While at West Chester University, Kristin focused on bringing engaging, hands-on science experiences to elementary classrooms. Since then, she has taught in a variety of settings—from a cyber school to five different schools in Philadelphia—and has helped her students participate in activities such as camping, international excursions, lab studies with live animals, creating a school garden, and the U.S. Navy’s SeaPerch robotics competition. Outside of her own classroom, Kristin has co-written science and world cultures curricula for the Philadelphia Water Department, the Smithsonian, and the University of Pennsylvania. During her spare time, Kristin volunteers with Students Run Philly Style, a nonprofit that mentors middle and high school students through long-distance running. When she’s not teaching, her hobbies include foraging, backpacking, spending time with her many pets, practicing yoga, golfing, knitting, crafting, and experiencing a variety of cultures. Kristin now works at a public school in Philadelphia, helping to bring as much passion and enthusiasm for science and the outdoors as possible to kids in West Philly. She is also the gifted education coordinator. This will be Kristin’s sixth summer with Putney Student Travel and her second time leading the Exploration Japan program. She has also led student travel programs focused on climate change and public health with the Columbia Climate School and Harvard’s Chan C-CHANGE, as well as a science-focused program in Switzerland and an engineering and robotics program at MIT.