FoodPrints Leadership
Beth Bacon, Director of Education
Beth leads FRESHFARM’s food education programs with two decades of experience in communications strategy, program administration, data-driven decision-making, and team leadership. Eight years ago, as a then-parent of two FoodPrints students (and frequent volunteer in their FoodPrints classes), she brought her communications and grant writing skills to FRESHFARM. Since then, she has been instrumental in FoodPrints’ growth and success by leading the program’s evaluation, advocacy, development, and communications. She now helms our large team that brings joyful, evidence-based food and garden education for children and families in schools, Early Childhood Education centers, and the community across Washington, DC and beyond.
Hannah Schiff, FoodPrints Program Assistant Director
Hannah loves working with students in DC Public Schools as a food and garden educator. The moments that have meant the most to her have been cultivating unique, hands-on experiences for students that encourage a love of learning. She came to FoodPrints because it does exactly this through the joy of cooking and gardening! Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Kale & White Bean Stew
Jill Peralta, Teaching Team Director & Instructional Coach
Jill believes that all children – regardless of where they come from or their current situation – should have the opportunity to eat healthy, fresh food cooked from scratch. She thinks that one of the best ways to do this is to cook and garden with them, teaching them and modeling for them.
Rebecca Helgerson, FoodPrints Curriculum Director & Instructional Coach
Rebecca’s ever-growing love of and connection to nature brought her to gardening; her respect for and understanding of young children led her to teaching; and her own evolving relationship with food made her passionate about what we eat and where it comes from.
Regina Green, FoodPrints Instructional Coach
Regina is a native Washingtonian and comes from a family of teachers, with her mother, grandmother, and countless other family members having worked as educators. FoodPrints allows her to connect her passion for educating young minds with her love for delicious foods and fond appreciation for nature. Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Sweet Potato & Quinoa Chili
Ibti Vincent, Service Learning Manager & Instructional Coach
FoodPrints combines everything that Ibti is passionate about: empowering people, building community, growing/preparing/sharing food, and always learning. And the kids are as excited about these things as she is!
Tailor Coble, FoodPrints Early Childhood Education Program Manager
As a native Washingtonian, Tailor feels compelled to give back to the city that helped make her make her who she is today. Tailor believes her city deserves to be well nourished, empowered to grow its own food, and sustainable for everyone.
Margi Fineran, FoodPrints Senior Culinary Coach & Lead Teacher
Margi loves teaching FoodPrints because she wants to help children learn that work and working together can be joyful. And she’s able to share her love of cooking and eating together as well as all things in helping the Earth! Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Jalapeño & Lime Quinoa Salad
FoodPrints Program Support Team
Ehren Vance, FoodPrints Senior Garden Manager
An enthusiastic urban farmer, edible landscaper and educator, Ehren is committed to developing resilient local food networks, eradicating food apartheid, and restorative agricultural practices. With particular interest in culturally and historically significant crops, he is eager to help FoodPrints Teachers develop the next generation of ethical, environmental stewards and community health advocates.
KT Alexander, FoodPrints Garden Manager
KT was raised on a small, family-operated dairy farm and grew up with a deep connection to agriculture and food access. Since moving to DC in 2023, KT’s career has focused on combining their roots in agriculture with their long-standing mission to address systemic inequities through localized direct action and community service. KT previously worked as a FRESHFARM Grain Stand Specialist and Market Staff.
Stacia Kiraly, FoodPrints Lead Teacher & Grant Manager
Stacia grew up in a transitioning rural community in Northern Illinois watching the corn and soy fields sprout mini-malls and fast-food restaurants. She entered the community food systems field as a researcher and teacher determined to preserve the farms that sustain us and to inspire children to care about where their food comes from and the people who grow it. Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Tuscan Kale Salad
Zak Malsich, FoodPrints Administrative & Systems Coordinator
Zak is inspired to support resilient regional foodsheds using his love for land stewardship, data visualization, and logistics management. Before joining the FoodPrints team, he worked with the Pop-Up Food Hub to help teachers source fresh produce from the farmers market.
FoodPrints Lead Teachers & Assistant Teachers
Alexi Iglesias, FoodPrints Bilingual Lead Teacher
Alexi sees herself as a learner alongside the children in the classroom – with the same curiosity and joy that the children hold. Her goal is to inspire children to see themselves as active participants in their own well being, and of those around them. Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Cauliflower, Chickpea & Potato Curry
Anna Moore, FoodPrints Associate Lead Teacher
With a passion for food justice and education, she connects with students to help bring about – and communicate about with storytelling and photography – the lasting impact that hands-on, outdoor learning can have on students. Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Roasted Beet Hummus
Aster Vergeer, FoodPrints Assistant Teacher & FoodCorp Member
Aster, drawing on their experience with farms and urban gardens, is dedicated to advancing food and environmental justice and believes in the transformative power of healthy food. As a former assistant teacher, Aster aims to create a classroom where students experience autonomy, belonging, and joy.
Aubryn Walters, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
Aubryn loves how FoodPrints connects students to nature in their neighborhoods. As she grows in her own journey with fresh food, she is excited about learning from her students as she empowers them to know where their food comes from and how to prepare nutritious meals. Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Kale Caesar Salad
Carol Murphy Clyne, FoodPrints Out of School Time Assistant Teacher
Carol has worn many hats in the cooking and restaurant world but none as proudly as as FoodPrints Assistant Teacher. Empowering children to be more confident and independent through cooking and gardening is a privilege to her.
Chris Scott, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
Chris’ grandfather was a farmer in rural Illinois and instilled in him a love and appreciation for growing his own food, and knowing where our food comes from. For Chris, getting to share his love of gardening and eating fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables with children is enormously rewarding. Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Sweet Potato & Quinoa Chili
Daryl Jones, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
Daryl’s mother worked for the FDA for years as a biochemist and his sister is a naturopathic doctor; both inspire him to appreciate the power of food and how it can help our society. With a background in school food service and coaching high school soccer, being able to work in food education both in schools and in our community is a dream come true for him. Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Winter Vegetable Miso Soup
Da’Shawn Covington, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
As a Washington, DC, native and an educator with The Green Scheme, Da’Shawn is excited to bring positive food and garden experiences to students – experiences that she never had as a child. Her own health journey has motivated her to bring her energy to FoodPrints. Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Bean & Corn Salad
Davette Wilson, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
With many years working with students across DC, FoodPrints is the best of both worlds for Davette: it combines her love for kids with her love of cooking and journey to eat more fresh food.
Derek Bowley, FoodPrints Lead Teacher & Culinary Coach
Derek weaves his passion for food with his years of teaching experience in FoodPrints. Feeding people – whether cooking for someone, teaching others how to prepare food, or helping to connect someone with food – is at the core of what makes him tick. Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Roasted Rainbow Bowl
Emma Creamer, FoodPrints Bilingual Lead Teacher
After a background in community health, Emma transitioned to ecology and food education in 2021 with a strong desire to work for and with young learners. They strongly believe in the healing properties of nature and fresh food and cherish watching students reconnect with the land around them. In their spare time, Emma is a beginning herbalist with the DC Mutual Aid Apothecary and is always juggling several hobbies.
Grace Riccio, FoodPrints Assistant Teacher & FoodCorp Member
Grace’s passion for feeding people, which was solidified while volunteering at a Rhode Island soup kitchen during the pandemic, drives her commitment to ensuring everyone has access to fresh produce. She is excited to connect with school communities, and cook and eat new recipes with her students.
Haley Benbow, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
Haley grew up raising livestock in rural northern California, which fueled her interest in and passion for food. She went on to study food systems and public health, and developed an interest in the connection between food and health. Haley is excited by how FRESHFARM’s mission aligns with this and is excited to work alongside a group of equally passionate people and learn as much as she can!
Jamie Phillips, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
Jamie grew up in the DMV but got his chops teaching, farming, and doing food justice work in the desert oasis of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Happy to bring some of those lessons and offerings back to the homeland, Jamie works to empower all youth with the skills and passion for growing their own food and connecting to the lands and waters that nourish us and make us who we are.
JaNeya Lee, FoodPrints Assistant Teacher
JaNeya has always loved food and while growing up she and her family always visited the farmers’ market on the weekend. As she learned more about food, JaNeya was drawn to professional roles in food education, eventually leading her to an assistant teaching role with FoodPrints. JaNeya also serves as the Cesar Chavez Farm Stand Manager for FRESHFARM’s markets team. Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Sweet Potato Biscuits
Jerome Nesbitt, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
As a DC native and graduate of DC Public Schools, Jerome has become a community activist and outreach specialist. With a background in music management and production, he has helped develop and implement new approaches to being healthy and more sustainable in some of DC’s most under-served communities.
Lauren Tate, FoodPrints Lead Out of School Time Teacher
Lauren loves to teach math and science to young children, and her approach has been to encourage learning with hands-on and real-world experiences. She has been experiencing FoodPrints since it began, both as a classroom teacher and as a DCPS parent. Now she looks forward to sharing experiences each month with her FoodPrints students at Langley Elementary where she also works as a classroom teacher.
Marilynn Martinez, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
Marilynn is a DC native and third-generation farmer; she started assisting her father in the family garden at 8 years old, where she and her father were so happy and content with nature. She loves being outdoors, and is excited to combine teaching young children and gardening. Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Cauliflower, Chickpea & Potato Curry
Maya Campbell, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
Maya is deeply passionate about food, gardening, and sustainability, with experience as a food educator through FoodCorps at Edible Schoolyard NYC and KidPower DC, and as a 5th grade teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools. She is committed to empowering communities around food.
Molly Gravier, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
Molly, who grew up gardening with her mom and grandmother in Michigan, brings this hands-on experience to her work as an educator. She enjoys creating seasonal recipes with homegrown produce and is excited to help kids explore the fun and delicious aspects of growing and cooking food.
Natasha Thompson, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
From a young age Natasha has been influenced by her Jamaican parents’ belief that food is medicine. This has inspired her to study herbalism as well as ancestral and indigenous medical plants. As a former math teacher, she is excited to merge her love of plants with education.
Nyeelah Briscoe, FoodPrints Assistant Teacher
Nyeelah was first introduced to FRESHFARM as a shopper at the H Street NE market. She and her son were welcomed with open arms to learn, support, and explore at the market. Nyeelah was inspired to use her talents and skills as a trained chef and budding agricultural scientist to strengthen the relationship between people living in food deserts and quality eating.
Raigon Wilson, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
Raigon is passionate about food justice and ensuring BIPOC communities have access to nutritious foods. She has a Nutritional Sciences and teaching background, and enjoys gardening at home. Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: ABC Salad
Robin Hernandez, FoodPrints Lead Bilingual Teacher
Robin grew up eating pupusas, masala dosa, and homemade pizzas. Her love of food later extended into her work as a program manager for a food education program with communities on the occupied lands of the Piscataway people, and the Nacotchtank or Anacostan people, also known as Takoma Park. She is committed to addressing disparities in the food system.
Rose Williams, FoodPrints Assistant Teacher
As a descendant of sharecroppers, Rose was exposed to the significance of growing one’s own food and cherishing the bounties of this Earth. She is inspired by the lasting lifetime impact that an early introduction to healthy nutrition can have for children.
Sarah Mohammed, FoodPrints Assistant Teacher
Sarah is a multilingual DC native with a deep passion for community-driven change. Before joining FRESHFARM, she spent three years working as an urban farmer with a local non-profit. She is elated to be part of an organization that prioritizes community health and is dedicated to increasing access to fresh, organic produce while promoting equity and expanding social capital.
Virginia Thomson, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
Virginia grew up in North Carolina in a small town called Moyock near the Outer Banks. She loves all things plants and is interested in how they connect us to our heritage, history, and ethnobotany. Prior to FoodPrints, Virginia was a phlebotomist and a registered behavioral technician. These experiences have helped her better understand community, mutual aid, and how we communicate.
Vonnie Love, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
With experience teaching science to young children and helping middle school students experience problem solving to support their achievement in school, Vonnie has seen the amazing things youth can do – and she strives to help students realize their full potential.
Walter Sharon, FoodPrints Lead Teacher
Walter became curious about food systems largely by accident during the pandemic, and in the years since has worked a number of positions in agriculture and education. He’s excited to combine his experience in farming and teaching with a passion for local food systems for FoodPrints, but more importantly excited to learn a great deal from the rest of the team at FRESHFARM! Favorite FoodPrints Recipe: Sweet Potato Biscuits
In Remembrance of Shana Donahue
Through our work, we honor the legacy of our beloved colleague, Shana Donahue, who passed away unexpectedly in spring 2020. Shana’s commitment to racial equality and justice in the District had a profound impact on all of us. In memory of her commitment, we launched the Shana Donahue Memorial Fund for Future Food Educators.
In Remembrance of Barbara Percival
As a volunteer, Barbara co-developed FRESHFARM’s FoodPrints program with FRESHFARM Co-founder, Bernie Prince and Director of Education, Jenn Mampara. Barbara began her career as a Constitutional lawyer, but she had such a deep passion for sharing the wonders of the natural world with children that she spent the last twenty years of her life volunteering almost full time as a Master Gardener. As the FoodPrints program grew to schools across the city, Barbara was integral to the work of designing, building, and nurturing so many of our gardens, and for training our team of teachers to be confident garden managers. She leaves behind a legacy of service and generosity that has enriched so many of our lives and for which we will always cherish her.