Mission Statement

Chatham University's Eden Hall Campus K-12 Programs aim to support educators and youth, their schools, and their communities as they learn to drive transformation and take action to create healthy, happy, equitable lives for all people.

As an educational partner, Chatham acts as a resource hub, collaborating with regional and national partners to provide interdisciplinary learning through the lens of sustainability, social justice and problem-based pedagogies to an inclusive group of students and educators.

We use our 'living laboratory' at the Eden Hall Campus to create engaging experiential and place-based opportunities that inspire students and educators to be leaders in their communities, lifelong learners, systems thinkers, organizers for equity, globally-minded change agents and empathic beings.

Awards

Winner of the U.S. Green Building Council's Center for Green Schools "Best of Green Schools 2018" award for the Higher Education Institution category. This award recognizes higher education institutions or faculty members who have made a significant contribution to the K-12 green schools movement through partnership, research and/or scholarship.

+Staff

Kelly Henderson

Eden Hall K-12 Education Manager

Kelly has been creating K-12 school partnership programs at Chatham’s Eden Hall Campus since 2014. As Adjunct Faculty at Chatham, she has also taught courses on “Intergroup Dialogue Facilitation Training,” “Intergroup Dialogue: Gender,” and “Experiential Learning and Classroom Partnerships.” Kelly is especially interested in the intersection between social justice education, project based learning, place-based education, outdoor education and education for sustainability. In her role, Kelly often co-facilitates dialogue across social identities as a means for relating social and environmental issues and centering interpersonal work in global change. This especially includes race dialogues, including white caucus groups amongst Chatham stakeholders. She is a graduate of the Buck Institute’s PBL Leadership Institute as well as the Climate Reality Leadership Corps. Before coming to Chatham, Kelly worked in the green building, energy efficiency and renewable energy fields, including managing the LEED certification process for the United Steelworkers Building in downtown Pittsburgh. Kelly has a BA in Physics from Colgate University, an MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and an MAT in Secondary Science Education from Chatham University. She has worked at the Green Building Alliance as well as in the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researching solar panel materials. In her free time, Kelly helps to instruct the Pittsburgh Explorer’s Club Backpacking School and Mountaineering School.

Lexi Kapla

Eden Hall K-12 Field Trip Coordinator
Bachelors of Sustainability Student, Bachelors of PreK-4 Education degree expected 2021
Michigan, United States

Lexi Kapla is a Senior at Chatham University double majoring in sustainability and PreK-4 education. During her time at Chatham, Lexi has assisted in research involving how the Environmental Charter School implements sustainability and social equity into their teachings. Within the K-12 realm, Lexi is curious about the intersection between social justice education and education for sustainability using problem-based learning methods. She enjoys working with K12 students and was a counselor for Eden Hall’s Sustainability Leadership Academy for the past two years, and was a participant of SLA’2016. When not studying or working, Lexi enjoys farming & gardening, as well as travelling back home to Michigan to visit her family. Lexi competes on Chatham University's cross country and track & field sports team and is the Sustainability Executive for the Chatham Democrats Club.

Rashmi Salamani

Eden Hall K-12 Graduate Assistant
Masters of Sustainability Student, degree expected 2021
India

Rashmi is pursuing her Master of Sustainability and her interests deeply lie in Urban and Energy systems. She is a Civil engineer with four years of professional experience in India and absolutely loves the idea of green and sustainable buildings. She drew her motivation to study sustainability after she observed how much the construction industry contributes towards environmental degradation. Apart from all the engineering stuff, she loves to trek and has trekked quite a few trails in the Lower Himalayas and is looking forward to a few in the USA. She also feels cooking is a stress buster and absolutely loves it. The K-12 program is something that she has never experienced before and is willing to give her best to it and is very excited to be a part of it.

Jeremiah Davis

Eden Hall K-12 Sustainability Educator
Bachelors of Science in Sustainability, Degree expected 2024
United States

Jeremiah is a first year student at Chatham. He is majoring in Sustainability in Urban Energy and Cities track. He hopes to have a future career in community development and public service. He has interned in the Office of Councilman Lavelle and worked on many projects serving the people of District Six. He was Pittsburgh Promise Ambassador for 2019-2020 informing his peers about the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship and their post secondary options. He is also a 2020 American Eagle Executive Scholar through the Pittsburgh Promise Executive Scholar program. He cares deeply about his community, public service, the earth, and social justice in all forms.

Brooke Duplantier

Eden Hall K-12 Sustainability Educator
Masters of Food Studies Student, degree expected 2021
United States

Brooke is a second-year graduate student in Chatham University’s Food Studies program. As a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, she is interested in Southern agricultural and culinary history, with an emphasis on African American foodways. Beyond this, she seeks to actualize food justice as racial justice and build community food security. She is excited to combine her experience in youth education with her passion for food justice and sustainability in the K-12 program.

H.R. Liotta

Eden Hall K-12 Sustainability Educator
Bachelor of Arts in Arts Management, Class of 2023
United States

H.R. is a sophomore undergraduate student at Chatham University pursuing a degree in Arts Management. Her long-term goal is to found and manage a theatre company and educational center. One of her greatest passions is social justice, and as such, she knows how important it is to promote all facets of sustainability, including environmental care, gender equity, and racial equity. She feels honored to be able to teach students about the importance and effects of all areas of sustainability, and she expects that she herself will also learn in the process!

Jared Greenberg

Eden Hall K-12 Sustainability Educator
Master of Food Studies, Degree expected 2022
Chicago, United States

Jared is a first year student in the Master of Food Studies program at Chatham University. He received his bachelor’s degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology from Indiana University. His plan is to one day be a food writer and believes that you cannot write about food effectively without understanding the food system holistically from food access to sustainability. In his free time Jared likes to cook and post pictures of his food, and loves going for runs throughout Pittsburgh.

Nora Robb

Eden Hall K-12 Sustainability Educator
Bachelor of PreK-4 Education, Degree expected 2023
United States

Nora is a sophomore undergraduate in the Early Education program at Chatham University. Her long-term goal is to teach an elementary class and foster neonate kittens, promoting social justice and a sustainable lifestyle along the way. She is very excited to have the opportunity to get a head start on teaching children about the importance of environmental care and equity. In her free time, she enjoys playing the harp, drawing, baking, and volunteering.

+Past Student Employees

Felicity Moffett

Eden Hall K-12 Food System Educator & Project Support Coordinator
Bachelors of Sustainability Student, degree expected 2022
USA

Gabrielle Marshall

Chatham University EnvironMentors Chapter Coordinator
Bachelors of Sustainability student, degree expected 2021
USA

Silvia Nuñez

Eden Hall K-12 Graduate Assistant
Masters of Sustainability Student, degree expected 2021
Honduras

Tashi Cheozum Lama

Eden Hall K-12 Educator & Data Wizard
Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability student, degree expected 2021
Nepal

Amanda Paduch

K-12 Ecology Educator and Project Support Coordinator
Masters of Sustainability and Business Administration Student, degree expected 2020
USA

Chloe Martin

Eden Hall K-12 Educator & Project Support Coordinator
Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, Secondary Education Certificate, degree expected 2020
USA

Connor Mulvaney

Eden Hall K-12 Social Justice Educator & Project Support Coordinator
Master of Sustainability
Pittsburgh PA USA

Fernando Soriano

Eden Hall K-12 ECology Educator & Project Support Coordinator
Bachelor of Arts in Biology, concentration in Environmental Science
USA

Morgan Block

Eden Hall K-12 Climate Educator & Graduate Assistant
Master of Sustainability 2019
USA

Julia Saintz

Eden Hall K-12 Sustainability Educator & Project Support Coordinator
Master of Sustainability 2019
USA

Emma Meng

Eden Hall K-12 Built Systems Educator & Project Support Coordinator
Bachelors of Sustainability, degree expected 2020
USA

Zoe Davis-Bowers

Eden Hall K-12 Sustainability Educator & Project Support Coordinator
Bachelors of Sustainability, degree expected 2022
USA

Michael Nelson

Eden Hall K-12 Food Systems Educator
Bachelors of Business & Sustainability, degree expected 2020
USA

Ericka Gibson

Eden Hall K-12 Sustainability Educator & Project Support Coordinator
Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education, degree expected fall 2019
USA

Jayashree Iyengar

Eden Hall K-12 Culinary Educator
Master of Arts in Food Studies 2019
India

Patricia Dufane

Eden Hall K-12 Food Systems Educator
Master of Arts in Food Studies 2019
Haiti

Audrey Lomax

Eden Hall K-12 Outdoor Educator
Master of Arts in Food Studies 2019
USA

Danielle San Filippo

Eden Hall K-12 Outdoor Educator
Master of Arts in Food Studies/MBA 2018
USA

Diarra Clarke

Eden Hall K-12 Social Justice Educator
Bachelor of Arts in Women's Entrepreneurship & Institutional Culture 2018
USA

Emma Honcharski

Eden Hall K-12 Ecology Educator & Marketing Coordinator
Bachelor of Science in Sustainability 2018
USA

Kai Kyles

Eden Hall K-12 Social Justice Educator
Master of Arts in Food Studies
USA

Dante Barbetti

Eden Hall Trail and Volunteer Coordinator
Bachelor of Science in Sustainability 2019
USA

Bethany Bookout

Eden Hall Trail and Volunteer Coordinator
Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability 2018
USA

Kelcy Wagner

Eden Hall K-12 Field Trip Coordinator
Master of Sustainability 2017
USA

Cameron Heyder

Eden Hall K-12 Summer Educator
Bachelor of Science in Sustainability 2019
USA

Stacey Jane Victor

Eden Hall K-12 Program Assistant
Master of Arts in Food Studies 2017
Malaysia

Issa Secaira

Eden Hall K-12 Food Systems Educator
Master of Arts in Food Studies 2016
Guatemala

France Gina Beauzil

Eden Hall K-12 Educator
Master of Arts in Food Studies 2016
Haiti

Komal Koodovalli

Eden Hall K-12 Educator
Master of Sustainability 2016
India

Feyisola Alabi

Eden Hall K-12 Program Educator
Master of Sustainability and MBA 2016
Nigeria

Emily Gallivan

Eden Hall K-12 Program Food & Farm Intern
Master of Arts in Food Studies 2015
USA

+Advisory Board

Eden Hall's K-12 Advisory Board helps to drive the direction of school engagement programming coming out of Chatham University's Eden Hall Campus. Board members serve 3-year terms, during which they attend regular meetings to provide feedback and participate in group brainstorming sessions. This group meets 4 times per year with mandatory attendance at 3 out of 4 of these meetings required to maintain board seats. The board is comprised of educators, district administrators, and employees of school partner organizations/initiatives. Public, private and charter schools are all represented.

2020-21 meeting dates are:

• Tues, Sept 22, 2020
• Tues, Nov 17, 2020
• Tues, Feb 9, 2021
• Tues, Apr 6, 2021

Our board also has dedicated seats for specific organizations, schools and districts.

Apply to join our board

Current Board Members and Terms:

• Katie Lockley (2018-2021) - Director, Green and Healthy Schools Academy, Green Building Alliance
• Angelique Drakeford (2018-2021) - Principal & Chief Academic Officer, Urban Academy
• Floyd Cephas Jr. (2018-2021) - Director, FAME
• Nannette Farmar (2018-2021) - Principal, Rowan Elementary, Seneca Valley School District
• Nikole Sheaffer (2018-2021) - Director of Innovation, Communications and Outreach, Environmental Charter School
• Alex Dragon (2018-2021) - Middle School Science Teacher, Falk Lab School
• Steve Cooper (2018-2021) - Outdoor Education Coordinator, PE Teacher & School Nurse, Winchester Thurston
School
• Na-Tisha Washington (2018-2021) - Green Initiative Coordinator, Operation Better Block, Junior Green Corps
• Deborah Domingues-Murphy (2018-2021) - Information Literacy Teacher, City Charter High School
• Darren Myzak (2018-2021) - Biology Teacher, Pine Richland High School
• Kris Hupp (2019-2022) - Director of Technology & Instructional Innovation, Cornell School District
• Julia Saintz (2019 - 2022) - Sustainability Program Coordinator, Evoqua Water Technologies
• Morgan Block (2019 - 2022) - Modernization Project Manager, Housing Authority of City of Pittsburgh
• Michele Hurst (2019 - 2022) - Science Teacher, Hampton Township School District
• Nadine Pisani (2019 - 2022) - 8th Grade Science Teacher, Keystone Oaks Middle School
• Nikki McAllen (2019 - 2022) - Enrichment Teacher, Propel Charter Schools
• Kevin Boden (2019 - 2022) - First Grade Teacher, Manchester Academic Charter School
• Susan Tanski (2019 - 2022) - World Language Teacher, Woodland Hills School District
• Jerone Morris (2019 - 2022) - First Grade Teacher, Faison Elementary School
• Keino Fitzpatrick (2019 - 2022) - Community Schools Site Manager, Pittsburgh King K-8
• Terry Smith (2019 - 2022) - Founder, President and CEO, M-Powerhouse of Greater Pittsburgh
• Rhonda Graham (2019 - 2022) - Science Curriculum Supervisor, Pittsburgh Public Schools

Open Dedicated Seats

• Penn Hills School District (1 seat)
• Clairton City School District (1 seat)
• McKeesport Area School District (1 seat)
• East Allegheny School District (1 seat)
• South Allegheny School District (1 seat)
• Duquesne City School District (1 seat)
• Aliquippa School District (1 seat)
• Sto-Rox School District (1 seat)

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