Meet Our Team
We’re a small team with a big belief: kids need more opportunities to grow, explore, get their hands dirty, and become curious about the natural world around them.
Samantha
Founder & Executive Director | Registered Dietitian
Samantha is the founder of School Garden Foundation, a registered dietitian, and a mom of three. Through her work in nutrition and her own experiences gardening with her children, she has seen how growing food can help children become more curious and comfortable with unfamiliar foods, support food acceptance, and lay the groundwork for healthy eating habits without pressure. She also believes gardens give children something increasingly hard to find: the chance to get their hands dirty, explore the natural world, take responsibility for something living, and experience the confidence that comes from watching it grow. Through School Garden Foundation, Samantha helps schools and child care centers create gardens that make those experiences accessible to more children and practical enough to keep going.
Jessica
Youth Programs & Engagement Coordinator | Registered Behavior Technician (RBT)
Jessica helps bring School Garden Foundation's ideas to life through hands-on activities and experiences designed to get kids exploring, creating, and engaging with the natural world. She brings a background in working with children and experience as a Registered Behavior Technician, including supporting autistic children in behavioral therapy settings. That experience has given her a particular appreciation for sensory-rich environments and the many different ways children learn, play, and explore. At School Garden Foundation, she brings that perspective to creating garden experiences that encourage curiosity, confidence, and discovery.
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together”
-Vincent Van Gogh