Barefoot Beginnings

Kristin serves as a volunteer taking on the responsibility of ensuring that Barefoot University is fully funded for the annual budget approved by the Board. The budget might be partially funded through enrollment fees, but grants, fundraising, and donations stand in the gap. Money is vital to any organization, there is almost always a gap between the money the nonprofit is guaranteed to receive and what they actually need to provide their programs and services. Kristin is responsible for creating a plan that bridges the budgetary gap and then oversees volunteers in helping the fulfillment of that plan. She is Mom to 2 Barefoot boys and has been involved with Barefoot in the Southlake, Texas group since our inception.

Kristin Palen, OTR/L is a co-leader of the Kitty Hawk, NC Barefoot University Forest School group.   She is an occupational therapist with over 20 years of experience solely in pediatrics.  Kristin is the owner of Coastal Connections Pediatric Therapy, in the Outer Banks North Carolina.  Her practice provides direct nature based occupational therapy services in the outdoors, as well as nature enrichment classes, homeschool and parent coaching.  Kristin uses a child-led, strength based approach using all the regulating benefits of nature encouraging open ended exploration.  Kristin’s areas of interest and specialty are nature-based therapy, sensory integration, and self-regulation.  Being part of a neurodiverse family Kristin particularly enjoys supporting and coaching fellow neurodiverse families to adapt, accommodate and meet the needs of their children.