Category Archives: Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Honor Your Hero This Holiday Season at Lowell Milken Center

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The Lowell Milken Center is located at the corner of First and Wall Streets.

This holiday season, the community can donate to the mission of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes and receive a gift for their heroes, whether it is a parent, grandparent, teacher, aunt, uncle, or any other role models who have made a difference in their life, ,according to Megan Felt, LMC Program Director.

“The Center would like to recognize the special heroes in the lives of its visitors,” Felt said.

A gift-wrapped Lowell Milken Center Hero ornament. Submitted photo.

“For $15 you can get a set of two ornaments that say ‘Merry Christmas-You Are My Hero’ one is glass and comes gift-wrapped,” Kayla Cannon, LMC docent/administrative assistant and graphic designer said. “A (second) wooden one will be displayed on the Tree of Heros with the name of your hero at the Center.”

The glass ornament can be purchased to give to someone to honor them as a hero. Submitted photo.

“For a $5 donation one can get a wooden one with the name of the hero on it, to be displayed at the Center,” Cannon said. “There will be several wooden ones to choose from a bell, tree, snowflake, or reindeer.”

A photo of one of the wooden ornament options for honoring a special hero. Submitted photo.
“All donations are matched by the Milken Family Foundation,” Cannon said. ” Donations support the Lowell Milken Center’s educational outreach programs.”

“All visitors are encouraged to visit the Center and recognize the unsung heroes who make their lives better every day,” said Felt.

“This is a beautiful opportunity to let those personal heroes see their names on the Tree of Heroes and to receive a special gift honoring all they do for others,” she said.

The Center is located at 1 S. Main in historic downtown Fort Scott.

Hours of operation are Monday through  Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Center will be closed on Tuesday, November 28.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Government, Kansas, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Kansas Tourism Grant Awarded to Lowell Milken Center

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Lowell Milken Center Announces Attraction Development Grant from Kansas Tourism and the Kansas Department of Commerce

 

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung  Heroes received a $6,000 Attraction Development grant from Kansas Tourism! The grant will be used for new panels for unsung hero Cristine Grant, who was a national voice in the fight for gender equity in sports, and unsung hero Susan LaFleche, the first Native American doctor. The grant will also be used for a re-development of museum kiosks.

 

 

 

Kansas Tourism: The mission of the Kansas Tourism Division is to inspire travel to and throughout Kansas, and to maximize the positive impacts that tourism has on our state and local communities. The vision of Kansas Tourism is a better quality of life for all Kansans through a strong travel industry and economic prosperity, ensuring all travelers feel welcome and are provided the resources to create awe-inspiring experiences.

 

 

About the Lowell Milken Center: The Lowell Milken Center is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) that works with students and educators within a range of diverse academic disciplines, to develop projects focused on unsung heroes.

 

 

 

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

LMC Newsletter November 9

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November 9, 2023                                                    Volume 13

🌟 November is National Native American Heritage Month! 🌟

This month, we honor the rich cultural heritage and contributions of Native Americans. Today, we pay tribute to one of our newest unsung heroes,

Susan LaFlesche Picotte.

Susan LaFlesche Picotte became the first Native American woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. Born in 1865 on the Omaha Reservation, she dedicated her life to improving the health and well-being of her community. Dr. Picotte’s unwavering determination and commitment to her people continue to inspire us today.

We will be sharing additional stories of Native American Unsung Heroes on our social media throughout the month of November, so be sure to follow us!

Madison Glidden was the recipient of the Outstanding High School Project in this year’s Discovery Award Competition. Not only did she learn that her documentary on Susan LaFlesche Picotte was one of the top projects in the country, she was also surprised with this congratulatory video from the author who wrote the biography on Susan LaFlesche Picotte!
Joe Starita's Message to Madison Glidden

Discovery Award Updates

🏆 EXCITING NEWS FOR EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS 🏆

Are you currently working on the Discovery Award project with your students? We have some fantastic updates to share with you!

This year, the Discovery Award is bigger and better than ever, with nearly $25,000 in prizes up for grabs for your talented students. 🌟

But wait! We haven’t forgotten about the incredible educators who guide and inspire our young learners. We’re thrilled to announce that there are also a few new awards just for teachers. 🍎🏅

If you ever find yourself in need of guidance, assistance, or have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Norm and Megan are here to help and can be reached at the following email addresses:

Norm Conard: [email protected]

Megan Felt: [email protected]

We can’t wait to see the amazing projects that you and your students will create this year! 🚀📚

Stay tuned for more updates and inspiration as we embark on this exciting Discovery Award journey together.

ARTEFFECT Updates

ARTEFFECT is running a series of free online webinars exploring themes and strategies for teaching and learning with the LMC Unsung Heroes through the visual arts. Sessions will explore project-based, art-based lesson plans to bring these diverse stories to K-12 students.

View the sessions: ARTEFFECT Professional Development OnlineSessions

Congratulations to the inaugural ARTEFFECT Ambassadors! We are so excited for these top 28 educators from across the U.S. and Canada! We look forward to their visual art explorations with K12 students and communities on the unsung heroes in the year ahead. View the Ambssador’s profiles: https://lnkd.in/gKaaY8RQ

Fellows News and Updates

2019 Fellow Wesley Hedgepeth, is the 2023-2024 President of National Council for the Social Studies. Information about the 103rd NCSS Conference can be found here:

https://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/ncss2023/ncss2023-conference-preview-9-19.pdf

The website is: www.socialstudies.org/conference

LMC News and Updates

🍂 As the leaves begin to change and a crisp breeze fills the air, there’s no better time to plan your visit to the Lowell Milken Center. The autumn months bring a special charm to our center, with vibrant foliage, a cozy atmosphere, and the warm welcome that awaits you.

Discover the magic of Unsung Heroes as you explore our inspiring exhibits and stroll through Unsung Hero Park while enjoying the beautiful weather.

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or returning for another memorable experience, autumn at LMC offers a unique backdrop for learning, inspiration, and reflection.
a woman standing next to a sign in a park

Leadership inspires trust and confidence. Each of the fifty states has a Commissioner of Education who is a key to the success of the schools in that state. Our commissioner in Kansas is Randy Watson, an exceptional leader who promotes harmony and teamwork among administrators and teachers across the state. Kansas’ long history of notable leaders includes Andy Tompkins, a passionate advocate for education with a strong belief in the potential for all Kansans to learn, Dale Dennis, whose legendary career provided critical leadership in working with the state legislature, and Bob Gast, who strengthened teacher recognition across the state. These leaders, along with others past and present, have created and shaped the drive and purpose within Kansas schools. We offer a special salute to all Kansas teachers and our current Commissioner, Randy Watson.

(Pictured is Norm with Randy Watson at the 2023 Kansas Teacher of the Year banquet).
Click to order Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project

We’re excited to announce the launch of a new segment in our newsletter, “The Ripple Effect.” This space is dedicated to sharing the remarkable stories and heartfelt experiences of teachers and students whose lives have been touched by Unsung Hero Projects.

Through personal reflections, anecdotes, and insightful conversations, we will explore how Unsung Hero Projects have sowed the seeds of change, fostering a spirit of innovation, empathy, and resilience. Get ready to be moved by stories of hope, growth, and lasting impact.

Here’s what Suzy had to say:

“The most rewarding aspect of working with students on the unsung heroes projects is seeing how invested they become in researching their heroes and making sure they get the story right. The students feel like they know their heroes and they want others to feel their impact as well. As a result, they work tirelessly on their projects, continuously making edits to refine and improve them.”

Challenges and successes:

“Out of the challenges come the successes. When my students were researching Barbara Fassbinder, they had difficulty finding any primary source news footage on her, although they knew she’d been interviewed during her advocacy work. Her husband mentioned he had a box of old videotapes that he’d loan to them. However, they were VCR tapes and many were damaged significantly. We were fortunate to find a man locally who possessed the technology to transfer the films to digital, repair and restore the video and sound tracks, and provide the students with 20 usable news clips and programs for their research and use in their documentary. They were also then able to give these files to the family, including Barbara’s three children, who hadn’t seen many of them before. It was such a moving experience for the kids and the family.”

“Other successes and memorable experiences have been the interviews that really connect the students to people who knew and were affected by their hero. My students who researched Dr. Christine Grant, had the opportunity to interview Lisa Bluder, the University of Iowa’s Women’s Basketball coach about her relationship with Dr. Grant and how her Title IX advocacy work continues to impact women’s athletics at Iowa and nationwide. Since two of the students involved in the Grant documentary are high level female student athletes who will be competing at the college level in sports, that message particularly resonated with them. As such, Grant’s heroism was brought to life and became personal for these students, who didn’t even know who she was a year ago.”
Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Predator Birds Will Be Presented at Lowell Milken Center Tomorrow

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On November 9th, at 3:00 p.m. at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, the staff will be honoring the environmentalist and conservationist unsung hero Jacob Valentine, III.

Jacob was responsible for saving the Mississippi Sandhill Crane from extinction.

EVERGY has awarded the Center a grant to bring Operation Wildlife from Linwood, Kansas to present “Predator Birds,” an assortment of live hawks and owls who will be here to teach us the importance of predator birds in our world!

“I hope each of you can come join us for a really fun and exciting presentation and I look forward to greeting you Thursday afternoon here at the Center,” said Ronda Hassig, a spokesperson for
Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.
History, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, Youth

Award-Winning Teacher and Students Visit the Lowell Milken Center

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Paige Franzen, Kadence Huck, and Callahan Levi, winners of the $2,500 First Prize in the Lowell Milken Center’s 2023 International Discovery Award competition, will be guests at the LMC on Thursday, November 2nd.

These 11th-grade students from Nashua-Plainfield High School in Nashua, Iowa, along with their award-winning social studies teacher, Suzy Turner, a 2022 LMC Fellow, are in Fort Scott to collaborate with the LMC staff on the production of a new exhibit panel for the Center’s Hall of Heroes.

The new exhibit will feature Unsung Hero Christine Grant, the subject of the students’ award-winning project. Their documentary, Why Not Us? Dr. Christine Grant’s Pursuit of Gender Equality, shares the story of Dr. Grant’s significant contributions to furthering gender equality in collegiate sports. As the decades-long athletic director at the University of Iowa, Grant embraced the historic passing of Title IX, building a highly recognized and unprecedented women’s athletic program.

Through their interviews with Grant’s previous students, mentees, and colleagues, the Nashua students were able to provide firsthand insight into the legacy she left behind. This information will be a valuable resource as the Lowell Milken Center staff works with Suzy Turner and her students to create a powerful new exhibit.

About the Lowell Milken Center: The Lowell Milken Center is a non-profit 501 © (3) that works with students and educators within diverse academic disciplines to develop projects focused on unsung heroes. Once their projects are finished, we advocate for the student’s unsung heroes by sharing them in our Hall of Unsung Heroes or our website so people all over the world discover their individual influence and obligation to take actions that improve the lives of others. The Hall of Unsung Heroes is proudly located in Southeast Kansas and showcases some of the top projects developed in collaboration with the Center.

 

 

 

 

History, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Lowell Milken Center News: Updates From October

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New Unsung Heroes Emerge from

2023 Discovery Award Competition

The Grand Prize winner of the 2023 Discovery Award Competition is Sasha Allen from Eden Prairie, MN. Sasha’s extraordinary documentary, 3-6-9 KID: How Child Spy Agnes Láckovič Saved Hundreds from the Nazis, left us in awe! Learn more about Sasha by checking out this excellent article, Student Spotlights Unsung Hero Stories, by Hannah Ward at the Star Tribune. Photo by SHARI L. GROSS Star Tribune staff

3-6-9 KID: How Child Spy Agnes Láckovič Saved Hundreds from the Nazis masterfully relates the powerful impact of this 17-year-old unsung hero, who courageously saved the lives of hundreds of Jews and other endangered people during WWII.

The first-place winner of the 2023 Discovery Award Competition went to Paige Franzen, Kadence Huck and Callahan Levi from Nashua-Plainfield High School in Nashua, Iowa. Their powerful documentary, Why Not US? Dr. Christine Grant’s Heroic Pursuit of Gender Equality, is fascinating! Learn more about these multi-talented students by checking out this clip from KCRG-TV9 News at 9.

Pictured are Suzy Turner (the Talented and Gifted teacher and National History Day advisor at Nashua-Plainfield Jr/Sr High School), Callahan Levi, Kadence Huck, Paige Franzen, and Norm Conard (Executive Director of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes). Photo by Jennifer Kalainoff

Why Not Us? Dr. Christine Grant’s Heroic Pursuit of Gender Equality tells the story of Dr. Grant, the first women’s athletic director at the University of Iowa, and the significant impact she made in advancing gender equality in women’s sports.

ARTEFFECT News and Updates

Call for ARTEFFECT Submissions!
The 2023-2024 ARTEFFECT Competition Submission Portal Opens Wednesday, November 1, 2023. This competition invites student to honor Unsung Heroes through the visual arts and is open to all U.S. and international middle and high school students.

*   Learn How to Submit
*   View Past Winners
*   Download the Lesson Plan
*   Watch the ARTEFFECT Promo Video
Learn More about ARTEFFECT

Fellows News and Updates

2014 LMC Fellow Brian Langley brought his daughter to the LMC.

It was heartwarming to see Brian share the magic of the LMC with the next generation. Their visit reminded us that our community is not just about work; it’s also about family and cherished memories.

Brian shared that his class has done unsung hero projects every year since completing his fellowship at the LMC. Thank you, Brian, for being an inspiration and for sharing the stories of unsung heroes with your daughter and with your students!

Thanks to Leslie Sullivan, a 2021 LMC Fellow, for showcasing the Unsung Heroes projects at the Engage Carolinas Milken Conference in Charlotte, NC.

Your dedication to highlighting these heroes is genuinely inspiring!

We celebrated World Teacher Day on October 5th, honoring our LMC Fellows and educators from all corners of the globe for the incredible, lasting impact they make on their students’ lives.

We hope you will express your gratitude and thank a teacher who’s made a difference in your journey.

LMC News and Updates

Fall at the LMC has been nothing short of a whirlwind, from the exciting Discovery Award announcements to marking significant dates and gearing up for the festive holiday season. In case you missed them, here are some standout highlights we’ve saved just for you in this edition!

CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

During this #HispanicHeritageMonth, we shine a spotlight on these remarkable unsung heroes featured at the Lowell Milken Center, whose contributions have left a lasting mark on history:

Sylvia Mendez: An advocate for educational equality, Sylvia, along with her family, bravely helped initiate the desegregation of California schools, paving the way for future generations. Sylvia was the subject of Separate Will Never Be Equal, the 2021 ARTEFFECT Certificate of Excellence award-winning project by Zoe Spikerman from Parker School in Waimea, Hawaii.

Elizabeth Catlett: A talented artist and sculptor, Elizabeth used her gifts to reflect the strength and beauty of the African-American and Mexican-American communities. Elizabeth was the subject of Dr. Elizabeth Catlett: Artist To Some, Activist For Many, Unsung Hero To All, a 2023 Discovery Award-winning documentary by Loup County HS student Angel Estrada.

Ralph Lazo: Ralph, a Mexican-American teenager, voluntarily enrolled in a Japanese-American internment camp during World War II to support his friends and neighbors. Ralph was the subject of Ralph Lazo: The Voluntary Prisoner, a project developed by 4th graders in Shannon Garrison’s class at Solano Avenue Elementary in Los Angeles.

We celebrated the anniversary of the beginning of

Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project.

The following is a note from Norm Conard LMC’s Executive Director, and the teacher behind the project.

It has been an incredible journey since the inception of Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project, which began 24 years ago. On September 23, 1999, a group of dedicated students from a small, rural Kansas high school embarked on a mission for the National History Day program. Little did they know that their efforts would have a profound and lasting impact on the world.

Over the past two decades, the heroic actions of Irena Sendler continue to resonate powerfully through her story, as told by those students. Our mission to share this remarkable tale with the world has only grown stronger.

Norman Conard

Teacher

DON’T MISS OUT!

Dive into the LMC Newsroom to explore the incredible media coverage of the Discovery Award announcements from across the nation.

Discover the buzz and excitement that’s been generated nationwide!
Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Sept. 20 Newsletter

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September 20, 2023                                Volume 11

🌟 We’re thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s Discovery Award! These incredible students have uncovered the stories of unsung heroes who changed the world. 🌍✨

🏆 Grand Prize Winner: Sasha Allen from Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Project: “3-6-9 KID: How Child Spy Agnes Láckovič Saved Hundreds from the Nazis”

An inspiring documentary showcasing the courageous acts of a 17-year-old unsung hero during WWII. 🎥

First Place: Paige Franzen, Kadence Huck, and Callahan Levi from Nashua-Plainfield High School, Iowa

Project: “Why Not Us? Dr. Christine Grant’s Heroic Pursuit of Gender Equality”

A powerful story of Dr. Christine Grant’s impact on gender equality in women’s sports. 🏀 (Teacher: Suzy Turner)

Outstanding High School Project: Madison Glidden from Loup County High School, Nebraska

Project: “Susan LaFlesche: The First Native American Doctor”

A heartfelt documentary about Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte’s journey to provide medical care for her people. 🩺 (Teacher: Megan Helberg)

Outstanding Middle School Project (tie): Rehan Mathew Koshy from Edison Regional Gifted Center, Illinois

Project: “Andrée de Jongh: Faster than a Comet”

An incredible exploration of WWII heroine Andrée de Jongh’s escape route for Allied airmen. ✈️ (Teacher: Brandon Strawn)

Outstanding Middle School Project (tie): Jay Patel from Jericho Middle School, New York

Project: “Pearl Kendrick: The Unsung Hero Who Ended a Deadly Plague”

A fascinating look at Pearl Kendrick’s contribution to the development of the pertussis vaccine. 💉 (Teachers: Teresa Cantwell and Sarah Espinal)

🎉 Founder’s Award: Steven Zhang from St. Mark’s School, Massachusetts

Project: “Corky Lee: Fighting Asian American Discrimination One Photo at a Time”

A moving portrayal of Corky Lee’s impact in amplifying the Asian American voice through photography. 📸

🌟 Outstanding Elementary School Project: Noa Mannal Dimarco and Gabriel Levesque from St. Mary Interparochial School, Pennsylvania

Project: “Maurice Hilleman: The Father of Modern Vaccinations”

A heartwarming story of Maurice Hilleman, who created 40 vaccines and saved millions of lives. 💪💉(Teacher: Jayda Pugliese)

Congratulations to all of these exceptional students for sharing these remarkable unsung hero stories! Click the button below to view all of the 2023 award-winning documentaries, websites and performances.
2023 Discovery Award Projects

Keep an eye out for our upcoming newsletter, which will feature more photos from the Discovery Award announcements and provide details about the award-winning projects and the students behind them.

LMC Hosts Star Party

On Saturday, September 16th, our eagerly anticipated star party was a celestial celebration! Despite a sudden pop-up storm that brought us much needed rain and thwarted our plans to gaze through the eight telescopes we had set up, we still had a wonderful time. The evening featured Ronda Hassig’s captivating presentation on the Unsung Hero Henrietta Swan Leavitt, as well as an enlightening talk by NASA Ambassador Jamie Davis (pictured above).

While the skies may not have cooperated this time, fear not! We’re excited to announce that we’ll be rescheduling the star party in the near future. Keep a close eye on our updates, as we’re determined to bring you an unforgettable night of stargazing and astronomy education. Don’t miss out on the next cosmic adventure!

REFLECTING ON LAST YEAR’S CELEBRATION!

It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since we held the combined event for the Grand Opening of the Lowell Milken Park and the 15th Anniversary of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.

We continue to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our supporters, the remarkable LMC Fellows, and the Unsung Heroes and their families who joined us in marking the historic occasion. The event was filled with unforgettable moments, including inspiring speeches from distinguished VIP speakers, the symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Lowell Milken Park, and an unexpected revelation regarding the 2022 Discovery Award. Read more about the event at https://bit.ly/3dkogfZ.

FELLOWS NEWS & UPDATES

Our very own Kevin Dailey, who was a 2023 LMC Fellow, has just been named 2024 Kentucky Teacher of the Year! We couldn’t be more proud of Kevin and his outstanding achievement. Please join us in congratulating Kevin on this incredible accomplishment!

Darrion Cockrell, our 2023 LMC Fellow, was recently named MOSHAPE State Elementary School PE Teacher of the Year, sponsored by OPEN Phys Ed and US Games. We’re proud of his dedication and passion for PE and wish him luck in competing for the National title. Go Darrion!
Art, History, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Sept. Newsletter

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September 11, 2023                                    Volume 10

We know you all are filled with anticipation for the upcoming announcement of the Discovery Award winners, and we appreciate your enthusiasm!

Please mark your calendars for the updated announcement date: Wednesday, September 20th. We promise it will be a day filled with celebration, inspiration, and the recognition of outstanding students and their Unsung Hero Projects.

UPCOMING EVENTS

ARTEFFECT UPDATES

ARTEFFECT Ambassadors is a new online fellowship with a stipend of $1250! Tailored for educators working directly with K-12 students, the ARTEFFECT Ambassadors program aims to foster the visual arts. During the 2023-2024 school year, Ambassadors participate in online modules exploring the diverse stories of Unsung Heroes from history. They will complete a capstone project to make an impact on their classrooms and communities.

Applications due: September 18, 2023.

Learn more: bit.ly/ARTEFFECT-Ambassadors

FELLOWS NEWS & UPDATES

Recently, the Milken Educator Awards newsletter featured a wonderful article titled “A ‘Life-Changing Experience’: 2023 Fellows Explore LMC’s Unsung Heroes.” We encourage you to click the linked article to gain insight into what an LMC Fellowship entails and to discover some of the highlights from the Fellows’ week in Fort Scott, Kansas.
Entertainment, Fort Scott, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Star Party September 16 at Lowell Milken Center

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Lowell Milken Center Announces Date

for the Upcoming Star Party

 

September 8, 2023 – The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes received a grant from the Fort Scott Community Foundation in October of 2022. The grant provided the Lowell Milken Center with a Celestron NexStar 8SE fully automated telescope that can locate and track 40,000 celestial objects!

 

The Lowell Milken Center is planning its first Star Party on Saturday, September 16th at 7:00 p.m. The evening will begin in the Lowell Milken Unsung Heroes Park with a short program about Unsung Hero Henrietta Swan Leavitt, whose very early discoveries in the field of astronomy made it possible to map out the stars in the universe. Next on the agenda, NASA Ambassador Jamie Davis will be inside the Lowell Milken Center to give a presentation about the Webb Telescope and its findings.

 

Refreshments will be served at the Center before attendees move to the parade grounds at Fort Scott National Historic Site to star gaze. All are invited to help use the Center’s telescope for the first time. There will be additional telescopes set up that can be used for space viewing and star gazing. The views will be worth it!

 

ALL ARE WELCOME!!

 

Don’t forget to dress for the weather and bring a lawn chair and flashlight.

 

 

About the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation: The FSACF’s goal is to partner with and be a resource to organizations whose goals are to improve the quality of life in the Fort Scott, Kansas area. FSACF strives to create connections between donors and a variety of worthwhile causes.

 

About the Lowell Milken Center: The Lowell Milken Center is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) that works with students and educators within a range of diverse academic disciplines, to develop projects focused on unsung heroes. Once their projects are finished, we advocate the student’s unsung heroes by sharing them in our Hall of Unsung Heroes or our website so people all over the world discover their individual influence and obligation to take actions that improve the lives of others.

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Sept. 1 Newsletter

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September 1, 2023                                 Volume 9

Embracing a New School Year of Discovery and Impact

Resources for Educators!

Discover our FREE, high-quality resources for educators! From lesson plans to activities, find ways to elevate your students’ learning experiences. We are here to support you with diverse tools and materials. Reach out with questions or suggestions.

Thank you for inspiring the next generation of leaders!
Educator Resources

LMC Fellow Alumni News

Order Your Commemorative Bricks

for Unsung Heroes Park

Our work as a nonprofit organization depends on donors like you.

 

Your contributions help us:

 

• develop powerful and life-changing Unsung Heroes projects with students and educators.

 

• engage more than 30,000 schools in interdisciplinary education that highlights positive role models for young people.

• provide professional development opportunities and teaching tools for educators across diverse subject areas and grade levels, using project-based learning that features Unsung Heroes.

 

• reach over 3 million students with inspiring stories that celebrate courage, compassion and conviction.

 

Visit www.lowellmilkencenter.org for opportunities to donate, which include commemorative brick purchases, book purchases and monetary donations.

All gifts are 100% matched and tax-deductible.

LMC Visitor Map Reaches 109 Countries
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Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

LMC Discovery Award Semi Finalists Announced

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August 2023                                                                                                      Volume 8

🎉 Exciting News Alert! 🎉

We’re thrilled to announce the 2023 Discovery Award semi-finalists!🌟

These talented individuals have wowed us with their extraordinary stories of unsung heroes from history told via website, documentary or performance. Join us in celebrating their remarkable achievements and show your support for these talented students.

🗓️ Mark your calendars, as we will announce the finalists on September 1st and the 2023 Lowell Milken Center Discovery Award winners on September 19th.

Stay tuned for more updates and make sure to share this exciting news with your friends and colleagues. Together, let’s champion the power of one person to create positive change! 🚀

Looking Back at the 2022 Discovery Award

Grand Prize-Winning Announcement

Last September, during the celebration of LMC’s 15th Anniversary and the Grand Opening of the Lowell Milken Park, a notable moment emerged for 11th grader Gracie Conrad. A student at Loup County High School in Nebraska, Gracie was awarded the distinguished title of Grand Prize winner in the 2022 Discovery Award Competition.

Gracie’s thorough research led to her compelling piece, titled Betty Goudsmit-Oudkerk: Teenager, Resistance Member, Unsung Hero. This narrative sheds light on a lesser-known, but profoundly inspiring story. At just 18 years old, Betty Goudsmit-Oudkerk found herself intertwined with history’s somber events as she worked at the créche (Dutch for “daycare”) during the Holocaust. In a tragic twist, this once-innocent space became a part of the Jewish deportation apparatus.

Through genuine connections with the children, Goudsmit-Oudkerk was drawn into a group of workers tasked with a daring mission – the smuggling of over 600 children out of the créche. Her role in this act of courage and compassion remains largely uncelebrated.

Gracie Conrad’s recognition of Betty Goudsmit-Oudkerk brought a quiet act of heroism to the forefront. Betty’s unwavering dedication and the resilience of the human spirit shine as beacons of hope, even in the face of such dark times. Megan Helberg, a 2021 LMC Fellow from Nebraska, served as Gracie’s teacher and advisor throughout this project.

View the 2022 Grand Prize-Winning Project

Documentary: Betty Goudsmit-Oudkerk: Teenager, Resistance Member, Unsung Hero