Volunteers
KID VOLUNTEERS
Meet our kid volunteers at the Kid Reporters page and learn how you can become a Kid Reporter, too!
ADULT VOLUNTEERS
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Toi Sin Arvidsson Toi Sin is a graduate student in Developmental Psychology at Teachers College. She is excited to be volunteering with the Kid Reporter Program. Besides doing school work and volunteering with IndyKids, she also enjoys taking photographs and going to the movies. |
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Nikki Saint Bautista A decade ago, Nikki Saint was a Teen Reporter at the Staten Island Advance. She believes informed citizens of the world are needed to pioneer change and forge a sustainable future. She works with an extraordinary team to equip future generations with the tools of independent journalism, so that marginalized voices can participate in the global dialogue and decision-making processes. |
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Ilona Bray Ilona Bray is a Berkeley, California-based writer and editor. A former attorney, she is particularly interested in human rights issues, and spent several years helping immigrants and refugees fight deportation or apply for asylum. Her day job is at Nolo, where she has written over a dozen books that put the law into plain English for ordinary people. In her free time she writes stories for children, volunteers walking dogs at the local Humane Society, and hikes the California hills. |
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Jean Jacques Charles Jean Jacques Charles is from Queens, NY. He is a former Tenant and Community Organizer, working for organizations such as ACORN and the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition. He has a law degrees from Catholic University School of Law (Washington DC) and the University of Dundee (Scotland, UK) and a masters in urban policy from The New School University. As a first generation Haitian-American, he has a strong interest in immigrant and housing issue. |
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Judi Cheng Judi Cheng works with young children with communication disorders in New York City. She has been a writer and volunteer with IndyKids since 2006. She loves supporting teachers, and hearing what kids have to say about the world we live in. |
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Octavia Davis Octavia Davis lives in Queens and teaches writing at St. John’s University. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of California, San Diego and is currently investigating methods for teaching writing for social justice. She joined the IK staff in 2009 as a writer and editor. |
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Charisse de los Reyes Charisse de los Reyes joined IndyKids as a volunteer in August 2010. She has a Master’s degree in Communication and has worked as an English and Social Studies teacher. She likes interacting with children and is happy to be able to provide them with news and information about the world. |
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Tom English Tom is a Senior Medical Editor, and currently works in advertising. He’s been in the scientific publishing field for more than 15 years, working for scholarly journals and communications companies. He studied English at Columbia (with a name like that, would you expect anything different?). There are two things Tom thinks he does best: writing/editing and listening to children with respect. With IndyKids, he is able to do both. |
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Sossi Essajanian Sossi Essajanian worked in text book publishing and is now pursuing a career in teaching. She has been writing and editing for IndyKids since 2010 |
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Leo Garcia Leo Garcia has been an illustrator with IndyKids since 2006. He was born in South America but was raised in the United States. A graduate of the Parsons School of Design, Garcia is a freelance illustrator and photographer who also works as a civil servant for New York City. |
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Lisa Goodman A native of Brooklyn, Lisa has been with IndyKids for over a year doing writing, reporting, editing, outreach and teachers guides. She is currently studying elementary education at the City University of New York. Lisa has extensive experience in youth literacy education, including co-founding and operating an academic after-school program in Orlando, FL. She also enjoys writing books for children of all ages. |
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Kim Green Kimberly Green teaches English and Journalism at P.S. 184, The Newport School, in Brooklyn, NY. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English and her Masters degree in Educational Leadership. A former director of a start-up community center, Kimberly enjoys writing about social justice issues for IndyKids, where she has been contributing since February 2011. She is also a writer with Style-ology Magazine and loves exploring New York City. |
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Natalie Havlin Natalie Havlin is a writer, teacher and organizer. She teaches English, Women’s Studies and Latina/o Studies and she works as an organizer for Teachers Unite and the Dignity in Schools Campaign. She joined IndyKids in 2011. |
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Patrice Johnson Patrice Johnson, a New York independent writing and editing professional, has worked freelance and on staff at consumer magazines (Newsweek, Money) and taught high school English and journalism for two years as a NYC Teaching Fellow. |
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Bill Marsh Bill Marsh is a writer, teacher, and publisher. He teaches English at Queensborough Community College and is co-director of Factory School. He has been writing and editing for IndyKids since 2009. |
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Gary Martin A politically minded cartoon artist, Gary Martin has contributed to IndyKids since the beginning as well as The Indypendent, and NewPolitics and is the author of 2 collections of drawings; “The New Leisure Class” & “Sects in the City”. His work can be seen at www.antisocialstudies.com. |
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Elaine Matthews Elaine Matthews does climate research, focusing on the global methane cycle, at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City. She joined IndyKids in the fall of 2009 and writes mostly about science for the paper. She also works with teachers to increase students’ interest and understanding of climate by giving presentations in schools. |
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Jyothi Natarajan Jyothi Natarajan is an associate editor at The New Press, an independent progressive book publisher. She has been editing and writing for IndyKids since Spring 2010 and helps with certain administrative tasks. |
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Mike Newton Mike Newton is an artist and graphic designer living in New York City. His artwork has been exhibited in museums and galleries in Detroit, Philadelphia and Columbus, Ohio. He has been contributing design and graphics to IndyKids since 2008, and also handles various technical and administrative tasks for the paper. |
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Nancy Ryerson Nancy Ryerson is a recent graduate of New York University’s journalism school. She’s happy to be a new addition to IndyKids. Besides writing and reporting, she loves reading, playing the bassoon and vegetarian cooking. |
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Matt Seifman Matt Seifman is an elementary school Teaching Assistant. He holds bachelors degree in Child and Family Studies, and uses his experience to provide academic as well as social support to students while also providing fun and educational programs for kids. He has been with IndyKids since April of 2009. He is a big supporter teachers, community programs and skill-based education. |
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Bonnie Singer Bonnie Singer has been a TV and radio producer in the advertising industry for over 25 years and has always combined her love of children, creative writing and organizing to volunteer in the non-profit world. Bonnie says her greatest claim to fame is being called the tallest kid in the sandbox! |
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Homer Smith Homer Smith is a coder, performer, and aesthete who has worked in entertainment, online communications, urban agriculture, and project management. He enjoys composing regular expressions and English poetry, the latter of which can be found at http://excitedpoet.com |
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Fanny Sosenke Fanny Sosenke is a math teacher and K-12 math coordinator at Brooklyn Friends School. She is a native of Uruguay, moved to the United States in 1984 and has lived in New Orleans, Boston, Indianapolis, and New York. She is 48 years old. Fanny is an architect but she made teaching her job – she has been teaching math for 30 years, to both children and teachers. |
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Xavier Tayo Has been with Indykids since its inception in the summer of 2005 and has been involved in all aspects of making Indykids happen; such as writing, mailing, distributing, drawing, and tabling. He works in the city’s housing department saving kids from lead paint. And he lives in East Harlem where he plays his guitar at night. |
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Amanda Vender Amanda Vender is one of the founders and editors of IndyKids. She is currently a full-time parent of two young kids. Amanda is a graduate of Wellesley College and is working toward her Master’s degree in Education at Hunter College, City University of New York. Since 1995 she has been involved in activism related to immigrant and labor rights, anti-war work and Philippine solidarity. |
