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

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

Kalie Johnson

Kalie is originally from the Chicagoland area, but lives now in Cleveland, OH. She believes in the power of gardens to grow resilience and creativity. She grew up gardening alongside her grandmother, tending an ever-growing garden plot and learning from each harvest. Over the past three years, Kalie has created and managed garden programs for youth in residential treatment facilities, developing curriculums designed to meet the needs of the diverse youth. Her approach to gardening with kids blends trauma-informed care, social-emotional learning, and play. Kalie continues to work with youth in residential facilities and loves connecting with others who believe in the power of gardens. In her free time, she runs creative collage booths for community events, writes creative nonfiction pieces, and roller skates and travels. Connect with Kalie

Tina Steiner

Tina Steiner is a passionate educator and Master Gardener based in Round Rock, Texas, where she teaches science and social skills at a disciplinary alternative education placement (DAEP) school. With a deep belief in the power of gardening to heal, teach, and connect, Tina integrates hands-on horticulture into her classroom and community to inspire curiosity and growth in young learners. As a Junior Master Gardener curriculum instructor and volunteer with the local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Tina leads school garden programs, youth workshops, and community events that blend science, sustainability, and creativity. She founded and directs her school’s Campus Master Gardening Program: a living laboratory that weaves literacy, math, nutrition, and emotional wellness into daily learning. Her efforts have secured multiple grants, including a $9,775 award to expand garden-based education across the campus turning the garden into an interdisciplinary and SEL learning space. Tina’s work centers on creating inclusive, therapeutic spaces where every child can thrive. Her leadership extends beyond the garden, serving on district committees and local boards to address food insecurity, champion student success and community engagement. Whether mentoring young growers or rallying support for school initiatives, Tina cultivates opportunity- one seed, one student, one garden at a time. Connect with Tina

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