Nilda Gomez-Katz - School Leader

Nilda Gomez-Katz is the Principal of AEL and has eighteen years of experience as an educator. During this tenure, she has worked with students with severe cognitive and physical disabilities to mild learning disabilities, taught English language learners (ELL) from elementary to secondary school, and has been involved in grant writing and administration. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education/Bilingual Education, a Master of Science in special education and a subsequent Master's in Supervision/Administration. Her belief and practice is that every child has a right to an education that is reflective of his/her cultural heritage and to do so in an environment that is healthy and conducive to learning.


Bilen Berhanu - Lead Partner Contact

Bilen Berhanu is the Program Manager at AEL and Coordinator of Urban Design at Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Mount Holyoke College, where, as an undergraduate, she had the opportunity to conduct field research in eco-village living and learning in Iowa and Hawaii. In that time, she also became a certified Permaculture Designer. After earning her B.A., she first joined the BCUE staff as an Urban Ecology Instructor in 2003. She rejoined the staff this summer after completing her studies at Humboldt State University for an M.A. in Social Sciences in the Environment and Community program. She is currently finishing her master's thesis on food security and community gardens in New York City. In addition to developing and delivering programming that is both relevant and empowering, she is excited to participate in this collaborative effort envisioning new ways to transmit the concept of sustainability into practice in an urban context.