About Us

Daisy participated in Teach Democracy's Expanding Horizons Institute in 2019 and enjoyed her experience. Daisy graduated from the School of Social Justice at Miguel Contreras Learning Complex in Los Angeles and currently attends Los Angeles City College.

Lydia joined Teach Democracy in September of 2023 as the Development Manager and is responsible for cultivating donor relationships, generating funding, and acting as liaison to our robust Board of Directors.  

Lydia graduated from Western Carolina University with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Criminology and Sociology, minoring in Psychology and International Studies. After receiving her Master of Social Work with a specialization in Social, Community, and Economic Development from the University of South Carolina, she moved to Los Angeles to work for 1736 Family Crisis Center. Along with an interest in policy/advocacy and a passion for serving the community, Lydia has more than five years of experience in nonprofit development and is excited to work alongside a team of dedicated professionals to foster the engagement of youth in democracy.  

Andrew has been with Teach Democracy since 1991, when he was hired as a program assistant. As senior publications manager, he manages the production of Teach Democracy's print and online materials. He has designed, developed, and maintained several of Teach Democracy's websites, including its main website. Andrew works closely with program staff to capture program requirements and translate them into practical design solutions. Andrew has a bachelor's degree in political science from California State University Northridge and a certificate in marketing from Los Angeles City College.

Since coming to Teach Democracy in 2001 with degrees in political science and history, David has provided local, regional, and national training to youth, educators, and other professionals seeking ways to integrate civic- and law-related activities into their educational programs. David became senior operations director in 2022. Due to events leading to the dramatic change in the day-to-day operations of the organization, David has assumed leadership in Teach Democracy's operations and information technology, as well as assisting in online learning programs and resources. David is also on the Civic Action Project team and is responsible for filming and editing projects to help promote and showcase programs.

Jasmin began working at Teach Democracy in 2019 as a program coordinator for the Mock Trial and Expanding Horizons Institute (EHI) programs. She participated in the EHI program herself in 2013 and enjoyed her experience in the program. Jasmin graduated from CSU Channel Islands with a degree in Spanish.  In 2022, she assumed the role of Office Manager.

Allison joined Teach Democracy in 2022. Allison’s supports the director of operations, senior management, and the publications department She graduated from UC Berkeley in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare and a minor in Education.

Kathleen joined Teach Democracy in 2022 as a program director, working on various programs and as a curriculum writer. Prior to Teach Democracy, she spent eight years as a high school STEM teacher and was a moderator for the high school Mock Trial program. She is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University.

Damon began working at Teach Democracy in 2008. He edits the Bill of Rights in Action (BRIA) magazine and all Teach Democracy's curricular materials and publications. Damon also develops curriculum for many of the programs and leads teacher professional development workshops in a variety of social studies subjects. Damon is the director of the California Three Rs Project for teaching about freedom of religion and religious literacy in California’s public schools. Before Teach Democracy, Damon was an attorney with the Los Angeles County Public Defender, a professional mediator, and a middle-school social-studies and English-language arts teacher. He received his bachelor’s degree in history (with a minor in cinema) from USC, his M.Ed. from UCLA, and his JD from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. He is the recipient of the 2021 Hilda Taba Award from the California Council for the Social Studies.  

John is the Managing Director of John H Martin LLC and have been under contract with Teach Democracy since 1990. He is responsible for the finances of Teach Democracy and works closely with the President and the Board. John as been married for over thirty years with three grown children who also participated in Teach Democracy programs. He has served on a local school board for over forty years and have rotated as Board Chair on numerous occasions and perennial serves as Chair the Board’s Budget and Audit Committee.

 

Gregorio began working at Teach Democracy in 1995 and specializes in leading workshops for youth and conducting professional development sessions for educators and program staff seeking ways to incorporate civic- and law-related activities into their school or community-based programs. Gregorio also directs Teach Democracy's Youth & Police program and co-directs the national Civic Action Project. He is a graduate of East Los Angeles College and Occidental College. 
 

Robert Medrano joined Teach Democracy in 2023 as a program director. Robert supports the development of curricular materials and publications. Prior to joining Teach Democracy, Robert spent a decade  as a secondary social studies teacher, instructional coach, and curriculum developer. He received his bachelor's degree in political science from California State University Fullerton, and his master's in teaching and Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California. 

With Teach Democracy since 1990, Lourdes currently directs the California Mock Trial program, which includes the Los Angeles County and California State Finals competitions. She works with county coordinators, administrators, teachers, and hundreds of judges and lawyers throughout the state. Lourdes also directs the Expanding Horizons Institute, partnering with job sites and providing guidance for the educational seminars for high school students from underserved communities in the greater Los Angeles area. She provides workshop sessions at local and state conferences on Teach Democracy programs and materials. Lourdes is a dedicated educator with over 20 years of experience implementing history programs to K-12 schools including serving as the director of History Day in California for many years.
  

Mina joined Teach Democracy in 2023 as the development assistant. She works with the director of development and the development manager with duties including event-planning; donor and database management; and administrative assistance. Prior to this experience, Mina was a research assistant at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She graduated in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in politics and sociology.

Sean-Michael is the program coordinator for the Expanding Horizons Institute (EHI) and Mock Trial programs. He began working at Teach Democracy in 2016. Before coming to Teach Democracy, Sean-Michael participated in the EHI program as a student in 2008 and is happy to now work on the same program. He currently attends California State University, Northridge, and is majoring in political science (law and society).

Vanessa joined Teach Democracy in 2022 as a programs assistant working with the Civic Action Project and Youth & Police programs. She also assists the development team. Vanessa earned her bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine. Working at Teach Democracy helps to fullfill Vanessa's goal of empowering students to make changes in their community.
 
  
 

Cara Shaffer joined Teach Democracy in January 2023, bringing 15 years of experience in fundraising and events. Before joining Teach Democracy, Cara served for two years as the Planned Giving Manager at the Gary Sinise Foundation where she created the Planned Giving Department and the Gary Sinise Foundation Legacy Society. While there, she raised over $77 million for our current military, veterans, first responders, and their families. Prior to her role at the Gary Sinise Foundation, Cara served as the Director of Major Gifts for the College of Fine Arts and Communication at Towson University (her alma mater) and as the Events and Conference Manager at Maryland Institute College of Art.

Laura joined Teach Democracy in 2001 and serves as the director of programs. She works closely with all Teach Democracy programs focusing on program design and implementation, national partnerships, and leading local, state, and national professional development. Laura also teaches Street Law at Southwestern Law School where she prepares law students to work with young people in the dependency and delinquency systems. Laura has served on the California State Bar Council on Access and Fairness and the National High School Mock Trial Board. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and social behavior, and criminology law and society from the University of California, Irvine, and her JD from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Before joining Teach Democracy, Laura taught at a Los Angeles middle school, practiced law at the Colorado Department of Education, and worked as an in-house transactional attorney.