Staff

Mandi founded KIDS for the BAY and has directed program and organization development for the past thirty-two years. Mandi was originally a classroom teacher in an inner-city London school. She founded KIDS for the BAY to bring the same exciting, hands-on environmental science projects that she taught in her own classroom into under-resourced schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mandi’s first-hand knowledge of the type of support that teachers and their students need to develop their literacy in environmental science education in the classroom and in the outdoors has ensured that KIDS for the BAY effectively meets the needs of teachers and students and that our programs are very successful. Mandi has a Bachelor of Science Honors Degree in Biology from Hull University, England, specializing in freshwater and estuarine ecology, a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Leeds University, England and the Development Director’s Certificate from the University of San Francisco. Mandi loves being a Mom to her three children, and exploring in nature with her family. She also enjoys dancing, swimming, reading and going on hiking adventures.

Click here to read Executive Director Mandi Billinge’s “Voices” Article in the Earth Island Journal Magazine

Interviews

• An interview with Mandi in Bay Nature Magazine.
• Mandi’s interview on KPFA’s Terra Verde Radio Program.

Email: mandi@kidsforthebay.org

Yvette is so happy to be part of the KIDS for the BAY team and share her love for environmental outreach with students and the community. She  was born and raised in the East San Francisco Bay Area and is thrilled to do her part to give back to her community. Yvette has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental Studies from California State University Monterey Bay. She gained experience teaching youth of all ages about the importance of environmental stewardship in her internships with Solano and Napa Resource Conservation Districts. Yvette believes that the most profound change can happen in schools, and she is excited to visit so many in her Educator role! Yvette is passionate about taking care of her community, which is why KIDS for the BAY is the perfect fit for her. She is bilingual in English and Spanish. In her free time, Yvette loves to play with her dogs, paint, and bake desserts.

Email: yvette@kidsforthebay.org

Amy Asmussen, Communications & Grants Coordinator

Amy is thrilled to coordinate creative communications for KIDS for the BAY and engage audiences around the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Amy was born and raised in the East Bay, where she cultivated her love of nature, passion for protecting the environment, and knack for storytelling. She is honored to play a key role in developing resources to help expand the impact of KIDS for the BAY programs. Amy has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing from Chapman University in California, where she also minored in Environmental Studies. Amy worked as a newsletter editor at Chapman for two years and as a Coasts and Watersheds Communications Intern for the Environmental Defense Fund. Amy is a published fiction writer and poet, and is currently working on her first novel. In her free time, Amy loves taking nature walks, discovering new music, and spending time with friends and family. 

Email: amy@kidsforthebay.org

Anaïs Wilson, Lead Program Coordinator/Environmental Educator

Anaïs is thrilled to be a part of KIDS for the BAY and do what she is most passionate about; teaching children about the importance of protecting and caring for our environment. She believes that fostering community engagement is key to ensuring our communities are safer and more environmentally friendly. Anaïs grew up in Los Angeles and in France. She is half French and speaks French and Spanish. Anaïs has a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Environmental Science, Geography, and Planning from Sonoma State University. In her internship as a hiking guide with Sonoma Land Trust, Anaïs learned more about Sonoma’s unique environment and was inspired to live and work in Northern California. After graduating college, she spent some time in France as an English teacher, and taught both children and adults. Hiking and spending time outdoors has always been Anaïs’s favorite thing to do. She also loves to go to coffee shops,
read and cook.

Email: anais@kidsforthebay.org

Javi Quezada, Program Coordinator/Environmental Educator

Javi is so excited to be a part of the KIDS for the BAY team to continue advocating for environmental justice in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Javi grew up in the Bay Area and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Conservation and Resource studies, with a focus in Conservation Biology and Natural Resource Management, from University of California Berkeley. They also graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Welfare. They are passionate about the intersection between climate justice and education. Javi views the impact of their Educator role as one extending beyond the classroom, as they believe that empowering younger generations is imperative for social change. They are bilingual in English and Spanish and also have experience in conducting ecological research as well as facilitating several youth mentorship programs. They love exploring nature, cooking, building community through farming, and always caring for the land as it cares for us. 

Email: javi@kidsforthebay.org

Sabreena Verma, Program Coordinator/Environmental Educator

Sabreena is thrilled to be a part of KIDS for the BAY and to increase environmental education access for children in the San Francisco Bay Area. She received a Bachelors of Science Degree in Conservation & Resource Studies, with a minor in City & Regional Planning and Sustainable Design, from the University of California Berkeley. During her undergraduate studies, Sabreena was especially interested in the intersection between food systems, geographic information systems, and urban planning. Through her work in environmental justice and urban agriculture, she has focused on how we can grow food in ways that give back to the land, while also building our communities through working outdoors with our hands. Sabreena is Spanish-proficient and has recently traveled and worked in South America. She loves to practice yoga, read, and cook meals with food from the garden! 

Email: sabreena@kidsforthebay.org

Neda Ibrahim, Environmental Educator

Neda is happy to be a part of the KIDS for the BAY team and have the opportunity to foster spaces for young people to connect to their local natural environments. She grew up in close connection to the outdoors and spent her childhood exploring oak woodland and chaparral ecosystems, going on local hikes, and taking road trips throughout California. Neda graduated with a Bachelors degree in Environmental Science and Policy emphasizing community-based climate resilience from the University of California, Irvine. Prior to joining KIDS for the BAY, Neda was a Trip Leader for the Udall Foundation, leading groups of middle school students on immersive camping trips to Yosemite National Park. Neda also has experience with environmental education in classroom and local outdoor settings as a Science Mentor with Headwaters Science Institute. She was first inspired to explore environmental education professionally when she was a Zero Waste Fellow bringing zero waste practices to farmers’ markets with the Agricultural Institute of Marin. In her free time, you can find Neda hiking, reading, cooking a meal with seasonal produce, or planning her next outdoor adventure!

Email: neda@kidsforthebay.org

Shefali Shah is an educator of multicultural and environmental education with over twenty years of experience. Shefali holds a Spanish Bilingual Teaching Credential and a Masters Degree in Education with a focus on Critical Environmental and Global Literacy. Her research, practice, educational curriculum and teacher training focus on best practices for equitable educational opportunities for multicultural youth. For five years, Shefali was an Instructor in the Teacher Credential and Masters Degree Programs at New College of California and for nine years she served as Program Director and later Education Director for KIDS for the BAY. Shefali’s work promotes environmental education through action and cultural awareness. Shefali’s consulting work for KIDS for the BAY includes: culturally responsive classroom management, diversity and environmental justice workshops, teaching observations and modeling best practices in teaching environmental education.

Since 2005, Kari Gim has owned Slimgim Designs, LLC, a full-service graphic design business based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her projects include logo design, branding strategies, design for print and web, and website development. Kari lives in the East Bay Area with her husband, son, and spirited Labradoodle, Herbie.