About Me

Kelly Marie Johnston is based in New York City, where she works on various education projects related to cross-cultural exchange, conflict resolution, and reflective teaching practices. She is currently engaged as a facilitator for the Soliya Connect Program, where she has worked with students and co-facilitators from Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and North America. Kelly enjoys bringing her years of experience in language and area studies, time spent living abroad, and her work in conflict resolution to the Connect Program in order to help participants acquire the tools needed for successful and peaceful cross-cultural dialogue and understanding. She discussed her work with Soliya at the 2011 Global Washington Annual Conference.

She also carries out  research and content development for Teachers Without Borders, where she is building an online course that introduces the theory, value, and practical applications of reflective teaching practices. The course, once it is completed, will be available to teachers around the world via Teachers Without Borders on the Nixty platform.

Kelly graduated summa cum laude from Drexel University’s Global and International Education/Peace Education Master of Science program. Her master’s thesis was an action research study of an informal education program called BookWorks. She designed an instrument that enables tutors to undertake reflective teaching practices and apply conflict analysis tools to uncover what best supports teaching and learning in this unique environment.

She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003, where she took her BA in Middle East Studies and focused on modern history and Arabic and Persian-Farsi language study. Upon graduation, she moved abroad and spent three years in Cairo, Egypt and four years in Tokyo, Japan living and working as an EFL instructor in formal and informal environments. She currently teaches two one-hour EFL classes per week via Skype to an Afghan girl and serves as a mentor for Infinite Family and PeaceXPeace.

Kelly is passionate about teaching and learning, particularly in challenging and diverse environments. She was recently accepted as a New York City Teaching Fellow, and hopes to join the NYC Public School system as a classroom teacher and advocate for at-risk youth.