Staff
Executive Director & Founder
Thor Snilsberg
Founding director, Thor Snilberg brings CityScience experience from all three sectors of the economy: public, private, and nonprofit. He began his career as an Accenture technology consultant and as a labor market analyst for the State of Minnesota before enrolling at Cornell University for a Masters in Urban Planning. While at Cornell, Thor conducted and published research on the Early Childhood economic sector and focused on the relationship between the fields of urban planning and design. Drawn to New York City by its planning dialogue, Thor worked with the Project for Public Spaces where he led a series of urban planning projects that transformed auto centric streets into pedestrian plazas.
While working on sustainable and civic streetscapes, Thor taught part-time with the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment. During this time Thor experienced the effectiveness of a hands-on and place-based approach to teaching science. When BCUE closed, Thor stepped forward to continue the time-tested curriculum, and to develop new ways that improve science education that support teachers and spark students’ interest in science.
Thor’s engagement in education issues began as an undergraduate when he first volunteered as a mentor, tutoring middle-school students in language and math. Throughout the years, Thor has continued to mentor youth and volunteer for educational organizations. These experiences have developed into his belief that children crave stimulating learning experiences and his commitment to science education and equality.
CityScience Instructors and Professional Development Coaches
Chiara Di Palma
Chiara, has taught, developed curriculum, and lead professional development programs as the Program Manager for Urban Education at the Center for the Urban Environment. When coaching teachers, Chiara builds confidence in inquiry and project-based teaching techniques. Chiara has also taught environmental education for the New York Botanical Gardens and the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Currently, Chiara is a freelance curriculum writer for the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy and graduate student in landscape architecture.
Ethan Kerr
Ethan has facilitated and designed inquiry-based environmental education for over 10 years. He focuses on empowering young people to take ownership over their own education as well as creating inclusive learning environments for all participants. Playing with pill bugs and climbing trees his entire life, Ethan has worked with Thompson Island Outward Bound, Naturalists at Large, OBA Inc., and the Boston Natural Areas Network. Ethan cherishes connecting people to the earth, water, sky and the fire in us all.
Elias Lopez
Elias Lopez is a bilingual instructor who specializes in sparking science in early childhood settings. Seemingly always at one with nature, Elias enjoyed Scouts as a youth and studied biology and chemistry at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. As a student Elias realized his aptitude for Environmental Education while working as an educator at Universum, Mexico City’s preeminent Museum of Science. In New York City, Elias has over five years experience with CityScience’s curriculum and is a valuable resource and coach for early childhood instructors interested in strategies for introducing science to children three to eight years of age.
Phyllis Quinones
Phyllis has a Bachelor of Science in Education from the City College of New York and seven years teaching experience with CityScience’s curriculum. Phyllis enjoys working with after-school coordinators to develop, implement, and instruct academic enrichment programs and out of school time learning curriculum.
Jacqueline Roytman
Jacqui Roytman has 25 years experience teaching academic enrichment programs in New York City. Currently, Jacqui teaches middle-school science and environmental education at Bank Street College’ Liberty LEADS program and is also the K-8th grade art teacher at Bay Ridge Preparatory school. Combining her love of plants, container gardening, and science education Jacqui founded the Art Garden in Bay Ridge where she has developed an early childhood program, SNAP to Grow.
Margaret Stevens
Margaret is an enthusiast for the natural environment who enjoys the research necessary to write place-based curriculum. She has worked as an exhibit explainer in the American Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Conservatory, a teacher at the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment, Solar One, and the Audubon Center in Prospect Park.
CityScience Interns
Obed Danlami
An emerging leader in his home country of Nigeria, Obed is currently a Ford Foundation International Fellow completing a Master of Science in Environmental Studies at Antioch University New England. Obed has a BS in chemistry, a postgraduate diploma in education, and a wealth of experience leading community development projects. Adept at infusing community projects with education, Obed’s expertise brings agency and inquiry to CityScience’s programs.
Melissa Goldin
Melissa is currently a student at the University of Rochester where she is majoring in English with a concentration in language, media and communication. While at school she works as a news editor and reporter on the school newspaper, the Campus Times, and as the organizational manager on the art and literature journal, Logos. This summer Melissa will build community by writing about CityScience’s programs and projects.
What's Happening
Check out the CityScience Classroom and Project Grants page that was recently updated!
It's one thing to read about science in a book, but the light bulb goes on when kids get involved in aMichael Amoroso PS 107, Chair of the Green Committee
hands-on project.