Michelle Goulet of Saco opened Kidz Go Eco preschool in 2009. It was recently named Maine and New England Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year by the U.S. SBA. Courtesy photo
SACO – After Michelle Goulet left the U.S. Air Force where she had worked as an aerospace medic for eight years, the Saco native was looking for something different.
“I was in a pivotal time of rediscovering a life that I could lead with intention and purpose,” Goulet said. “I wanted to find an occupation that felt positive, uplifting, and a career that could connect children to the outdoors.”
Goulet worked part-time for a girl scout camp in Naples, and then as a nanny for WGME anchor Kim Block while she was finishing her senior year in nursing school.
“It was working in these settings that was my ‘Ah Ha’ moment,” said Goulet. “I truly fell in love with ‘childhood’ and creating a warm connection with children and the outdoors became a deep inspiration for creating Kidz Go Eco.”
Kidz Go Eco is a preschool in north Saco, created by Goulet in 2009.
In March, Kidz Go Eco was named Maine and New England Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
“This is a once in a lifetime award and this is something I will cherish for the rest of my life,” said Goulet. “I’m so incredibly humbled and I do not take this award for granted. So many veterans and small business owners are so deserving … so I couldn’t be more grateful and thankful for this amazing opportunity.”
She thanked Maine Community Bank and Laurie Warchol, the Small Business Administration of Maine, her family, friends, colleagues, and the team at Kidz Go Eco.
Military service and community involvement appears to be a trend in the Goulet family – her father Mike Goulet served in the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War era, worked 30 years at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery and as a call division firefighter, retiring as captain.
Preschool students who attend Kidz Go Eco in north Saco have fun in the outdoors and learn at the same time. Kidz Go Eco photo
“His life journey and career serving the community has been one of the (biggest) influences in my very own career,” said Goulet. “I’m so very proud of my father and I’m so proud of organizations that model working “together to make a difference.” The camaraderie which is the trust in friendships we build while helping others is something that has truly inspired me to join the armed forces.”
The award is one of several given to Maine small business owners in a variety of categories.
“Every year when we take this opportunity to recognize the amazing work being done by small businesses in Maine, it’s a challenge to choose only a few,” said SBA Maine District Director Diane Sturgeon.
Kidz Go Eco opened in February of 2009 and expanded in 2015 – after her surgery to move a brain tumor, Goulet said, and expanded again in 2020. There was another surgery in 2022. “Through two expansions and two brain surgeries, I’m beyond blessed to say we have 10 amazing educators and we’re licensed for 36 beautiful children,” she said in an email.
Goulet was an outdoor kid, and her love of the natural world became an inspiration for Kidz Go Eco.
“As a child I may not have been able to describe what I was seeking, but as an adult I can see I was seeking wonder, curiosity, and the peace that nature brings to all of your senses,” she said. ” I loved climbing trees, building forts, running, biking, skiing, and making mashed berry pies. I loved collecting rocks and stones, I enjoyed camping, swimming, hiking, and most of all was in love with wildlife and animals.”
She still does, and hopes the preschool’s 36 students “will build empathy and compassion for all the magnificent creatures that make up our planet by fostering a place of stewardship and connection to nature.”
“My mission is to inspire students to become lifelong learners in an ever-changing world,” she said. “I hope to inspire them to be ecologically conscientious and culturally sensitive. I truly want to foster an environment of nurturing care, and to fill our classroom walls with unconditional love and acceptance while holding a strong belief in personal responsibility.”
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