Meet the Fellows: Morningside Academy for Design/WPS Spring '25 Teacher Innovation Cohort

Together with our partners at MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MAD), we kicked off an exciting new fellowship program. WPS is collaborating with the team at MAD to develop an open-source library of instructional activities that will introduce students to design learning. Engaging teachers in the development process is critical and we're grateful to be working with a dedicated cohort of educators this spring. Teacher Fellows will be piloting cutting-edge curriculum in their classroom.

Spring '25 Fellows

Jess Toupin is in her fourth year of teaching high school math and proud to be in her third year at Arlington High School. Before joining AHS, she was a math teacher at the project-based learning Innovation Academy Charter School. She enjoys building meaningful relationships with students, collaboratively designing application based projects, and singing classical music when she isn't in the classroom. Ms. Toupin is originally from Dracut, MA but spent the past few years in Montreal, QC. She currently lives in Somerville, MA. 

Evan Milstein-Greengart is an English Language Arts educator with 10 years of experience, primarily teaching 9th grade. He is passionate about guiding students not only in reading and writing but also in developing professional skills that lead to long-term success beyond the classroom. Evan holds a BA in English and Psychology, an M.Ed. in Secondary Education, and a CAGS in Educational Leadership. He is dedicated to creating an accessible, technology-integrated curriculum that incorporates graphic design elements, hoping to inspire joy and provide meaningful support in students' educational journeys.

Erin Roth is an art educator who holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree from the Massachusetts College of Art & Design. For the past 7 years she has taught graphic design and fine art courses at Excel High School in South Boston. As an art teacher, Erin uses design thinking and art practices to teach her students how to think creatively, work collaboratively, give and receive feedback, revise their work, plan, and reflect. Erin believes in the power of public education and uses art & design to empower her students to reimagine and design the world they want to live in.

Tori Saia (she/her) is an Educator/Advisor II who works with young people at entrepreneurship & design education-based youth organization, The Possible Zone, in Boston, Massachusetts. There, Tori teaches a range of STEAM-focused courses to BPS high school students as they explore, plan, and launch their own creative endeavors. She grew up in Massachusetts and her favorite teacher ever is her mother, a multi-faceted artist, who taught Tori that creativity, care, and curiosity are vital.

As a trained English Language Arts teacher, she believes deeply in literacy as a liberatory practice and served for three years as a high school English teacher in Greater Boston. Tori has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Gender Studies from Columbia University and a Master of Arts in Teaching in English education from Tufts University. Before joining The Possible Zone, she worked for several years in various civic education non-profits as a part of small teams supporting a range of pilot programs – from promoting media literacy education to supporting youth social action projects to training teachers to implement inquiry-based learning. Outside of work, Tori can be found reading, gardening, or baking for family and friends.

Sutikshna Veeravalli is an educator specializing in special education, based in Brookline, Massachusetts. With a strong commitment to supporting diverse learning needs, she works to create inclusive educational experiences and opportunities for all students. Her innovation ideas have earned her a grant from the Brookline Education Foundation.

Beyond her work in classrooms, Sutikshna is a performing musician and dancer pursuing traditional Indian arts. She believes intersections of education and arts can cultivate communal understanding and empowerment for individuals with disabilities. Her intersectional projects so far have included interactive art performances, educational public art installations, adaptations of cross-cultural children's stories into performance, and her own performances as an artiste with a physical disability.

By integrating education and arts, Sutikshna works to build more holistic and accessible communities.

Not pictured:

• Cedric Jacobson

• Dominic Copeland

• Becca Simonson

• Melisa Paulino-Smith

• Rachel Williams-Giordano

Fellowship Program Team

Rosa Weinberg

K-12 Design Education Lead

MIT Morningside Academy for Design

Rachel Adams

Program Manager

WPS Institute

Ms. Marion O. Cunningham

Associate Director, Administration

MIT Morningside Academy for Design

Laura Tavares

Executive Director

WPS Institute

Anna Leonhard Lacerda

Dir. Program Management

WPS Institute

Want to learn more about the Teacher Innovation Fellowship? Contact us at designPD@mit.edu

-----

The WPS Institute creates innovative programs and partnerships to transform learning. We advance models of schooling where learning thrives everywhere, in classrooms and beyond; where students and their families are empowered to shape their own educational journeys; and where entire communities contribute to the development of young people.