Meet Our Staff and Docents
Vicki Moore
vickim@living-classroom.org
Founder and Interim Executive Director
Vicki Moore has been working in the environmental education field for the last 15 years. She has also recently been a consultant working on policy and legislation to further environmental literacy programs.
Prior and for 12 years, she was the Policy Director for Greenbelt Alliance where she was responsible for regional and local advocacy and coalition building to promote sustainable development and protect the Bay Area's Greenbelt of open space, watersheds, farmland, and parks. Prior she was the Founder and first Director of the San Jose Beautiful Program, a community-based urban beautification program. Ms. Moore is a long-time community volunteer and has served many local school and educational organizations. She received her B.A degree in Human Biology from Stanford University. |
Mallory Traughber
malloryt@living-classroom.org
Program Director
Mountain View Whisman School District 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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Susan Harder
susanh@living-classroom.org
Instructor/Materials Manager
Mountain View Whisman School Distrcit 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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Patti Berryhill
pattib@living-classroom.org
Garden Conservation 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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Shawn Shahin
shawns@living-classroom.org
Program Director
Palo Alto Unified School District Shawn Shahin is an experienced elementary educator with over 15 years teaching in both classroom and outdoor settings. She has her B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a California Multiple-Subject Credential from San Jose State University. She also holds a California Administrative Services Credential. Shawn has served South Bay youth in many capacities over her career, first as an upper-grades Classroom Teacher, then as a Science Specialist, an Instructional Coach, and finally a school site Principal. She brings experience in writing curriculum, mentoring teachers on best practices, and knowledge of public schools which serve a diverse study body, to our organization.
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Lorraine Kostka
lorrainek@living-classroom.org
Instructor/Materials Manager
Palo Alto Unified School District Lorraine Kostka started gardening in the 1970s in her Indiana back yard. Her curiosity of plants lead her to get a PhD in beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)! Lorraine worked in Cell and Molecular biology of plant development for many years at Yale University and UC Berkeley. Knowing the nurturing value of a garden for children, Lorraine became garden coordinator at her four kids' elementary school. When Living Classroom's program expanded in Mountain View public schools, Lorraine became a volunteer docent. She found the joy of leading garden based lessons completely addicting. Lorraine has also led science lessons with Science is Elementary in Mountain View and Santa Clara public schools, and then leading summer science camps with Rock-It Science in Santa Clara.
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Linda Drey-Nightingale
lindad@living-classroom.org
Instructor for Mountain View Whisman
and Palo Alto Unified School District Programs 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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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* |
stefanib@living-classroom.org
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*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.
