We at Sangha Education Center are extremely honored to have an amazing team with diverse educational backgrounds and experiences who are champions for our youth.
Sangha Founder
Christine Keller, Executive Director, founded The Children’s Sangha in 2005 on behalf of young people with a range of abilities, understanding the need for “whole-child” teaching and learning which would address systemic issues impacting our youth. In 2019, Christine established Sangha Education Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located at Historic Malcolm House on the Jericho Preserve in order to expand our programming and reach greater numbers of young people, parents, professionals, and other community members on Long Island and beyond. Her life-long involvement in organic farming and outdoor education is at the center of our program offering, pairing education and well-being, with primary program pillars connected to nature, history and the arts.
Christine holds an M.S.Ed., dual certification in Childhood Education and Special Education (Autism Case Program) from LIU, an M.A. in Religious Studies from NYU, and a B.A. in English Literature from PACE University. She has completed CPS Advanced Level I & II Training with Dr. Ross W. Greene, who developed the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) approach upon which our Community Support Group is based. Additionally, Christine has been trained as a Certified Presenter for NAMI programs including Parents & Teachers as Allies and Ending The Silence, mental health in-service education programs for school personnel and students respectively, to help establish a better understanding of the social-emotional challenges which many young people face.
As an Adjunct Professor at SUNY College at Old Westbury since 2001, Christine teaches courses in the History & Philosophy Department and within the First Year Experience Program, having taught in Exceptional Education & Learning. She has served as a First Year Experience freshman advisor and continues to be a Community Action, Learning and Leadership (CALL) program community partner. Campus collaboration extends to various departments in order to provide avenues for student opportunity. Christine has partnerships with colleges across Long Island and presents for Long Island schools and community organizations.
Program Operations
Donna Knepple works as a Legal Assistant and a Community Habitation staff member through NYS. She has served as a Teacher’s Aide and Vocational Job Coach for Rockville Centre UFSD. In these capacities, she working with young people on the Autism Spectrum and those with other disabilities. She comes to Sangha Education Center with an array of experience related to education and advocacy, understanding the different abilities and needs of all individuals and strives to raise awareness related to the educational void impacting our youth. Her administrative expertise have lent themselves to working with us in various functions over the years including outreach at conferences and transition fairs as well as assisting with programs and special event coordination. Donna assists with office management for Sangha Education Center and served as interim board treasurer from 2022-2023 handling general financial operations tasks. She now serves on our community outreach committee.
Education
Stephanie Gaglione is a Doctor of Pharmacy, receiving her Pharm.D. from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and is a NYS Licensed Pharmacist. In addition to pharmacy consulting work, Stephanie established Biophilia Wellness focusing her experience in integrative medicine to include healing modalities such as reiki, meditation and forest bathing. She is a Certified Nature Therapy Guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. She works with Nature to co-create a safe space to explore and experience what it is to be human. In these guided immersion experiences lies the opportunity to develop a deeper connection to the natural world and all beings that it encompasses. Healing is not a sought-after goal but rather a common bi-product of the relationship established from these consistent and intentional interactions with Nature. Stephanie offers Forest Bathing experiences as part of Sangha Education Center’s Nature & Wellness Connections programs throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons.
Steeve A. Sproul graduated with a B.S. from SUNY Old Westbury, double majoring in Biology and Religion & Philosophy. She has been working as a STEM teacher over the past couple of years. Steeve has many interests including but not limited to living environment, psychology, holistic wellness, and computer science. Steeve has developed her own website, Sorting Space, with an ecommerce platform to inspire young people and help them to organize. Steeve has been a long-time mentor in our Civic Mentoring program. Her multiple talents have contributed greatly to the success and well-being of Sangha program participants. Steeve developed a Raspberry Pi technology project and inspired the idea for our Medicine Wheel Garden that has been implemented in our Meadow Farm. She has taught a number of creative workshops as part of our Summer at the Sangha program.
Regina Dlugokencky holds a M.S. in Library and Information Science from Long Island University, C.W. Post, and has participated in the Horticulture program at Farmingdale State College. An avid gardener since age eight, Regina has farmed organically for over 15 years for local organic CSAs. She founded Seedsower Farm. LLC, an organic market garden operation, selling organic seedlings, and being committed to the education and promotion of local, sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. She started the first Seed Library in Nassau County and has developed a range of programs that enable gardeners of all abilities to grow from “seed to seed”. Regina has assisted with Sangha Education Center’s Meadow Farm and teaches Learn & Grow sessions as part of our Nature & Wellness Connections programs. Regina offers gardening programs at public libraries across Long Island.
Kate Landsdorf received her M.S. in Urban Affairs from CUNY Queens College and completed her undergraduate work in Media & Communications from SUNY Old Westbury. She has been an advocate in the areas of education, health and social justice throughout her life. Kate has taught as an adjunct professor at SUNY Old Westbury within the Public Health Department and facilitated workshops at Healing Hands Holistic Wellness. Her involvement with organic food and farming has included an aquaponic farm in Brooklyn. Kate has worked with Sangha for several years in all aspects of our educational offering as program organizer, teacher and mentor to our youth. She has been instrumental in Start Your Own School Garden as a lead teacher. Her creativity has inspired all those with whom she works.
Guidance Services
Dr. Lisa LoPinto is a NYS Licensed Psychologist with a Ph.D. in combined Clinical and School Psychology which she earned from Hofstra University. Dr. LoPinto has over 25 years of experience working with children and adolescents and maintains a private practice in Suffolk County for young people with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and behavioral difficulties. She is a Certified Provider and Consultant/Trainer for the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) approach developed by Dr. Ross Greene, for understanding and helping children with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Dr. LoPinto uses CPS as a primary approach in her practice and trains parents, individual professionals, and school districts on how to implement the CPS model. She also provides specific skills training and cognitive-behavioral therapy to her patients as needed. Dr. LoPinto assists in facilitating our Community Support Group at Sangha Education Center in order to introduce and guide parents and professionals in the use of CPS as a community service.
IT, Media & Development
April Zubko is the owner of Zubko Media, where she helps non-profits just like Sangha Education Center communicate their vital message and complete their mission though education-based content, dynamic web designs, email marketing, social media and non-profit donation and event campaigns. In her spare time, she shares her adventure travels with her husband on her YouTube channel Magellan & Greyhound, and gives gardening tutorials and tips on her YouTube channel ReSprout.
Our Board
Christine Keller, President/Executive Director
Suzanne Schoenfeld, Secretary
Remi Farnan, Treasurer
Therese Coppola, Development
Craig Saperstein, Director
Kim Keller, Director
Committees
Development & Funding
Therese Coppola and Claudia Newman
Community Outreach
Donna Knepple and Arlene Wishnew