of Education and Training

Karissa Hampton serves as the Director of Education and Training at Urban Green Lab, where she leads year-round classes and trainings that empower Nashvillians to adopt practical, sustainable habits at home, at work, and in schools. She researches high-impact practices for households, classrooms, and workplaces, develops engaging educational content, and teaches participants how to implement systems that last beyond a one-hour session. Karissa also leads outreach and engagement to ensure sustainability education reaches diverse neighborhoods, organizations, and schools across Nashville, embedding lasting change throughout the community.

Karissa started learning about sustainability in the fields and lakes of Michigan, where she lived as a child. Relocating to Nashville in 2004, she quickly began to adjust to the fast-paced life in this large and ever-growing city. Karissa earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. Following MTSU, she was admitted to Nashville Teaching Fellows ─ a highly selective cohort committed to raising student achievement in Nashville’s highest-need subject areas and schools. After becoming a certified teacher in all subjects for grades 4-8, Karissa served as the founding 5th grade Social Studies Teacher at Neely’s Bend College Prep, a Lead Public School. In 2017, she went on to work with Metro Nashville Public Schools teaching English, world history, and science to grades 6-8.

During her career as a teacher, Karissa signed up for a professional development opportunity with Urban Green Lab’s Sustainable Classrooms division. She was educated and trained not only on sustainability but also on the interconnectivity of our environment to every part of our lives. After attending this training, she implemented UGL’s Curriculum and Sustainable City Challenge. Moved by the desire to further educate, Karissa wrote and published her first children’s book titled “You Belong Here” ─ a story about an eco-friendly mermaid who cleans up water pollution. Sustainability has since become a passion of hers and a staple in her household.

When not working, Karissa enjoys spending time with her children, creating custom cakes for her small business, writing, hosting parties, and interior design.