Experience

Edible Schoolyard NOLA

• Education Management
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Program Manager

  • Jun 2023 - Present

  As a signature component in FirstLine Schools, Edible Schoolyard New Orleans uses hands-on learning with food and the natural world to build confidence, strong social relationships, a sense of belonging, and academic success in 4 PreK-8th grade open enrollment schools. The ESYNOLA Program Manager oversees the school garden operations and systems, supervises the team's gardeners, supports family events and curriculum development, and is responsible for data collection and publishing ESYNOLA's programmatic output and outcome statement Show less

• Lead Garden Educator at Samuel J Green Charter School

  • Jan 2014 - Jun 2023

  Gardening teacher in a food and health education program in the Firstline Schools charter network. www.esynola.org



TechnoServe

• South Africa
• Appliances, Electrical, and Electronics Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Agronomist

  • Nov 2011 - Dec 2013

  Field agronomist supporting small commercial farms producing and marketing soybeans for grain and seed as part of the Soybean Value Chain Development project in the central Manica region, including Angonia, Tete. Field agronomist supporting small commercial farms producing and marketing soybeans for grain and seed as part of the Soybean Value Chain Development project in the central Manica region, including Angonia, Tete.



World Vision International, Mozambique

• Food Security Peace Corps Response Volunteer

  • Aug 2010 - Jul 2011

  -Established 4 Junior Farmer programs as part of USAID's Strengthening Communities Through Integrated Programming (SCIP) grant for over 250 orphans and vulnerable children in Alto Molócuè District in order to strengthen food production through conservation agriculture techniques, nutrition and health practices, and self-esteem building -Developed curriculum for and trained 50 community-based auxiliaries and field extensionists to initiate and manage Junior Farmer Programs in their host districts of Zambézia Province -Developed, implemented, and provided animal husbandry assistance for an income generating dairy goat project under the USAID funded SCIP grant -Trained 40 rural farmers on conservation agriculture techniques in demonstration plots and led field assessments of the techniques under a USAID Multi-Year Assistance Program (MYAP-Ocluvela) grant. Early assessments showed increased water retention and organic matter in the demonstration fields. -Mentored and consulted for local World Vision staff on effective administrative and community-based education practices -Managed two direct reports in the implementation of junior farmer programs and income generation activities for World Vision Show less



SciAcademy Charter High School, New Orleans, LA

• Mathematics and Special Education Instructor

  • Aug 2009 - Jun 2010

  -Taught college preparatory oriented mathematics to educationally disadvantaged sophomores, 99% of whom were eligible for free and reduced lunch, at a top-scoring and nationally recognized open-enrollment college preparatory charter high school -Adapted curriculum based on data gathered from weekly assessments to meet the needs of the students, which resulted in 90% of sophomore students achieving Basic or Above on the 2010 Math Graduation Exit Exam while the Recovery School District in New Orleans averaged 40% Basic and Above -Developed curriculum for and instructed 2 students with complex special-needs, applied lessons through the construction and maintenance of a small on-site garden, and supported them during inclusive lessons Show less



Life Learning Academy, San Francisco, CA

• Biology and Sustainable Agriculture Instructor

  • Feb 2007 - Jul 2009

  -Taught project and inquiry-based lessons to 75 inner-city youth referred by the juvenile court system or social services -Managed an 8,000ft2 organic vegetable garden and youth urban agriculture program which affected changes in student diet and community activism -Coordinated a bi-monthly Produce Box subscription service for the local food-insecure community and monthly donations to the community food bank and distributed over 1,000 pounds of locally grown organic produce annually -Co-managed service learning grant implementation and documentation for all staff -Advised 7 students in developing job and life-skills applied in a weekly off-site internship program Show less



Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA

• Ecological Horticulture Apprentice

  • Apr 2006 - Nov 2006

  -Trained in the technical and ecological aspects of sustainable farming including propagation, irrigation, composting, vermiculture, soil preparation, orchard pruning, harvesting, processing, and small-scale marketing -Assisted in the management of a 25-acre sustainable farm -Implemented local and natural remedies for pest-management and soil fertility -Marketed produce to the surrounding community through a roadside stand and produce subscription service -Trained in the technical and ecological aspects of sustainable farming including propagation, irrigation, composting, vermiculture, soil preparation, orchard pruning, harvesting, processing, and small-scale marketing -Assisted in the management of a 25-acre sustainable farm -Implemented local and natural remedies for pest-management and soil fertility -Marketed produce to the surrounding community through a roadside stand and produce subscription service



Chibuto Secondary School, Mozambique

• Biology Teacher, Peace Corps Volunteer

  • Oct 2002 - Dec 2004

  Taught secondary level Biology in Portuguese to multi-level classes of 40-45 students -Adapted lessons to compensate for the lack of student textbooks and teacher didactic aides and increased student participation and comprehension through demonstrations and interactive classroom experiences -Collaborated with teachers to improve school wide teaching methodology -Integrated fully into a semi-rural Mozambican community Taught secondary level Biology in Portuguese to multi-level classes of 40-45 students -Adapted lessons to compensate for the lack of student textbooks and teacher didactic aides and increased student participation and comprehension through demonstrations and interactive classroom experiences -Collaborated with teachers to improve school wide teaching methodology -Integrated fully into a semi-rural Mozambican community