Ola Jachtorowicz

Aleksandra Jachtorowicz – or Ola as you probably know her! – graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in Biology. While at B.C., her interest in environmental studies led to the award of an Advanced Study Grant, allowing her to volunteer at the Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve and Research Station in Napo Valley, Ecuador. She also interned at COSMOS, Australia’s #1 Science Magazine, writing for both print and digital editions. Since then, Ola has worked in science publishing, content creation for strategic consulting, and adult learning. 

Ola is currently an Ed.M. candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education studying ‘Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology’ and a founding member of the ‘Students for Climate Justice’ student group. She splits her time between studying and working as a STEM Education Specialist at the Belmont After School Enrichment Collaborative, leading K-4 learners through projects ranging from soft circuits to leaf pigment chromatography! Ola also has an appointment with the Harvard Forest as a Data and Learning Design Specialist. She is developing a data visualization tool for the Buds, Leaves, and Global Warming K-12 Schoolyard Ecology program, allowing students to investigate the relationship between phenology and climate change. 

Ola is interested in informal learning’s role in scientific literacy, STEM identity, and meaning-making. With additional support from a Sustainability Grant awarded by the Harvard University Office of Sustainability, she hopes to create a set of interpretive signs that invite the Harvard community to consider: what does it mean to truly care for the green spaces around us, like our lawns?