About us
Green Across the World, Inc. (GATW) was established as a corporation in 2000, and received Federal 501(c)(3) not for profit status in May 2001. Peter Lynch, GATW’s Founder & Executive Director, has developed partners and associations that place the organization in a strong position to carry out long term and sustainable exchange and curricular programs for middle and high school students and teachers between Vermont, China, Senegal, Japan, and Bhutan. Travel and virtual exchanges are available depending on the country involved. We believe that effective, long term cultural and environmental exchange between North America, Africa, and Asia is beneficial to developing international relations aimed at promoting peace and reasonable prosperity.
Our Mission
Mission
Green Across the World seeks to improve cultural and environmental awareness and cooperation around the world.
To this end, Green Across the World conducts exchange programs that function to establish an international community of learners
Goals
Through providing this unique, memorable experience of travel, connection, and learning, we aspire to:
- Connect young people
- Encourage a network of lifetime friendships
- Increase awareness for diversity & culture
- Provide a foundation for thought leadership
- Build a network of students and teachers to foster learning and growth
Our Program
We conduct exchange and apprenticeship programs for students across the world to foster learning, cultural appreciation, and open-mindedness, and empower the next generation to make the world a better place.
We would love for you to join our program.
Please contact us today to learn more.
Quinn Longbothum
Chair
Quinn Longbothum joined the board of Green Across the World 2 years ago and has been driving board engagement focused on business continuity throughout the pandemic and evolution as a tech-enabled organization in order to develop an online exchange that encourages students and teachers to engage, collaborate, ideate, grow & develop.
Quinn has been working in digital marketing and technology for the past 10 years at a startup in San Francisco, then Dealer.com in Burlington, VT and now as a senior leader at New Breed Marketing, Burlington, VT.
Outside of work, she enjoys skiing, any beach time, lake or ocean and travel of all kinds, with her partner Greg and three kids Liam 12, Ruth 10 and Amira 7.
Andreas Nolte
Vice Chair
Andreas Nolte has been a part of GATW since 2012. He was born in Bremen, Germany, and has lived in the US for more than 30 years. As a business teacher at Burlington High School, Vermont, he has facilitated student exchanges with Tottori/Japan students.
Before becoming a teacher, Andreas has worked as a Financial Controller for multiple German-based companies in the US. Because of his international work assignments and travels, he has developed a strong appreciation for how important and beneficial it is to provide young people with opportunities to develop their cultural literacy and open-mindedness through student exchanges.
Andreas enjoys reading, writing, traveling, exercising, and relaxing with his wife, Lisa, by the shores of beautiful Lake Champlain.
July Sanders
Treasurer
July Sander is the owner of The Green Lily in Burlington, Vermont and has been a board member for over 5 years.
Meagan Van Woert
Secretary
Meagan Van Woert has been working with Green Across the World for over 15 years. She is an active board member, secretary and manages our digital marketing and technology for the organization. She has recently brought on a robust team of digital marketing professionals to help evolve our platform, which is the future of virtual exchange.
Meagan has a BS in Website Development and Management and an MBA in Performance Management and has been working in technology for Dealer.com over the past 10 years.
Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor activities, in all seasons, with her husband Dan and son Asher, 2 years old.
Board Members
Joshua Benes
Board Member
Joshua Benes is a 2006-2007 alum of Green Across the World. Through exchange study in Vermont and Guangdong, China, Josh developed an interest in Environmental Science. He has become an advocate for pluralism, diversity, and bringing different organizations and people together to become better stewards of our planet.
Josh holds Bachelor’s and Master’s from the University of Vermont. Josh has served as the Executive Director for the Golden Sands Resource Conservation and Development Council in Wisconsin before returning to Vermont where he now works as the Assistant Director for Operations for the Mount Mansfield Science and Stewardship Center at the University of Vermont.
In his free time, Josh loves to hike, bike, and kayak with his wife, dog, and two sons. He also enjoys downhill skiing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and skijoring.
Michael Krasnow
Board Member
Michael Krasnow joined the Board of GATW early in 2018. Michael earned combined degrees in Sociology, Urban Education, and African and African-American Studies from Brandeis and Tufts Universities.
He taught for 14 years in the Boston area, including 12 years at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, where he founded and directed the largest high school ski program in the country.
Michael has extensive experience with youth outdoor and environmental education both in and out of country.
For GATW, Michael works with the Director of International Outreach, Adama Ndiaye, with an eye toward post pandemic student trips to Senegal.
Michael, his wife, and 2 infant sons moved to Charlotte, Vermont, in 1989 where he is actively engaged in the community. Michael has served as Justice of the Peace, Chair of the Board of Civil Authority, Director of Charlotte Central School Ski + Ride, and he is on the Board of ThinkMD, a global health organization.
Michael enjoys people, basketball, skiing, tennis, hiking, kayaking, body-surfing, and gardening; and he most enjoys spending time playing with his 3 grandchildren and their parents.
Peter Lynch
Board Member & Executive Director
Peter serves as the President and founding Executive Director of Green Across the World, Inc.
Peter is a biologist who taught science in both public and private high schools for two decades. While on a biology field trip to South China in 1996, Peter met with School Officials at the Affiliated High School of South China Normal University in Guangzhou, China, and it was decided to begin an exchange program. Highly successful travel and virtual exchanges based on Cultural and Environmental for Chinese, Japanese, Senegalese, Bhutanese and North American students.
Peter and his wife Jessica raised two now grown children at their home in Shoreham, Vermont. Peter enjoys cooking, gardening, carpentry, cycling, hiking, snow shoeing, and Nordic skiing as well as time in the field with students.
Smith Tylor McKay
Board Member
Smith is a board member joining us from Cambridge, Vermont.
Thomas Merkel
Board Member
Thomas Merkel is a board member joining us from Fair Haven, Vermont.
Holly Prievo
Board Member
Holly Prievo has recently joined the board and brings her eye for copy and content writing to GATW projects. With a master’s degree in Global Sustainability and a concentration in sustainable tourism, she founded The Guilty Granola, LLC, where she provides copywriting, communications, and marketing services and strategy to sustainable brands across a variety of sectors, from sustainable tourism, health and beauty, renewable energy, recycled materials, and other mission-driven businesses.
The Green Across the World vision and mission speaks directly to her passion for people, nature, and learning through exploration.
Rob Reardon
Board Member
Rob has been on the GATW Board of Directors for over one year. Rob worked at Essex High School from 1980 and retired in June, 2020. The first twenty-four years Rob was a teacher, athletic coach, and class advisor. The last sixteen years Rob was Principal.
Rob is currently serving as Treasurer on the One Credit Union Board of Directors. He has served in this role for twenty-one years. Rob traveled to South Korea in 2007, China in 2008, and Japan in 2014. Rob helped foster positive relations on numerous exchange programs at Essex High School, including Essex and Burlington High School students with Tottori Prefecture in Japan.
Rob and his wife Mary, have two adult children, Jeffrey and Amanda. Rob enjoys running, biking, hiking, and reading.