Jinny Chalmers Day:
1st Annual Celebration
A Celebration of Education Justice
On June 14, 2025, family, friends, and supporters gathered to honor the life and legacy of Jinny Chalmers.
More than 300 people contributed to the day’s success—by running races, sharing food, giving generously, leading activities, and much more. The celebration was filled with joy, connection, and purpose, bringing together loved ones, former Young Achievers students and staff, community partners, and others who share Jinny’s commitment to education justice.
Together, we honored her vision for schools and communities where every child is valued, every family is heard, and every educator is supported—raising over $56,000 for the Jinny Chalmers Fund for Education Justice.
A Day of Community
The celebration was as vibrant as Jinny herself. Attendees enjoyed:
Races
Food
Movement & Music
Fun Activities
Event Highlights
Relive the joy and energy of Jinny Chalmers Day with photos from the event.
The Impact of Your Support
The money raised at Jinny Chalmers Day ensures that the Fund can continue providing grants of up to $10,000 to family, youth, and educator-led initiatives. These grants fuel programs that amplify and deepen practices making schools more inclusive, more connected, and more just.
From trauma-informed classrooms to youth-led projects, from community storytelling to innovative teaching practices, the work of our grantees reflects the values Jinny lived every day. Because of your support, more students will have access to meaningful, empowering educational experiences.
With Gratitude
This day was possible because of the collective effort of so many.
Board of the Jinny Chalmers Fund
Ilene Carver
Maya Feller
Emma Fialka-Feldman
Mona Ford
Leigh James
Jinny Chalmers Day Steering Committee
Ilene Carver
Vinz Feller
Bo Hoppin
Leigh James
Carol Murray
Abby Rodriguez
Speakers
Maya Feller
Briana Cardwell
Chantei Alves
Magalie Neff
Bo Hoppin
Program Leaders & Creators
MC/DJ Yahya Jeffries-EL
Drumming: Kimani Lumsden
Warm-up: Marvin Harris
Photographers: Liana Cosgrove, Phyllis Bretholtz, Tesean Toole
Graphic Design: Ute Zimmermann
Program Mastermind: Vinz Feller
Community Partners
Vendors
Grantee Organizations Who Participated
Volunteers, Participants, & Contributors
Honor Roll (see full list):
| Aaron Yanes | Abby Rodriguez | Adriana Costache | Aketa Kapur | Alan Carver |
| Alexei Nichols | Alicia Wedderburn | Alzaria Toole | Alyssa Hughes | Aminga YSDP |
| Amy Poliakoff | Anaïs Feller | Andrea | Andrew Bendheim | Andrew Klein |
| Ann and Peter Demong | Ann Juergens | Anne Eisner | Anne Kaufman | Anne McHugh |
| Annie Shah-Solle | Annmarie Quezada | Anthony Curl | Anthony Reid | Barbara Gates |
| Betsy Abrams | Betsy Drinan | Bianca Pierre | Bo Hoppin | Bonnie Kanter |
| Boston Teachers Union | Brenda Coaston-Lewis | Brian Kamerzel | Briana Cardwell | Brooke Hallock |
| C Clyde Jones | Cambridge and Beyond Friends of Lynne and Phyllis | Cameron Jury | Carol Murray | Carolyn Chalmers & Eric Janus |
| Carrie Hogan | Carver Fishman Team | Cassandra Reese | Chalmers-Montana | Chantei Alves |
| Cheryl Settens | Christine Doyle | Christine Letts | Cinthia Colon | Colleen Doherty |
| Crisanne Hazen | Dan French | Danette English | Dave Slaney | David Rice |
| Deb and Jim DeHart | Debbie Kernochan | Deborah Baye | Deborah Umbrello | Dick Monks |
| Don Gillis | Drew Echelson | Drucilla Carter | Eddie Shamay | Edna Amora |
| Elaine Fersh | Elise Pechter | Elizabeth Stephenson | Ellen Israel | Ellen Wolpert |
| Em Sloan | Emily Sedgwick | Emily Shamieh | Emma Fialka-Feldman | Enid Eckstein |
| Erik & Jill Berg | Evelyn Vazquez | Evie Weinstein-Park | Farah Annylusse | Farah Wong |
| Fran Perkins | Fran Roznowski | Fran Smith | Gene Bruskin | Genet Mehari |
| Geoff Chalmers | Gerrie Casey | Georgia Patterson | Glennys and Gael Moya | Gloria Valentin |
| Grace Licorish Wade | Greg James | Haley School team | Hazel McCarthy | Heidi Fessenden |
| Helen Meyer | Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership | Ilene Carver | Indigenous Cultures Institute | Irischa Valentin |
| Isaac Lazaroff | Isabel Schooler | Jacqueline Durant | Jacqui Alexander | James & Josie Chalmers |
| James Curtin | Jamaya Ertha | Jamy | Janaka Stucky | Janice & Michael O’Keefe |
| Janice & Rich Fialka-Feldman | Jean Herrington | Jehan Browne | Jena Chalmers | Jenna Hadley-Goss |
| Jennie & Walker McDonald-Brown | Jennifer Chaponis | Jennifer Mathews | Jennifer Singer | Jeri Levitt |
| Jessica Rankin | Jessica Tang | Jessica Wenning | Jillian Perreira | Jinny’s Minnesota Team |
| Joan Green | Joanie Parker | John & Diane Herman | John Carver | John Chalmers |
| John Licorish | John McCarthy | John Quezada | Johnny Mac | Jomila Smith |
| Jonathan Rodrigues | Josette Teneus | Judith Lazarus | Julie Gibbons | Julie Johnson |
| Julie Knopp | Julie Slade | June Handy | Karen Fraser | Karla |
| Kat Vidt | Kate O’Brien | Katharine Scheid | Katherine Grassa | Kathleen Fargione |
| Kathy Roberts | Kellie Sullivan | Ken Geiser | Keshia Cook | Kevin Murray |
| Kimberly Bennett | Kris Grymonpre | Kris Taylor | Kristian Dodson | Larry Fishman & Wendy Valentine |
| Latisha | Laura Derman | Laura Gang | Lauren Bernstein | Laurie Hutcheson |
| Leah Janus | Leftovers and Friends | Leigh Vaughan-James | Leslie Cohen | Leslie Fishman |
| Leslye Grant | Liana Cosgrove | Lisa Carter & family | Luanne Grossman | Lynne Godfrey |
| Lynne Hall | Lynne, Bruce and Brian Man | Magalie Neff | Marcie R Osinsky | Mardge Cohen |
| Maria Amora | Maria Knight | Marial Quezada | Marilyn Morrissey | Marissa |
| Maritza Agrait | Mark Gibbons | Marsa Kindl-Omuse | Martha Matlaw & Michael Weinstein | Margaret Jay Braatz |
| Marjoriie & Jeff Crosby | Mary Austin | Marynel Sanchez | Matthew Ruggiero | Maureen Murray Lewis |
| Maya and Nora Haddadi | Maya Feller | Meg and Steve Swanson | Megan Murray | Megan Wolf |
| Meghan Henshall | Michael Granne | Michael Gregory | Michal Rubin: Cambridge Community Foundation | Michele Gladieux |
| Mike Chalmers | Millynnia Lewis | Molly Bryson | Nadia Shira Cohen | Nadia Torres |
| Nakysha Allen | Nancy Carlsson-Paige | Nancy Horowitz | Nancy Lessin | Nancy Stevens |
| Natalia Cuadra-Saez | Natasha Srivastava | Ned and Alison Demong | Niya Benefield-Jones | Omega Roberts |
| Olivio Franty | Pam Seemore | Parker Feller | Patricia Hannum | Patrick Sherlock |
| Patty Hnatiuk | Paul and Paula Maccabee | Paul Tritter | Peter Bachman & Janice Rice | Peter Creighton |
| Petra Hoebel | Phyllis Bretholtz | Princess Bryant | Rachel Bader | Rachel Klein |
| Rachel Wyon | Raghida Jeranian | Reid Jones | Robyn Walker-Spencer | Roger Clap Community |
| Ron Carver & Barbara Doherty | Rosalie Anders | Rosalind Thomas-Clark | Rosann Tung | Sabine Ferdinand Ragno |
| Sally Benbasset | Samuel McCarthy | Sandy Shea | Sara Evans & Chuck Dayton | Sarah Ko |
| Sarah T Axelrod | Seth Chalmers | Shakera, Mona and Ava Grace Ford Walker | Shanay | Shantae Toole |
| Sharon Lakes | Sharryn Ross | Sonya James | Stacey Harris | Steve Meecham |
| Steven & Elizabeth Lewenberg | Stevenson Family | Stuart Levine | Students Speak | Sua Im |
| Sue Chalmers Deacon | Susan DeAngelis | Susan St John | Susan Winning | Suzanne Mann |
| Suzanne Mathews | Syreeta Graham | Tasheena Burnett | Tesean Toole | The Singers |
| Tiffany Young | Tollee Graham & Mike Felsen | Tom Sieniewicz | Tony Palomba | Tracy Curtin |
| Tuesday Walkers, families and friends | Venecia Mumford | Vinz Feller | Walter & Gail Willett | Wells Dow |
| Wendy Forbush | Wendy Lahey | Xiaodong Iris Zhao | Young Achievers School | Yvonne Cordero |
| Zahida Vides | Zina Gomes | Zoe Yang |
Keep Jinny’s Legacy Going
There are many ways to continue the spirit of Jinny Chalmers Day:
Donate
It’s not too late to contribute and help the Fund expand its support for education justice.
Nominate or Share
Encourage organizations or initiatives aligned with Jinny’s vision to apply for grants. Share our application or reach out to info@jinnychalmers.org with recommendations.
Explore
Discover stories about our grantees and their transformative work.