about us
We’re a highly collaborative and supportive team of expert Garden Educators. We are passionate about the connections, growth and learning that takes place in nature.
Our Mission & Vision
We strive to build unique, long-lasting and organic school learning gardens that produce abounding harvests. We will create a space for school staff and students to make connections with themselves, the earth and each other while learning and growing. We will continue to be the number one school garden expert in the North-West Houston area.
Our Values
We aim to deliver the very best Garden Day experience each and every time with highly-qualified Garden Educators, hands-on student experiences, relevant curriculum and dedicated gardening support.
“The Ready to Grow Gardens staff is always prepared, knowledgeable and flexible.”
Elizabeth Franklin
Teacher, CFISD
Always accepting applications!
Meet the Ready to Grow Gardens Team
Stephanie Baker (Founder and Owner)
I earned my Texas Master Gardener Certification from the Texas Cooperative Extensive and Harris County Master Gardener Association in June of 2003.
I completed my volunteer work with students at Sheridan Elementary where two days a week I taught two hundred third graders how to grow a variety of vegetables out of 70 individual container gardens. I am proud to say that Sheridan Elementary is still one of our Garden Day Partner Schools to this day. Since then, we have expanded across the NW Houston area over the last 23 years.
I love spending time outside my grandchildren in our little “farm” in Tomball. I have 2 children, 5 grandchildren and a lot of animals! We have chickens, goats, dogs and a tortoise! You will often see them make appearances on the Ready to Grow Gardens social media pages.
This year I am proud to be entering our 23rd year of ‘Garden Day’. I get emotional every time I think about how far this company has come. From me growing in buckets with students at Sheridan to a whole team of women that reach 35 schools and over twenty thousand students!
Kara Wolf (Program Operations Manager)
As a child my room was covered in pictures of butterflies and I was always sketching flowers that I found in my mother’s garden or out on hikes. Peace always found me in nature and it continues to.
After spending 4 years as a Spanish teacher with preschool through 12th grade (that’s right, I taught them all!), I found myself craving something different.
I discovered Ready to Grow Gardens in 2019 and saw daily proof that a school garden is more than just a beautiful display of flowers and food; they are spaces where school communities connect with the earth, each other and the wonder of learning. This will be my 6th year working with Ready to Grow Gardens. It is a perfect combination of everything I love: nature, kids and teaching!
I live in Conroe, TX with my husband Jonathon and our dog Eli. I spend much of my time in my own home garden, cooking and, more recently, preparing a nursery! Jonathon and I are expecting our first child, a little girl, this fall. We could not be more excited.
Celise Hamann (Lead Garden Educator)
I have always had a love for the outdoors. I grew up camping most weekends and truly enjoyed being out in nature. Today you can find me in my own yard tending to my flower beds or looking for a new plant to add to my collection.
I retired in 2022 after 27 years of being an elementary classroom educator in Cypress Fairbanks ISD. My career was split between Lieder Elementary and A. Robison Elementary. Even after 27 years, I can say that I still have a passion for teaching. God has blessed me with this opportunity to share my love for gardening with my love of children.
I look forward to all the fun garden experiences I will share with them in my 4th year as a Garden Educator with Ready to Grow Gardens!
Maria Paoli-Vega (Lead Garden Educator)
I have always felt like a gardener without a garden. I read gardening blogs, subscribed to dozens of gardening content creators and constantly made plans for everything I wanted to grow. I dreamed of cooking dinner using ingredients from my backyard and making flower arrangements from flowers I grew myself. In 2021 I stepped back from my role as a Military and Family Life Counselor and moved to Houston to pursue my dream.
After breaking ground on m y garden and putting my hands in the soil for the first time, I began searching for a career that would allow me to garden every day. I’m grateful for the opportunity to blend the skills I’ve honed as a counselor, my love of working with children and my desire to garden, as a part of the RTGG team.
I’m stepping into 3rd year as a Garden Educator in the 2025-26 school year with gratitude and enthusiasm. I am excited to meet the students and teachers. I am most excited to help the students learn science through the various stages of caring for the garden.
Andrea Packer (Garden Educator)
Growing up, I spent most weekends at our family cattle ranch, walking in the woods, hunting for insects, collecting flowers and seeds, swimming in the ponds, bird watching, and of course…caring for the cows!
In my own backyard I grow lots of veggies, including potatoes, onions, lettuce, kale, carrots, broccoli, melons and strawberries. I also grow plenty of native flowering plants that attract bees, butterflies, and birds. I have been a garden educator for ten years, and have also taught preschool and am a rock climbing coach.
In my free time, I enjoy reading, photography, hiking, and working at our ranch. I love teaching students to appreciate all things nature: soil, insects, animals, flowers, and especially plants!
Amanda Jackson (Garden Educator)
I earned my B.S. in Wildlife Biology from Texas State University, where I also led a
student-run nonprofit that connected hundreds of students each year with environmental
education and hands-on natural resource experiences.
Since then, I’ve followed my love of the outdoors across Texas, Wyoming, Alaska, and
Washington, working as an outdoor educator and learning from incredible places, and
even more incredible kids.
From serving as a Stewardship Program Manager to teaching middle school science,
I’ve discovered that my favorite classroom doesn’t have just four walls. It’s a trail, a
garden, a creek, or anywhere curiosity can take root.
I’m passionate about helping students discover the wonder of the natural world and
understand the incredible systems working all around them. Most of all, I love creating
those “Whoa, that’s cool!” moments that make learning feel like an adventure.
I’m excited to bring that passion to Ready to Grow Gardens and help students get their
hands dirty, ask big questions, and find a little more joy in the world around them.
Jess Ezieme (Garden Educator)
This is my first year with Ready to Grow Gardens, and I am so excited to be joining the team! I recently moved to Houston after graduating from New York University, where I studied Sustainable Urban Food Systems and Education and was given many opportunities to explore the many ways food, education, community and the environment intersect.
I have always loved gardening and being outside, and there is something especially rewarding about growing food from a tiny seed into something you can eventually bring into the kitchen.
Alongside my work with Ready to Grow Gardens, I am also attending Culinary Institute Lenotre. I am so excited to combine my love of teaching, cooking and gardening in my work with students. I believe gardens are such a special place for children to learn because it allows them to be more connected to their food systems and how to grow nutritious food.
I cannot wait to get outside, get my hands in the soil and learn alongside the students!
Keith Lewis (Garden Educator)
I bring a unique combination of hands-on gardening experience and nine years of special education teaching to my work with young learners.
Since 2020, I have cultivated my gardening skills as a hobbyist and through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, deepening my knowledge of sustainable growing practices and garden-based learning.
As a special education and outdoor education teacher, I spent nearly a decade creating engaging, accessible learning experiences for children of all abilities. I am passionate about bringing that same spirit of curiosity and hands-on discovery to students, helping them connect with nature, build practical skills and develop a lifelong appreciation for growing their own food.
I believe the garden is one of the best classrooms there is– a place where kids can dig in, ask questions and watch their efforts grow.
Stephanie Parker (Garden Educator)
With 27 years of experience in education, I’m excited to bring my background, enthusiasm, and love of learning to the garden! Throughout my career in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, I’ve served as a math and science teacher, instructional specialist, and assistant principal.
I’ve always loved the outdoors, hands-on learning, and watching students discover where their food comes from. There’s something incredibly rewarding about planting a seed, caring for it, and eventually enjoying the fruits (and vegetables!) of our labor—especially when we get to grow our own lunch!
I’m excited to help students connect with nature, build confidence, ask questions, and experience the joy of growing something from seed to harvest.
Are you ready to join the team? Applications open for the 26-27 school year. We are seeking one part time outdoor educator.