Janny has a B.S. in architecture from the City College of New York and a M.S. in urban planning from Hunter College.  In 1997, she participated in a Brooklyn middle school career day. There she was alarmed by the number of students who thought that school was not relevant to their lives. That experience inspired Janny to pursue a career that combined her passions for architecture and teaching. For over 20 years, Janny has been a highly regarded Architect-Educator in schools, community centers, and arts organizations throughout the metro NY region. She also led teacher training workshops under the auspices of the NYC Department of Education, Carnegie Mellon, MIT Museum, the NYC YMCA, and many individual schools in the metro area. Reach her at janny@archforkids.com

Zoe is originally from Atlanta and has a background in non-profit administration, UI/UX Design and Anthropology. She has a MSc from the University of Edinburgh and a BA from Tulane University. For the past decade she has worked with non-profit organizations, museums and small businesses to support their programming and marketing efforts. She worked with the ArchForKids team as an educator for several years before applying her experience to support its virtual programs starting in 2020. She now supports the team by handling external communications and marketing which includes newsletters, social media, website management and more. Reach her at zoe@archforkids.com

Kathryn has more than 25 years of experience as a senior staff member for cultural and educational organizations, including the Architectural League of New York, the Hudson River Museum, MASS MoCA, and the Art Institute of Chicago. In addition, Kathryn serves on the boards of Jazz Forum Arts and Friends of Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Park. Formerly the Director of ArchForKids, Kathryn has retired from daily duties but remains involved in fundraising and other special projects.

Lisa has a B.S. in Elementary Education, an M.S. in Reading Instruction and an M.S. in Educational Administration and Supervision, all from the City Colleges of New York. She is a retired NYCDOE school principal who served the D27 community for 21 years after serving as a teacher in the Rockaways. She served the children of NYC for a total of 34 years as both a teacher and administrator. Her passion has always focused upon project-based learning in both social studies and science. She has been a highly regarded administrator in the NYC public schools, but she has also served as a professional developer that led teacher training workshops under the auspices of the NYC Department of Education.This life-long experience inspired Lisa to become a part of the ArchForKids team. She now supports the team by handling sales which includes all aspects of business management and more.  She is excited to help bring young people a dynamic hands-on, minds-on learning experience grounded in architecture, design, engineering and urban planning. Reach her at lisa@archforkids.com.

Debbie has a MS in Secondary English Education from St. John’s University, and a BA in English and Elementary Education from the College of Mount St. Vincent. She taught for 30 years at Hillside Elementary School in Hastings-on-Hudson and before that, at Horace Mann School. In addition, Debbie was an adjunct professor at Manhattanville College teaching graduate students. She was first introduced to ArchforKids after writing a grant for a residency on colonial life in New York and has since written several grants for 4th grade students to experience ArchForKids. Debbie loves her life as an educator and shares her passions for reading, history and painting with her students. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Yonkers. 

Udeaku is a Communications Specialist, Educator, Researcher, and Artist who works in design, fashion, painting, and photography. A graduate of Fine and Applied Arts from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, her first international exhibition began with an award from Agora Gallery. She has since received a few other awards including the 2021 City Artist Corps (NYC). In 2017, Udeaku graduated from the University of Lancaster, United Kingdom, with an M.A. degree in Diplomacy and International Relations. Since then, her focused research covers Security Studies, Statecraft, humanitarian diplomacy, etc. Her communications and photography interests cut across various genres, however, she is passionate about reportage which capture human life conditions. Udeaku enjoys exploring Architecture with students of all ages.

Jillene currently resides in Manhattan, NY with her family but is a proud Queens native. She’s worked as an interior designer for more than 10 years and loves everything design. Her passion for art started manifesting when she was 14 and worked as an assistant Art Teacher with the Boys Club of NY for summer youth. She’s gained experience in various areas of design such as textiles, passementerie, and luxury furniture. As an artist, Jillene expresses creativity through mediums that include paint, resin, and wood. With her diverse background, she has established her own design firm and craft business. She’s had a strong desire to teach and share her knowledge of art and design for years. Through her 7-year-old son and his school, she was introduced to ArchForKids and now can fulfill that desire to teach youth all things architecture.

Khuumba was born in Savannah, Georgia. She has been a proud resident of Harlem NY for many years. A multi-media artist whose work has been exhibited internationally, she is also a master Reiki therapist and certified peer counselor. Similar to how she mixes her crafts – painting, photography/film making, design – Khuumba has found unique ways to blend her skills as a teaching artist. In addition to working with young people, she designed a program for seniors with Alzheimer’s and/or dementia. Khuumba was recently elected President of the National Conference of Artists (NCA), New York Chapter. Her motto is Creativity Saves Minds. 

A native of New York City, Stephan is currently studying towards a degree in Bachelors of Architecture along with being a member of The American Institute of Architecture Students Chapter at his college with him having the pursuit of continuing his education for a Masters of Architecture degree. He has a focus on bringing nature into architecture through his passion for design and construction and his hobby of taking care of indoor plants and gardens. He is a volunteer at his local library looking after and caring for indoor plants once a week at Hunters Point, Queens where before starting college he worked as a Library Page for a year.

David is a South Korean artist moved to NYC from Seoul for school at School of Visual Arts and graduated with BFA. He  specializes in interactive sculpture, installation, and product design. With an extensive experience of 5 years in 3D printing, woodworking and casting/mold-making using various materials such as resin and silicone, he brings a unique blend of technical skill and creative vision to his work. He has a 3D printing studio he uses to create both personal artwork and printing for clients. He is extremely passionate about 3D printing. He finds great joy in teaching and takes immense pleasure in sharing his knowledge with young students, helping to inspire and guide the next generation. 

Sophie, a New York native, is an Assistant Educator at ArchForKids. She is a recent college graduate with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Art. With a deep passion for art’s power to heal, she wants to share the experience that art bestowed on her and improve the lives of people who are struggling. Seeing students empowered to openly express and advocate their ideas with ArchForKids has helped to solidify her career interests in art and counseling. She runs her own hand-drawn, customized sneakers business, Sneakers by Sophie. 

Karen has a B.A. from Colby College, followed by architecture coursework at UCLA.  She spent 10 years working at architectural firms in Los Angeles and NYC. An interest in education inspired a career switch – teaching at the New York Botanical Garden and then the Salvadori Center for the Built Environment. She co-founded ArchForKids in 2013 and was instrumental in its growth/development before retiring in 2019.