"How could we build a hurricane resistant home?" It is questions like these, asked by a Penn Charter 3rd grader studying the impact of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico, that get me excited about my work each and every day.
As an alumni of Penn Charter, a practicing Quaker and a current educator, I deeply embrace the vision of our school and am inspired to think critically and creatively about the learning experiences and skills our students need to live lives that make a difference. This means working side by side with students and community partners to explore and understand the most pressing issues in Philadelphia and thinking about ways to authentically connect curriculum and communities, while building lasting partnerships rooted in understanding. Through the Center for Public Purpose's co-curricular and extra-curricular work and our community incubator, I find myself consistently challenged and supported by students, teachers, families and community partners to reflect and continuously evolve my practice. Penn Charter students of all ages inspire me daily with their interests, initiative and commitment to being life-long learners and ultimately it is our students who drive the evolution of Public Purpose work at Penn Charter and it is a true joy to be able to effectively support them in this journey.
As a life long lover of water, you can often find me in the Atlantic either swimming or water skiing. Inspired by my children who are budding environmentalists (thanks to colleagues Tom Rickards and Lisa Turner) we can be found regularly on the Wissahickon Trails (hiking or commuting by bike) and are annual participants in the All Trails Challenge.