Our Team

is the Director of Community Programs and a teacher in the On My Own Playgroup program. She has been with RCP since 2007, attended playgroups, and worked as a group leader when her own daughter was younger. She has a BA from NYU.  Jennifer’s continued professional development includes workshops and seminars at Bank Street College for Education, Teachers College, and Teaching Beyond the Square (symposium on what school means to 2-year-olds).

has been an instructor with RCP since 2000. She teaches in the On My Own and Handprints programs. Cindy has a BA from NYU and an MA from Columbia University. She has taken coursework in loose parts play and supporting children with sensory processing challenges. 

Erin Lacativa is the lead teacher in the Ready, Set, Go program for 3s and 4s.  Erin holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and is also a certified occupational therapist assistant. Prior to her time at Rutgers, Erin worked with young children in a variety of settings and successfully implemented an emergent curriculum in a classroom of 15 preschoolers. Erin joined our staff as an assistant teacher in 2021.

Lauren Mullender is an assistant teacher in our Ready, Set, Go classroom.  

Lauren earned her master's degree in early childhood education from Teachers College in May 2025 and spent a year as an assistant teacher at the Columbia Greenhouse Nursery School.

is an assistant teacher in our On My Own 2s program.  She has years of experience working with young children. She began working at RCP in 2021, bringing creativity, respect for children’s abilities, and a warm demeanor to our Ready, Set, Go 3s and 4s program in 2021 before joining the 2s classroom in 2022. 

began as an instructor with RCP in 2003, working in tandem with Cindy Schaffer to develop the RCP art program while serving as an adjunct to the Ready, Set, Go! program. She currently teaches ArtPlay/Open Studio and Lesley's Workshop and is also RCP Outreach Advisor. Lesley holds a BA from Connecticut College.