Living Classroom Staff and Docents

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.

Alexis Li

alexisl@living-classroom.org

Program Director

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.

Stefani Brandt

Kavita Dave Coombe

Natalie Elefant

stefanib@living-classroom.org

kavitac@living-classroom.org

nataliee@living-classroom.org

Program Support:
Administration & HR

Grant Writer

Finance & Operations 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.

Kavita Dave Coombe has been a volunteer docent with Living Classroom for 4 years and really enjoys teaching kids and values the science based garden education that our program provides. She also founded and runs an urban garden in Mountain View called Soil&Water at Heritage Park. Kavita has a BS in Biology and a Masters in Public Health Epidemiology. Her professional career focused on disease prevention through clinical research and women's health working at several non-profit research organizations before joining Living Classroom. She has always been interested in medicinal plants which has led to her current passion of gardening and teaching kids where their food comes from (including her own 2 kids!).

Natalie was previously a fifth grade teacher in Redwood City. Vegetable gardening has always been an important part of her life, especially sharing this love with her eight grandchildren. In retirement she volunteered with many organizations--Living Classroom being one where she's volunteered for more than five years.

Susan Harder

Kim Reynolds

susanh@living-classroom.org

kimr@living-classroom.org

Instructional Support - Program

Susan Harder grew up gardening, composting, and exploring nature in Toronto, Canada. After a career in health sciences, starting a family, and moving to California, she began volunteering in her local elementary school garden. She is excited to combine her passions for science and education into a role with Living Classroom.

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. 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.

Anne Furlong

Maha Lakshminarayanan

Mallory Shiroyama

annef@living-classroom.org

mahal@living-classroom.org

mallorys@living-classroom.org

Instructional Support - Program

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, Annereturned 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.

Maha is a lover of science, a keen observer and an ardent gardener. She holds a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology from San Jose State University. Recently, she has developed an interest in organic gardening. She has started growing her own vegetables and fruits in her backyard and in her son’s elementary school garden. In the past she has worked as an educator in public school Special Education departments. Currently, she is an active volunteer in several Bay Area public elementary, middle and high schools. She is looking forward to combining these rewarding experiences in education and her passion for science into the Living Classroom educator position.

Mallory was born and raised in the Bay Area, and has been volunteering and working with children since she was a teen. After graduating from the University of California Santa Barbara with a BA in Psychology, she worked at a nonprofit after school care program where she created curriculum and led lessons on a variety of topics, from STEM to cultural diversity and awareness. She joins the Living Classroom team after a year and a half of living and teaching in a small town in northern Thailand. There, she taught English, science, and math to middle and high school aged students, both in-person and virtually. She loves going to the beach, hiking, and doing anything outdoors, and looks forward to being outside in the garden during our hands-on lessons.

Patti Berryhill

pattib@living-classroom.org

Instructional Support - Garden Lead

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.

Michelle Bonfilio

michelleb@living-classroom.org

Instructional Support - Gardens

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.

Jody McCalmont

jodym@living-classroom.org

Instructional Support - Gardens

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.

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.