Karen M. Lee

Karen M. Lee is NPF’s Senior Director for education programs. Working in strategic collaboration with the National Park Service, Karen guides the creation, planning and implementation of national activities that connect people to parks. As a nonprofit leader with a lifelong commitment to equitable access to nature and the humanities, Karen works to cultivate place-based learning with organizations and community partners. Her passion for utilizing audience research to understand how people engage with history, science and culture in parks and museums has aided the creation of new national initiatives featuring women’s history and inclusive storytelling.

Before joining the National Park Foundation, Karen worked at the Smithsonian Institution, where she collaborated on interdisciplinary teams to create exhibitions and education programs for the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of Natural History. Her work is featured in permanent exhibitions in the United States, India, and Europe.

Karen has a Master’s Degree in Museum Studies, and an undergraduate degree in Biology. Her favorite American band is a coin-toss between Tedeschi Trucks and The Jayhawks, and when she’s not working, you’ll find her on the Greek Island of Folegandros or chasing Northern Lights.