Margot Gutierrez Harrigan
margoth@living-classroom.org
Executive Director
Margot Gutierrez Harrigan is a non-profit executive and education advocate with a passion for hands-on learning. After segueing from her position as Industry Marketing Manager at Hewlett Packard, Margot became an active parent leader and volunteer in Los Altos and Mountain View. She served as a Trustee in the Los Altos School District for 12 years; President of the Santa Clara County PTA and California State PTA Board of Managers; and has served as a board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Silicon Valley, the Community Services Agency and the National Charity League. Margot has also held leadership roles in a variety of school bond campaigns and local civic organizations.
For the last 11 years Margot has been a non-profit fundraiser for Community Health Awareness Council, Habitat for Humanity East Bay Silicon Valley and the American Red Cross Silicon Valley. Margot received her B.A degree from California State University, Long Beach and holds a CBEST (substitute) K-12 teaching credential. |
Stefani Brandt
stefanib@living-classroom.org
Administrative Associate
Stefani Brandt began her career in education after completing her Bachelor's Degree and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at San Francisco State University. She brings 16 years of educational experience working with youth of all ages as well as volunteers. She has worked in a variety of educational settings as a classroom teacher, principal, and non-profit Program Director. She developed a love for outdoor and sustainability education while coordinating summer and afterschool programs for middle and high school youth for her former non-profit.
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Martha Young
marthay@living-classroom.org
Finance and Operations Associate
Martha Young has over 25 years' experience in administrative support. Most recently, she was the Marketing Associate for the Community School of Music and Arts for more than 10 years. During her two daughters' years in the Mountain View public schools, Martha was an active volunteer with PTA, Girl Scouts, and the Mountain View and Mountain View-Los Altos educational foundations. She joined Living Classroom in 2018.
While not an active gardener herself, she very much enjoys the products of her husband's home garden! |
Mallory Traughber
malloryt@living-classroom.org
Program Director
Mountain View Whisman and Palo Alto School Districts Mallory Traughber joined Living Classroom in 2013 as the program manager for the Mountain View Whisman School District. Mallory holds a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Indiana University. She has worked in environmental education for 10 years: previously with the YMCA, High Trails Outdoor Science School, and as an Americorps member with Our City Forest in San Jose. During the summer months Mallory works as a camp director for Camp Galileo in San Francisco.
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Kim Reynolds
kimr@living-classroom.org
Program Manager
Campbell Union School District and St. Simon School Kim Reynolds holds a BSA in Environmental, Soil, and Water Sciences from the University of Arkansas. She has 10 years of experience working in academic research laboratories investigating issues ranging from the impacts of climate change, invasive species, and nematodes on their environment to hematological malignancies. Kim holds a CBEST teaching credential. Her love of kids and science and a desire to increase environmental literacy of our future leaders and innovators led her to join the Living Classroom staff.
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Linda Drey-Nightingale
lindad@living-classroom.org
Instructor
Mountain View Whisman School District Linda has taught children about science in the outdoors for 28 years from a National Wildlife Refuge, to Palo Alto Open Spaces, to Living Classroom and the outdoor classrooms in the schoolyard. She cannot think of a more fun and exciting way to spend her time!
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Susan Harder
susanh@living-classroom.org
Instructor/Materials Manager
Mountain View Whisman School District Susan Harder served as a volunteer docent with Living Classroom for three years before joining as a staff member in September 2016. As proof that you never know where life is going to take you, Susan's educational and career path has wound its way from toxicology to epidemiology to anesthesiology. She now enjoys sharing her science background and love of gardening, compost and worms with students across Mountain View.
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Anne Furlong
annef@living-classroom.org
Materials Manager
Campbell Union School District Anne is a credentialed teacher who believes children benefit most from experiential learning and making connections with the marvels of the world around us. Anne spent over ten years leading Tiny Treks excursions for pre-schoolers and their parents in the beautiful open spaces, forest preserves, parks, farms and gardens of the San Francisco Bay Area. Anne originally joined Living Classroom in 2013 as Program Assistant in the Mountain View Whisman School District. After a brief hiatus, Anne returned to Living Classroom as Materials Manager for the Campbell Union School District. Anne is delighted to be part of an organization devoted to providing engaging hands-on, outdoor, nature-based lessons for public school students. Anne enjoys hiking local trails with her big dog, Bengal, and sailing San Francisco Bay with her husband and son.
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Alexis Li
alexisl@living-classroom.org
Instructional Assistant
Mountain View Whisman School District Alexis Li holds a Bachelor of Science in History, Technology, and Society from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a California Multiple Subject teaching credential. Over the past five years, she has taught elementary students in a variety of settings including public, private, and charter schools. She is passionate about providing authentic, hands-on learning opportunities. When she is not teaching, you can find Alexis practicing ballet or working in her home garden.
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Katie Peck
katiep@living-classroom.org
Instructional Assistant
Campbell Union School District Katie holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Chapman University where she studied the Intersection of Art and Science. Since graduation, she has been working at the San Jose Art Museum teaching and creating curriculum centered on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Mathematics) education. Katie is excited to be working with Living Classroom where she experiences the garden with her students and creates meaningful, hands-on interactions with science education. Katie enjoys biking on the Guadalupe Trail, hiking, weaving on her loom, and tending to her four chickens.
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Patti Berryhill
pattib@living-classroom.org
Garden Manager
Patti joined Living Classroom in 2014, following her dream of working with kids teaching them the love of gardening and nature. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arkansas in Agriculture, with an emphasis in Landscape Design and Urban Horticulture. After moving to California and raising her children, she went back to school and earned an Associate of Science degree in Environmental Horticulture and Design from Foothill College, and is a UC California Naturalist. She has had her own business doing landscape design and landscape maintencance. She also worked for landscape contractors doing maintenance and construction. Now, she's exploring her passions after training with an herbalist and foraging, bird watching.
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Michelle Bonfilio
michelleb@living-classroom.org
Garden Conservation Coordinator
Mountain View Whisman & Palo Alto Union School District Michelle spent eight years running the Huff garden while her three children attended there. When she has free time she can be found taking care of her garden at home. She is excited to join the Living Classroom team to share her passion of gardening with the students, staff and volunteers.
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Jody McCalmont
jodym@living-classroom.org
Garden Conservation Coordinator
Campbell Union School District Jody comes to Living Classroom following a career in community development and public health as well as homeschooling her daughters. She holds a Master of Public Health and has worked primarily with communities who have limited access to health care and community services. Along the way, she has joyfully engaged and learned in a variety of gardens including a biointensive educational center in Kenya, the Homeless Garden Project in Santa Cruz, and with neighbors in her own community garden in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Jody loves to create and share opportunities for young people to explore the wonders of the natural world.
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Caroline Chan
cchan@lasdschools.org
Program Coordinator for
Los Altos School District* Caroline Chan began coordinating the Living Classroom program for the Los Altos School District in 2013. Caroline holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo as well as a Master’s degree in Ecological and Organismal Biology from San Jose State University. She has worked in environmental education for over 20 years: previously as a science specialist with the Los Altos School District, as a science instructor with the Youth Science Institute, as a biology instructor and field biologist at San Jose State University, as a teaching intern and assistant summer camp director with the Environmental Volunteers, and as a pre-school nature camp director with the City of Los Altos. When not spending time with her family or tending to her greens, Caroline enjoys playing with her cat and corgi, caring for her chickens, hiking, reading and listening to music.
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Sarma Hermann
shermann@lasdschools.org
Program Assistant for
Los Altos School District* The most memorable and fulfilling work Sarma has done has been her involvement in her children's schools. She has watched her kids and their friends blossom into smart and happy people through hands-on learning, playing outside, and exploring their surroundings. This is why she has come to greatly appreciate programs like the Living Classroom, and why she believe it’s essential to teach kids science, math, and the love of nature and our Earth through active learning and exploration.
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Suzanne Kasso
skasso@lasdschools.org
Garden Manager for
Los Altos School District* |
*The Los Altos School District staff are employees of the Los Altos School District but work in partnership with Living Classroom staff.
Our Amazing Docents!
We could not reach as many students with as many lessons without the help of our dedicated docents. Our docents come from many different backgrounds and life experiences, but all come to Living Classroom to share their love of learning with children. Every year, Living Classroom offers fall, winter, and spring training sessions that not only demonstrate how to teach our lessons, but also cover classroom management, cultural relevancy, and effective teaching strategies.
