The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, an international educational non-profit, has awarded its prestigious Fellowship to Bonnie Garrett, a 7th and 8th grade PLTW/STEM teacher at Morris Middle School in Huntsville, Alabama. Bonnie Garrett arrived in Fort Scott on June 26th for a week of collaboration with LMC staff.
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.
Bonnie Garrett, a veteran middle school PLTW/STEM master teacher at Morris Middle School in Huntsville, AL, with 20 years of experience, was a 2007 Alabama Milken Educator. Bonnie strives to make STEM “real and relevant” for her students through creative learning experiences and experiential connections. She connects STEM concepts with local industries and organizations, allowing her students to develop a sense of community while building their mastery in STEM concepts.
Bonnie has been involved with various educational programs, like the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Global Studies, which developed Exceptional Virtual Lessons with Global Content as an educator resource for various subject areas. In 2017, she was selected as a NEA Foundation Global Fellow and traveled with a cohort of educators on a 10-day field study to Beijing and Xi’an to investigate the historical and cultural context of China. They learned about its education system through meetings with policymakers and business and nonprofit leaders and visited schools to meet teachers, students, and administrators. Bonnie also coaches her school’s Robotics and Greenpower USA teams, serves as the President of the Huntsville Education Association, and facilitates nationwide trainings as a master teacher for PLTW.
LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Bonnie is an outstanding educator who provides the leadership necessary to make education relevant in our world today. Her work in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math will make her an invaluable asset to our team of Fellows.”
While in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources and support in helping students cultivate a passion for learning through the creation of 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.