Our Staff
Joan Pinegar
Joan is the owner/director of The Educational Garden Project. Joan Pinegar has been the director of multiple day camps, spent over a decade as Garden Coordinator at Isaac Dickson Elementary School, and led numerous community gardens, all while feeding the Asheville community with rescued food.
Lorraine Dauw
Lorraine believes art, play, and exploration are essential to a fulfilling life. As a practicing artist with an MFA in Sculpture, she has over 15 years of experience teaching and is passionate about encouraging young minds to develop their curiosity and creativity. She is an avid gardener, healthy cook, kayaker, and downhill skier, and is thrilled to join the Educational Garden Project community.
Brandi Hubiak
Brandi loves to inspire young people to explore the world around them! While she is most recognized as a professional dancer and musician, she has also worked as a wilderness guide in Alaska, been an herbal and garden apprentice then later a professional farm manager and landscaper in diverse ecosystems, lived off-grid in multiple eco-villages, and has years of experience working with children. She finds immense joy in the sound of children playing and teaching about the cycles of nature that nurture all life.
Ellie Philips
Ellie is a part-time student studying Psychology. She loves spending time with children and the outdoors. She also has a passion for art, ceramics, and any craft making. Ellie years of experience with nannying, babysitting (kids of all ages) and has been working the The Educational Garden Project for over three years.