My Uganda Team!

Kirstin Bullington, Science and Engineering Teacher

W.J. Keenan High School
Columbia, South Carolina
Kirstin Bullington has been teaching science and engineering for the past ten years at W.J. Keenan High School in Columbia, SC. Her students range in age from 14-18. Kirstin also mentors the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics team at her school, as well as community junior FIRST Lego League teams (ages 6-9) within the community. Kirstin received her bachelors' degrees in biology and music from the University of Evansville in 1999, and her master's degree in international health in 2002 from Tulane University. Prior to teaching, she served as a health specialist volunteer in the Peace Corps, Togo. Her primary objective for participating in TGC is to bring a greater global perspective to her classroom, in order to better prepare her students to become productive global citizens.

Diana Gibson, Chemistry Teacher

Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy, Capitol Hill Campus
Washington, D.C.
Diana Gibson has been teaching chemistry at Cesar Chavez PCS since 2012.  She teaches mainly juniors, ranging in age from 16-17, and on average, there are 22 students in her class.  Diana sponsors the Wilderness Leadership and Learning program at her school, where students learn personal leadership, goal-setting, and positive risk-taking through wilderness and life-skill challenges.  Partnering with Georgetown University’s RISE and Teach program, Diana has also supervised and mentored student teachers in her classroom.  She serves as a part of the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s Science Leaders Cadre, and has been recognized at her school for increasing student engagement and using hands-on, accessible instruction.  Previously, from 2009-2012, Diana taught a wide variety of science subjects to grades 8-11 at Escuela Bilingüe Honduras, a private bilingual school in Comayagua, Honduras. After attending one of the nation’s top science and technology public high schools (Thomas Jefferson HS in Alexandria, VA), Diana got her Bachelor of Science degree in geology from the College of William and Mary in 2004.  She earned her Master of Education degree, focusing in curriculum, instruction, and environmental education from Concordia University of Portland in 2012. Her primary objectives for participating in TGC are to gain insight on instructional techniques used globally, and to develop cross-cultural understanding exercises that can be used in her classroom.  She also wants to positively impact the curriculum and development of Ceiba, an experiential learning program in Guatemala for which she serves as a board member.