WHO WE ARE

One of the founding members of Princeton Learning Cooperative, Joel has over 11 years of teaching experience in both public and private schools. Joel holds a degree in secondary education from Miami University in Oxford, OH, with minors in history and political science. He is also a founding member of Liberated Learners, an international organization that supports people around the world to create self-directed learning programs like The Learning Cooperatives.

You can find out more about Joel’s work for the larger movement by watching his TEDx talk or getting a copy of his book The Teacher Liberation Handbook at his website, JoelHammon.com

Katy has thirteen years of teaching experience in public high school and holds a degree in English and secondary education from The College of New Jersey. During her summers, she taught essay writing at the Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ. Throughout her career, Katy has written and delivered original honors curricula designed to foster divergent thinking. She loves literary analysis, storytelling and personal essay writing. Fueled by her conviction that education is a personal journey that cannot be standardized, Katy left traditional schooling behind. Despite the professional risks, she refused to proctor the PARCC assessment, which she felt was detrimental to students. At PLC, Katy has found an approach that honors the student and learning itself.

Scott has been teaching reading and writing for over 20 year, as a middle school and high school English teacher before moving to The Learning Cooperatives. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Montclair State University and a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College. He enjoys surfing, documentary film, and free-form radio.

Alexis has been working with children and teens for over 15 years in various roles including Teen Camp Director and Nature Navigator. She is passionate about the importance of play and incorporates that value in her work. Alexis holds a Masters in Social Work from Temple University with a Concentration in Community and Policy and Specialization in Children and Families. She is a lover of the outdoors and enjoys camping, kayaking, nature craft projects and exploring. Some of her other interests include making music and swing dancing.

Yi Pan has over fifteen years of experience conducting biomedical research in academia and the pharmaceutical industry. During her research career, Pan trained and mentored many young scientists, ranging from high school interns to young professionals. She found it tremendously rewarding to help people develop their professional skills and advance their careers. After leaving the corporate world, Pan ran a STEM enrichment program for children ages 4-14. The program reached thousands of kids via fun and engaging after-school classes and summer camps. Pan also volunteers in her community for parenting and education-related activities. Pan has a B.S. in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Heather is a long-time homeschooling parent and deeply involved with the homeschooling community. She is a co-founder of a popular homeschooling co-op, helps run a homeschool archery league, tutors high school writing, and mentors adults with autism. She has also served on the board of two other co-ops and has acted as an advisor for other homeschoolers wishing to start their own co-op. Heather studied English Literature at Rutgers University and believes that education is an individual journey with no timeline.

Heather loves reading, writing, true crime podcasts, and spending time with her family.

Sandy has been teaching in public and private schools since 2007. As a certified teacher in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, she has taught a variety of subjects including math, history, English, and ESL. Her educational background includes a Masters in Secondary Education and Bachelor degrees in Business and Italian Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Aside from teaching, Sandy enjoys reading, martial arts, piano, and spending time outdoors.

Love has a passion for education and has been tutoring others regularly since 2017. Love received her associate of science from Bucks Community College. She has a GHS Hazard Communications/Chemical Handling Certification from Penn Valley and a certification in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Love is currently studying energy and sustainability policy at Penn State University where she specializes in Bioorthogonal or ‘click’ chemistry. Love is very familiar with volunteer work. She has done water quality testing for the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). She has also volunteered with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) since 2021. Love is currently a member of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, which is a nonprofit organization. She feels it is important to make STEM education accessible to all. In her free time, she likes to read, garden, or exercise.

Saffo has taught a variety of age ranges, from middle school to college, for almost two decades. She has worked across the spectrum from more traditional classroom settings, to more alternative and progressive educational contexts. She first got involved in education when she participated in the Undergraduate Teacher Education Program at Brown University, where she trained to become a high school teacher as part of her undergraduate degree. Since then, she has taught at the university level and volunteered in a number of alternative education settings. Before joining TLC as an apprentice, she taught part time for several years at Alcove Self Directed Learning in Los Angeles. She holds a bachelors in History from Brown University, a Masters in Anthropology from The New School, and is currently completing two PhDs from the University of Arizona in Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies.