Kristen Ripley is an art teacher at Amherst Regional Middle School in Amherst, MA. Prior to this year, she taught at Chenery Middle School in Belmont, MA for 11 years and at LaSalle Academy in Providence, RI for 1 year. Kristen has experience teaching undergraduate and graduate art education courses through Tufts/SMFA , mentoring teachers and student teachers from various Boston-area art education programs, writing grants, helping students navigate award and scholarship programs, creatively integrating technology into the art classroom, and partnering with other subject area teachers for arts integration curriculum. Kristen is passionate about the STEAM movement, and works hard to craft curriculum that is rigorous, engaging, and integrated with other subject areas. Her curriculum challenges students to think innovatively and creatively, and examines current and historical events and big ideas through the lens of social justice. Kristen earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and M.Ed. from Harvard Graduate School of Education.