Staff

KIDS Consortium staff brings a wealth of experience in planning, education, and administration to the organization. We share a passion for service-learning and a commitment to fully integrating the KIDS model into the culture of a school district and the community in which it resides.

Francine Rudoff

Executive Director

Ms. Rudoff is responsible for managing all aspects of the work of KIDS Consortium. In addition to overseeing staff, she collaborates with school-community leadership teams from over 40 school districts in Maine and other New England states on the integration of service-learning and citizenship education into local practice, policy and culture. She recently served on the Maine Legislature’s Citizenship Education Study Commission, Maine’s Learning in Deed State Policy Panel, and Maine’s Task Force on Citizenship Education. She currently serves on the National Service-Learning Leaders Circle, the Maine Social Studies Professional Development Network, and the Maine Coordinated School Health Program Key Advisory Committee. Prior to joining the KIDS Consortium in 1998, Ms. Rudoff directed Maine’s Coastal Zone Management Program at the Maine State Planning Office. Prior to her experience in Maine, Ms. Rudoff was a policy analyst with the U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment and worked for the U.S. Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency. She holds a Master of Regional Planning degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Rochester.

Terri Marin

Administrative Manager

Terri Marin came to KIDS with a wealth of education experience and enthusiasm; she was Administrative Secretary for the Poland Community School for over ten years. At KIDS, Terri manages the office overseeing technology systems, designing and maintaining databases, manages the Website, organizes conference and workshop planning, and works closely with the Executive Director and Education Consultants on special projects. Recently, Terri worked on a yearlong project redesigning and creating content for the new KIDS Website. Terri organized and formed a local lake watershed association in 1997 and serves as President and Volunteer Lake Monitor. In 2004, she received the Conservation Educator of the Year Award for implementing service-learning erosion control projects within the association's watershed.

Brenda Tarmey

Finance Manager

Brenda Tarmey brings more than fifteen years of hands-on financial management to KIDS. She has extensive experience in a variety of accounting functions including; general ledger, account reconciliations, and payroll. Her managerial experience also includes human resource and related benefits management including; health insurance, pension plans, Worker’s Compensation, and OSHA compliance. Brenda earned her Associate of Science in Business Administration degree at the University of Maine. Brenda holds certificates in Employment & Labor Law in Maine, State and Federal Personnel Laws, Time Management Training, ISO auditor and certification, Domestic and International Letters of Credit and other business and computer related training. Brenda has been employed by Bachmann Industries, Inc. and the Portland Newspapers (PPH/MST). She is also the general manager and a shareholder of T.H. Creations, Inc., a local web design and development company.

Barbara Kaufman

Education Consultant

Barbara Kaufman was a middle school language arts teacher in Brunswick, Maine for eight years prior to joining KIDS. She also held the position of Coordinator of Community Development and Career Services at the University of New England, Westbrook College Campus. In addition to holding certificates as a teacher and career development facilitator, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Master’s Degree from Emerson College in Boston. At KIDS, Barbara works with teachers, schools and districts on service-learning - offering a wide range of professional development opportunities and assistance to leadership teams working on policy and administrative support for service-learning. She also collaborates with pre-service education programs for teachers and leads sessions about service-learning at state and national conferences.

Tracy Harkins

Education Consultant

Tracy Harkins brings more than thirteen years of experience including, time as a service-learning practitioner at the elementary and middle levels. Tracy holds certificates in mediation, conflict resolution, and facilitation, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine. She has received Critical Friends training and has facilitated a variety of professional development opportunities at local, state, and national levels. At KIDS, Tracy works with school districts and community organizations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Connecticut offering a wide range of professional development opportunities and assistance to leadership teams working on policy and administrative support for service-learning. Tracy also coordinates Project Citizen in Maine in collaboration with the Center for Civic Education.

Barbara Fiore

Education Consultant

Barbara Fiore comes to KIDS with fifteen years of experience as an Outward Bound instructor and Program Director. Among her many achievements at Outward Bound’s Mountain Center in Newry, Maine, were the creation of the first International Wilderness Leadership Semester Course offered for college credits and the design of Educational Services contract courses for many schools and organizations. Barbara serves on the Board of the Watershed School in Rockland, Maine and has also worked as the Program Director for the Outdoor Center for Learning and Leadership at the University of Southern Maine. She holds a B.A, from the University of Maine at Orono and a M.Ed. from Antioch New England Graduate School. At KIDS, Barbara works with school districts in Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island offering a wide range of professional development opportunities and assistance to leadership teams working on policy and administrative support for service-learning. For three years, Barbara managed a collaboration with the Choices Program at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies.

Matt Robinson

Education Consultant

Matt Robinson recently joined KIDS bringing fifteen years of experience teaching students at the middle and high school levels in alternative and regular education settings. He approaches the work of an education consultant as a classroom practitioner of service-learning. Drawing on his interest in history and civics education, Matt coached High School Mock Trial Competition teams in Maine. At KIDS, Matt works with school districts in Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island offering a wide range of professional development opportunities and assistance to leadership teams working on policy and administrative support for service-learning. In addition, Matt coordinates Project Citizen in Maine in collaboration with the Center for Civic Education. Matt earned a B.S. degree in Education from the University of Maine at Farmington and a M.Ed from the University of Maine.

Rachel Brophy

AmeriCorps*VISTA

Rachel Brophy is serving her second year as an AmeriCorps*VISTA at KIDS Consortium. Rachel is part of a larger statewide AmeriCorps* VISTA team organized by Communities for Children of Maine. At KIDS, Rachel has worked to increase the number of quality service-learning projects for K-12 students focusing on health and substance abuse prevention, and improving the environment. In addition, Rachel has written several grants to assist with fundraising efforts. Rachel reaches out to local community organizations and interested school districts, with populations of children and youth at increased risk of poverty to encourage them to work together on service-learning projects. She has also devoted a year working to update content for the new KIDS Website. Rachel holds a B.A. in History, with a concentration in Peace and Conflict studies from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Christine Peak

Office Assistant

Christine Peak joined KIDS as our Office Assistant in January 2001. At KIDS, Christine handles book orders and information requests. She works closely with Education Consultants to prepare training packets and keeps the office well stocked with supplies and resource materials. Prior to KIDS, Christine was employed by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in Lewiston, Maine.