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We’re still accepting applications for this summer, schedule a call for program availability!
We’re still accepting applications for this summer, schedule a call for program availability!
EXPLO President Moira Kelly and Dr. Lindsay Cohen, Spark Admissions, discuss the new playbook for today's college admissions.
Moira joined EXPLO in 1985, started the program for Grades 4–7, and has served as President since 2007. She’s deeply interested in transdisciplinary teaching and learning, student agency, cultivating creativity, and bringing humanity and joy into learning environments. Outside of EXPLO, Moira is the Associate Producer + Director of Educational Outreach for the Commission on Presidential Debates and serves on the National Advisory Board for Bowdoin College Admissions. She was also tapped as one of the non-profit leaders to participate in the Open Leadership Camp hosted by the MIT Media Lab and Mozilla.
An honors graduate of Bowdoin College, Moira earned her J.D. at Boston University School of Law and first-class honors in law at the National University of Ireland, Galway. She is also a Thomas J. Watson Fellow (Canada) and a Rotary Foundation Fellow (England). In her free time, Moira enjoys creating, building, and gardening — almost as much as she loves education.
A wise and compassionate mentor to legions of students and educators, David is a beloved teacher and leader. He began his education career at Northfield Mount Hermon School (NMH), where he taught photography, lived in a dormitory, and coached. He went on to become a House Director, Campus Dean, and eventually, School Dean. While there, he was twice honored with the faculty residential life award. David then moved to Milton Academy, where he was a teacher and Dean of Students. In addition to leading EXPLO Grades 4–7, David consults with and advises independent schools and presents at professional conferences on student life issues. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Ohio University and earned his M.F.A. at Bard College as a Milton Avery Scholar. David is also a nationally recognized fine arts photographer with numerous museum and gallery shows to his credit. David has worked at EXPLO since 1998, and each summer moves to campus, bringing with him his family, including Rosie, a rescue dog who is part border collie and part mystery.
For over 25 years, Natasha has been helping students and teachers find their voices, examine the richness of the human condition, and find inspiration through the written word. Prior to her work at EXPLO, Natasha was the Department Chair for English Language Arts at Wellesley Middle School, where she served on the School’s Leadership Team and the Academic Council for Wellesley Public Schools. While there, she diversified the curriculum with a myriad of books. She has taught at Moses Brown School, Noble and Greenough School, Northfield Mount Hermon Upward Bound, and University of Massachusetts/Noble Upward Bound. Her work with students and educators in both public and private schools with diverse student populations ignited her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion — not only in curriculum building, but also in hiring practices, teacher evaluation, and pedagogy.
Natasha began her EXPLO career as Dean of Students and went on to become Assistant Head before becoming Head of Program. She is a graduate of Bowdoin College, earned her Master’s in Teaching English from Columbia University Teachers College, and earned a second Master’s in Educational Leadership from Endicott College. She is the proud mom of three, a yoga enthusiast, and a passionate and award-winning soup chef.
Creating learning environments that help students find a sense of meaning and purpose has long been Andy’s focus. A scholar/practitioner in the field, Andy’s Master’s thesis in Critical and Creative Thinking from the University of Massachusetts focused on how schools can intentionally build these kinds of environments. Since 2007, Andy has held a variety of senior-level positions at EXPLO — from heading student life programming to overseeing EXPLO’s student advisory program to curriculum development and instructional coaching. He even moves to campus every summer along with his family.
Prior to EXPLO, Andy taught English in several New York public schools, a secondary school in Ghana, and served as literacy headteacher at Kitendo Children’s Charity in Naivasha, Kenya. He earned his B.A. in English and Adolescent Education at the State University of New York, Geneseo. A college varsity swimming career led him to coach high school teams, and he now serves his university alma mater as an Alumni Career Advisor in Education. Andy is the co-founder and co-facilitator of the EXPLO Anti-Racism Reading Group. Andy is an avid woodworker, a distance runner, and recently took up the complex challenge of attempting to coach four year-olds — including his daughter — on the fine art of playing soccer.
For Educators
A division of EXPLO, EXPLO Elevate is a global innovative schools cooperative. Their mission is to help schools design, build, implement, and continuously improve the environments needed for all learners to thrive now and in the future. EXPLO Elevate webinars are free and open to the public.
Subscribe to the EXPLO Newsletter for updates and resources for all your summer enrichment needs.