Gardner reaps the rewards
A crowd of more than 100 teachers, school leaders, children, parents, Allston-Brighton residents, and Harvard University officials recently gathered at the Harvard Business School to encourage support for the Gardner Pilot Academy (GPA) and honor Lisa Moellman, the recipient of the second annual Gardner Champion Award. GPA, located in Allston, serves 360 students from kindergarten through grade six, and plans to expand its program to the eighth grade in the next two years. More than 60 percent of its student body is learning English as a second language, and 85 percent of its students live at or below the poverty line. Eight years ago, Moellman and her colleagues at the Harvard Achievement Support Initiative (HASI) began a relationship with the school, offering teaching and learning assistance during after-school hours. “Lisa is all about connecting real research with real learning,” said Erica Herman, principal of GPA. “Her countless hours of consulting and professional...