Chris Donnelly & Mia Lefkowitz Bio

Hello, my name is Chris Donnelly. I teach at Boston Green Academy, an innovative 6-12 Boston Public School and the only school in the Boston Public Schools district with a Green mission. BGA serves and empowers a diverse population of students, 94% of whom are BIPOC, 80% of whom are “economically disadvantaged”, and 32% of whom are students with disabilities.

Six years ago, I helped found a four year (9-12) Environmental Science Career and Technical Education pathway at BGA that begins in a student’s freshman year and concludes with their graduation from high school. Eight years ago, I got hired at BGA to teach the 10th grade Environmental Science class in Room 206. Unbeknownst to me at the time, my future wife was teaching ESL in Room 205! Ms. Lefkowitz (aka my wife), has worked at BGA for 10 years. She teaches ESL through the lens of Social Studies and Science to help her students learn the English language. The majority of her students are from Central America and many of her students are in my classes as well. We are applying to the Pat Cooke Fellowship Program together as a means to deepen our understanding of the intersection between community development and the preservation of biodiversity and cultural identity.