Kaitlyn Pettinga

at American International School of Vienna

Kaitlyn is currently working as the Middle School Learning Specialist at the American International School Vienna. Prior to moving to Vienna she worked as a teacher and school counselor at Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok, Thailand where she had the opportunity to spearhead the development of the curriculum for global citizenship and sustainability. Using the Millenium Development Goals as a framework for topic selection, Kaitlyn designed and delivered a 12 unit, 3 year curriculum for students in grades 6-8. With the introduction of the new Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, Kaitlyn expanded her curriculum to connect to the school wide service learning program, developing cross-curricular projects at every level, elementary, middle, and high schools.

She also helped organize a multi-school, student led service conference, where students learned about, experienced, and developed solutions centered on the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Kaitlyn would love to see these programs expanded into schools around Europe and is excited to share the great work she was a part of in Asia. Kaitlyn's passion for education and advocating for those marginalized stems from her work as a family therapist working with children in the foster care system and her first years teaching special education in the South Bronx, NYC.

She is passionate about helping schools, administrators, and teachers create engaging lessons and projects that help all students feel empowered to make a difference in our world. She is currently working on her administrative credential through Johns Hopkins University with the ultimate goal of one day opening her own school. When she's not working, Kaitlyn is busy chasing her toddler around and traveling with her better half, Kirk.