This is part of a series of

2025 National Lowell Milken Center Fellows.

FORT SCOTT, KS – June 1, 2025 – The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in

Fort Scott, Kansas, an international educational non-profit, has awarded its prestigious

Fellowship to Jordann Lankford-Forster (Bright Trail Woman), an Indigenous Education for All instructional coach and educator at Great Falls Public Schools in Great Falls, MT. Jordann will arrive in Fort Scott on June 22nd for a week of collaboration with LMC staff and the other members of the Fellowship.

The LMC Fellowship is a merit-based award for educators of all disciplines who value the importance of teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning. The Center selects exemplary teachers from the United States and around the world who will collaborate on projects that discover, develop, and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history.

Jordann Lankford-Forster, an Indigenous Education for All instructional coach and teacher from Great Falls, MT, has been honored to receive the Montana Indigenous Teacher of the Year Award and named the 2022 Montana History Teacher of the Year. Due largely to Jordann’s leadership, American Indian Studies is a popular subject at Paris Gibson Education Center and encourages students to learn about historical, cultural, and contemporary information concerning American Indian people.

Jordann also assists other educators within her district and state in embedding cultural content into their classrooms and learning spaces. She serves as the Chairwoman of the Montana Advisory Council on Indian Education, the President of the Potlatch Fund, and a Montana representative for the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “We are so excited to have Jordann, our first Fellow from Montana, as part of the Lowell Milken Center Fellowship. As an award-winning instructional coach for Indigenous Education, she brings a unique cultural perspective and will be a valuable resource for the discovery of many new Unsung Heroes.”

While in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources, and support in helping students cultivate a passion for learning by creating projects that initiate positive change. Fellows will be equipped to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students, applying and evaluating the stories of these role models who have changed the world throughout history.

This is part of a series of

 2025 National Lowell Milken Center Fellows.

FORT SCOTT, KS – June 1, 2025 – The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, an international educational non-profit, has awarded its prestigious Fellowship to Jennifer Barletto Klein, a high school social studies teacher at Weston High School in Weston, CT. Jennifer will arrive in Fort Scott on June 22nd for a week of collaboration with LMC staff and the other members of the Fellowship.

The LMC Fellowship is a merit-based award for educators of all disciplines who value the importance of teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning. The Center selects exemplary teachers from the United States and around the world who will collaborate on projects that discover, develop, and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history.

Jennifer Barletto Klein, a social studies teacher at Weston High School in Weston, CT, received international recognition from Yad Vashem in 2023 and was selected as a 2024 Auschwitz-Birkenau Fellow. She strives to cultivate a reflective classroom environment, encouraging students to participate in open discussions and develop critical thinking skills. She teaches both in a traditional classroom setting, including at the AP level, and in an alternative educational program that provides students with smaller class sizes and a more supportive environment. She is an advisor to the Jewish Student Union and has been involved in programming to combat antisemitism and hate.

In recent years, Jennifer has been particularly engaged in Holocaust education and participated in a Holocaust education program with Echoes and Reflections at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem and traveled to Warsaw, Krakow, and Auschwitz-Birkenau as part of her fellowship. Her semester-long course, Facing History and Ourselves, which examines the Holocaust through a sociological lens, has been deeply enriched by her scholarly pursuits and international experiences.

LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Jennifer is a trailblazer in Holocaust Education, receiving national recognition by Yad Vashem. Her passion for engaging students with history and its impact on current times ties in with the mission of the Lowell Milken Center. Jennifer will be a great resource for our Fellows seeking to help students create connections between unsung heroes from the past and their own roles in the world today.”

While in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources, and support in helping students cultivate a passion for learning by creating projects that initiate positive change. Fellows will be equipped to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students, applying and evaluating the stories of these role models who have changed the world throughout history.

This is part of a series on the

2025 National Lowell Milken Center Fellows.

The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, an international educational non-profit, has awarded its prestigious Fellowship to Alex Lahasky, a Social Studies teacher at Blue Valley West High in Overland Park, KS. Alex will arrive in Fort Scott on June 15th for a week of collaboration with LMC staff and the other members of the Fellowship.

The LMC Fellowship is a merit-based award for educators of all disciplines who value the importance of teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning. The Center selects exemplary teachers from the United States and around the world who will collaborate on projects that discover, develop, and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history.

Alex Lahasky, a ­­­­social studies teacher from Overland Park, KS, was recognized as a 2023 Kansas Milken Educator. AP US History is a popular subject at Blue Valley West High School, as Lahasky empowers his students to succeed and excel by fostering open discussion and critical thinking skills. His students consistently surpass state and global pass rates on the AP History exams. Lahasky also aims to develop empathy and interpersonal skills through the exercise of historical thinking.

Within his school, Lahasky serves as social studies department chair, sits on the building leadership team, facilitates a mentor program for new teachers, and is an assistant baseball coach. His measured and methodical leadership fosters a dialogue that has created positive change in school administration and culture.

LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Alex’s innovative lessons fuel his students’ passion for the past and help them make connections to the present. His strong research and literary skills will provide a unique project development resource for the 2025 team of Fellows.”

While in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources, and support in helping students cultivate a passion for learning by creating projects that initiate positive change. Fellows will be equipped to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students, applying and evaluating the stories of these role models who have changed the world throughout history.

Thjs is part of a series of 

 2025 National Lowell Milken Center Fellows.

FORT SCOTT, KS – June 1, 2025 – The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, an international educational non-profit, has awarded its prestigious Fellowship to Jay Weisman, a geometry and statistics teacher at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, LA. Jay will arrive in Fort Scott on June 15th for a week of collaboration with LMC staff and the other members of the Fellowship.

The LMC Fellowship is a merit-based award for educators of all disciplines who value the importance of teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning. The Center selects exemplary teachers from the United States and around the world who will collaborate on projects that discover, develop, and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history.

Jay Weisman, a 2021 Louisiana Milken Educator, makes students eager to learn, bringing creativity and enthusiasm to his math and social studies classes at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans. Whether assembling proofs in geometry or hosting a “King Cake Caucus” in AP Government, his engaging, collaborative classroom fosters student participation and reflection. His approach has led to impressive results, with his geometry students consistently achieving over 95% mastery, and 83% of his AP Government students passing the AP exam.

Beyond the classroom, Weisman is deeply involved in his school community, serving as math department chair and regularly organizing events like an incoming student welcome week and announcing at events like football games and graduation. He has coordinated ACT prep programs, successfully pushed for the creation of a testing coordinator position, and has supported his colleagues as a member of the inaugural Instruction Cohort.

LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Jay’s creative and enthusiastic approach to teaching geometry and statistics while incorporating project-based learning will bring a new dimension to our 2025 Fellowship. We look forward to learning from Jay about little-known heroes in the field of mathematics who have had a significant impact on our lives today.”

While in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources, and support in helping students cultivate a passion for learning by creating projects that initiate positive change. Fellows will be equipped to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students, applying and evaluating the stories of these role models who have changed the world throughout history.