Kofi was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee Where he studied Chemistry at Fisk University. He has always had an interest in childcare and education after growing up as the eldest grandchild of over 20 children. Kofi recently moved to Charlottesville, Virginia and has grown accustomed to the East Coast and Appalachian mountains. Being in…

Hanna was born in Fairfax, Virginia. She moved to Charlottesville in 2012. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts  in Sculpture and Extended Media from VCUarts in 2020 with a focus in Italian Studies.. Hanna has been a tutor and a teacher for 2 years before joining the team at Our Neighborhood. She also did…

Naomie has a passion to guide the youth. She began working as a Registered Behavioral Therapist early in her career. Once she moved to Palmyra, VA, she took that as an opportunity to do something a little different, but still work with children. That’s when she found ONCDC and fell in love with their values…

Brandon grew up in the woods of Surry County Virginia.  He is an avid skateboarder and musician. He received his B.A. in English from VSU in June of 2002. Brandon discovered Our Neighborhood after 10 years of being an at home Dad to two wonderful daughters.  He continues to study alternative education models based on…

Katherine grew up in Charlottesville before attending Messiah College. She graduated with a degree in Human Development and Family Science, with a focus in Children and Youth Services. She spent her summers as a camp counselor, and also spent time as a child-life volunteer at UVA Children’s Hospital. In her free time, she enjoys spending…

Jackie was born in Burbank, California. She lived in Los Angeles until the age of six, then moved with her family to Afton, Virginia. Even though Afton is a drastic change from the big city, she quickly adapted. She has always had a great love for the outdoors, so rural Virginia was perfect. Jackie has…

Zac grew up in Waynesboro, Virginia with his mother, father and two younger brothers. He moved to Harrisonburg at the age of 20 to be closer to Blue Ridge Community College and live with friends attending JMU. While living in Harrisonburg, he met his wife, Kelly. Zac and Kelly got married in 2017 and welcomed…

Eleanor grew up locally in Charlottesville before attending college. During her time at Virginia Tech, Eleanor volunteered with the Coalition for Roanoke Refugees and mentored several ELL students. After completing her degree in human development, Eleanor moved back to Charlottesville where she purchased her first home with her boyfriend. In her spare time, Eleanor loves…

Jess is originally from Phoenix, Arizona, where she studied linguistics, and taught English as a second language, using these skills to do non-profit work with a local refugee community. After completing her master’s degree at ASU, she taught middle school Latin at a prep school where she met her husband, L.J. They moved to Charlottesville…