Katie Cohen (M.Ed) is a middle school science teacher in Oak Park, CA.  With a background in environmental science, she develops and teaches hands-on science curricula for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at Medea Creek Middle School.  Katie trained for 3 years with UCLA's Critical Thinking Institute and was instrumental in founding the Oak Park Inquiry Institute, which introduces and fosters inquiry-based learning principles to both students and teachers in districts around Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Katie is an active participant in her award-winning district environmental committee, bringing environmentally focused education and service learning programs to the district and local community. In 2016 she designed the specification for an educational garden, and, in conjunction with the Ventura County Innovates program, is currently creating an NGSS-aligned curriculum for 6th-8th grade students as an introduction to agriculture and the environment.  Katie is thrilled to join Earth Echo International and Northrup Grumman's Water By Design program and to deepen her understanding of local environmental concerns.