Community Connectors

Meet Your Community Connectors! 

Jeannae Flores

Jeannae is originally from the island of Saipan, Micronesia in the Pacific. She has an M.S in Community Nutrition & Integrative Health, in which she focused on formulating programs designed to empower low-income, under-served communities. Jeannae has managed nutrition education programs in multiple counties in the Washington DC and Baltimore, MD areas, was an Elementary Nutrition Educator for SNAP-Ed , and was an official delegate for the Festival of Pacific Arts, covering all of the Pacific Islands, as a Community Nutritionist in the Traditional Culinary Arts segment representing Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. As a FoodCorps Service Member for a Title 1 elementary school in Big Island, Hawaii she has served as a School Garden & Cooking Teacher, Curriculum Developer, Garden Program Manager, and Grantwriter. Jeannae's personal angle to garden education is a focus on herbalism, incorporating and preserving indigenous & ancestral knowledge through food, herbs and garden-based learning, the gardens as a socio-emotional learning environment, using gardens to teach nutrition and cooking, to teach food systems & food sovereignties, conservation, sustainability & basic academic standards. Connect with Jeannae

Amity Freiman

Amity is a conservation educator whose experience has spanned working in public schools, zoos, aquariums, and nonprofits. They came to the world of youth gardening in 2022 following a year of AmeriCorps VISTA service, and now specialize in garden based lessons with elementary aged students. Amity is passionate about utilizing gardens and outdoor classrooms to highlight cross curricular connections and to center equity issues surrounding food, environmental justice. Amity is currently the interim manager of the Education Department at Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture in Missouri. Connect with Amity

Robin Hoch

Robin is a musician and music educator with 21 years of experience in the classroom. Robin has taught everything from general music and music technology, to beginning horticulture to Kindergarten through 8th grade students in the Denver area. She earned her Certified Colorado Gardener certificate from Colorado State University earlier this year and she has decided to leave teaching in the classroom to pursue her dream of bringing garden education to children and their families, as well as school communities. She is excited to be able to focus time and energy on the amazing Kids Garden Community community! Connect with Robin

Natalie Jackson

Natalie was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and has been working with young children, infants and toddlers in particular since she graduated from high school. Natalie has a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) from the University of Hawaii and many certifications including High Scope trainer- infant/toddler/ preschool, CLASS infant, toddler observer, early literacy, mentoring, and Early Childhood play inspector. She has been a CDA validator and professional development specialist. She has worked for the Dept. of Defense Child Development services and Head Start, and was an adjunct ECE instructor at two colleges. Natalie loves to travel, read, shop, spend time outdoors and play with her cats and dogs! Connect with Natalie

Amber Keller

Amber is a trained biologist turned non-formal science educator, Massachusetts Master Gardener, volunteer school garden leader, and Life Lab-Certified School Garden Educator specializing in a collaborative approach to school garden creation, maintenance, and use. She's passionate about students participating in authentic, outdoor experiential learning during the school day using best practices in inquiry learning. She loves witnessing kids' excitement for learning when they engage in gardens! Amber has learned that creating and using youth gardens can be full of thrilling victories amongst obstacles and frustrations and that we need each other in this work. She believes that youth gardens are more sustainable and effective when we share ideas, resources, and experiences with one another, and that is why she is excited to help support this community. Connect with Amber

Alycia Wright

Alycia, M.Ed is founder of Cultural Roots Homeschool Cooperative and a former educator of over ten years. She is an herbalist and loves all things green and books. She lives in Richmond Va with her spouse , four daughters, one dog, one bird, one snake, one lizard, one toad, and a fish. Connect with Alycia