PreK-8th Grade Outdoor Learning Teacher in Chicago, IL
Ancona School
2025-26 Fellow: Chris has been the Ancona School’s outdoor educator for nine years. In addition to working with every student weekly, he manages three campus gardens and school sustainability efforts. He cooks frequently with students and is excited to discover new and better student recipes via Pilot Light. A friend who’s a former Pilot Light Fellow influenced Chris to apply for the fellowship.
Favorite Food Education Standard: FES #3 – Food and the environment are interconnected.
I’m a longtime gardener, horticulturist, and environmentalist, so for me this standard is a natural, pun intended.
A Favorite Food Memory or Recipe:
Working my childhood garden with my family. It wasn’t just the fresh tomatoes and green beans I loved. As a very young child, a toddler even, I was an earth eater. I would scoop up soil with my trowel to chew and swallow.
What I’m Most Excited About as a New Fellow:
I am looking forward to learning from the other fellows and improving the breadth and depth of my teaching around food.
