Category Archives: Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Art, Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, Schools

Festival Oct. 19 To Encourage Creative Writing

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The Lowell Milken Center is located at the corner of First and Wall Street and is the site of the Fort Scott Writing Festival.
A collaborative project to encourage creative writing in the community is taking place this Saturday, Oct. 19 at Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes at Main and Wall Street.
“It was a culmination of several peoples ideas in thinking about how to support and encourage writing in our community,” Jan Hedges, owner of Hedgehog.INK, said. “Writing is an aspect of the arts that is not often recognized.”
The event is co-sponsored by the Bourbon County Arts Council, Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, Books and Grannies Book Store and Hedgehog.INK!
It is a one-day event for gathering published authors to share their writing and publishing experiences with the community.
The morning session is a series of one-hour workshops  that is open to high school and local college students as well as adults.
There is no cost for students to attend the workshops.
In the afternoon, there will be a fair for authors to showcase their work and answer questions from aspiring writers.
Also in the afternoon there will be three mini-lessons, 30 minutes each for the public to view.

Program Schedule

Registration: 8:30 and refreshments (inside front doors)

Opening Remarks: 8:50 Little Theater

Finding Your Writing Plan – 9:00 Little Theater

Presenter R.J. Thesman

Are you stuck between writer’s block and the fun of procrastination? Maybe you’re not blocked. You just don’t have a writing plan. Finding Your Writing Plan helps you develop a discipline for your writing craft and keeps you from avoiding that blank page. Especially for bi-vocational writers who work another job, Finding Your Writing Plan gives you a structure for each day’s work. You can still nurture your creative side by choosing more than one plan or by changing your plan, depending on your circumstances. RJ Thesman will present 12 different options for your writing plan with best practices to help you finish your Work in Progress and move toward your publishing dreams. 

RJ Thesman, CLC, BSE Author / Writing Coach / Editor / Speaker

* * * * * * * * *

“Writing FOR a Child Requires Thinking LIKE a Child” – 9:00 Conference Room

Presenter: Cathy Werling

Have you often thought you would like to write a children’s book? With the current self-publishing opportunities available, the goal of writing and publishing a children’s book has become much more attainable. Through this presentation, you will learn how to get started, some important steps you need to consider before you actually start writing, and some available resources to help your children’s book become a reality.

Cathy Werling is a retired elementary educator, who works part-time at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. The opportunity to provide positive role models for children led to the Center’s Unsung Heroes book series for children. Cathy is the author of the first four books in the series, with plans to continue sharing more of the amazing stories of Unsung Heroes through additional books. Her goal is to, not only provide inspirational role models for elementary students, but to encourage them to be people who can also make a positive difference in the world around them.

* * * * * * * * *

Self Publishing – 10:00 Little Theater

Presenter: Sally Freeman Jadlow

Come learn how to publish your own book, step-by-step, in paperback or ebook through Amazon.com. Handouts will accompany the class.

Sally Jadlow has published eleven books which have gone through the process Amazon offers authors. She writes award-winning historical fiction, inspirational short stories, non-fiction, devotionals and poetry. Sally has also been published in many magazine articles and anthologies. She teaches writing for the the Kansas City Writers Group in the spring and fall.

Know Your Sources – 10:00 Conference Room

Presenter: Ronda Hassig

Primary sources can be mysterious, exciting, and lead to creative writing at its finest.  If you want to write non-fiction or historical fiction you will need to know your sources!  When you leave this session, you will know what a source is, where to find it, how to use it and how to document it. 

Ronda Hassig is a retired Kansas Master Teacher and middle school librarian.  She is the author of two books including “The Abduction of Jacob Rote” and “The Greatest Test of Courage.”  Ronda loves reading, writing, and walking her three feral dogs!  

* * * * * * * * * *

Workshop Drawing – 10:55

Transformative Works & the Online Writing Experience – 11:00 Little Theater

Presenter: Qwen Salsbury

Discussion of the popularity and opportunities in online writing. How to build an online following, locate writing e-communities, and the bridge to publishing. Exploration of the importance of transformative works in society’s need to own its own stories. Presentation by author Qwen Salsbury, Amazon #1 Best-Selling author, whose online works have over 5 million unique hits. 

* * * * * * * * * *

Writing the Poetic Image – 11:00 Conference Room

Presenter: Laura Lee Washburn

Laura Lee Washburn will lead this workshop on imagery.  Poets will participate in a poetic game as well as write a short lyric or narrative free verse poem.  

Washburn is the author of two books of poetry, This Good Warm Place (March Street) and Watching the Contortionists (Palanquin Chapbook Prize).  Her poetry has appeared in numerous journals including Poet Lore and The Sun.  Harbor Review’s Washburn Chapbook prize is named in her honor.  She directs the Creative Writing Program at Pittsburg State.

12:00 – 1:30 Lunch Break

Authors set up for the Authors Fair

Afternoon Mini-Sessions – Conference

1:30 Thomas Yoke

2:15 Kate Emmett-Sweetser

3:00 Jan Hedges

“Why I Just Now Write” – 1:30 Conference Room

Presenter: Tom Yoke

It took me 60 years to fulfill the dream of becoming an author. The roadblocks and obstacles I had to overcome, are the motivation for telling my story. I want to encourage anyone of any age or circumstance to pursue that dream.

The main points of the talk are:

  • Listening to the right voices
  • Daring to believe in yourself
  • Dreaming big dreams
  • Following your heart’s hidden desire

* * * * * * * * * *

 

NaNoWriMo and Poem-a-Day: Write. Every. Day. – 2:15 Conference Room

Presenter: Kate Emmett-Sweetser

Though raised by a professor of British literature and a poet, Kate Emmett-Sweetser prefers to write non-fiction. She has worked as a free-lance journalist in both English and Spanish, as a translator, and as a Spanish adjunct at Pittsburg State University. She is currently working on a book about the Jewish families who lived in SE Kansas in the decades following the Civil War. Her biggest challenges are perfectionism and procrastination; she will share ways to adapt fiction- and poetry-writing prompts and goals to all genres of writing. 

* * * * * * * * * *

The Art of Journaling – 3:00 Conference Room

Presenter: Jan Hedges

We each have a great deal to write about already tucked in our own heads. Journaling is a way to keep track of and organize these thoughts, musings and ideas. This session will cover the many aspects of journaling, how-to’s, inspiration and motivation. A drawing for a journal will be held at the end of the session.

Jan Hedges is a retired teacher and school administrator. She and her husband Dick opened Hedgehog.INK! Gently Used Books and So Much More… in October 2018. She has dabbled in writing for over 50 years. I write because I must.

* * * * * * * * * *

Author Fair Participants: (Tentative List)

Ronda Hassig Young Adult Historical Fiction

Gerri Hilger Adult Historical Fiction

Sally Freeman Jadlow Adult Christian Living/Memoir/Poetry…

Joyce Love Children/Young Adult Historical Fiction / Devotional

Eric Reynolds Adult Historical Fiction

Carol Russell Young Adult Historical Fiction

Sally Smith Adult Christian Living

R.J. Thesman Adult Christian Living / Fiction…

Laura Lee Washburn Poetry

Cathy Werling Children Children

Thomas Yoke Adult Fiction

 Shirley Fessel

Jena Fellers

 

 
 
Art, Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

The Fort Scott Writing Festival and Author Fair: Pre-Register by Oct. 15

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Hedgehog.INK

The Fort Scott Writing Festival and Author Fair is October 19, 2019, pre-register by Oct. 15.

at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, Main and Wall Street.

The Program Schedule is listed below along with other information regarding the festival.

Registration: 8:30 and refreshments (inside front doors)

Opening Remarks: 8:50 Little Theater

Finding Your Writing Plan – 9:00 Little Theater

Presenter R.J. Thesman

Are you stuck between writer’s block and the fun of procrastination? Maybe you’re not blocked. You just don’t have a writing plan. Finding Your Writing Plan helps you develop a discipline for your writing craft and keeps you from avoiding that blank page. Especially for bi-vocational writers who work another job, Finding Your Writing Plan gives you a structure for each day’s work. You can still nurture your creative side by choosing more than one plan or by changing your plan, depending on your circumstances. RJ Thesman will present 12 different options for your writing plan with best practices to help you finish your Work in Progress and move toward your publishing dreams. 

RJ Thesman, CLC, BSE Author / Writing Coach / Editor / Speaker

* * * * * * * * *

“Writing FOR a Child Requires Thinking LIKE a Child” – 9:00 Conference Room

Presenter: Cathy Werling

Have you often thought you would like to write a children’s book? With the current self-publishing opportunities available, the goal of writing and publishing a children’s book has become much more attainable. Through this presentation, you will learn how to get started, some important steps you need to consider before you actually start writing, and some available resources to help your children’s book become a reality.

Cathy Werling is a retired elementary educator, who works part-time at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. The opportunity to provide positive role models for children led to the Center’s Unsung Heroes book series for children. Cathy is the author of the first four books in the series, with plans to continue sharing more of the amazing stories of Unsung Heroes through additional books. Her goal is to, not only provide inspirational role models for elementary students, but to encourage them to be people who can also make a positive difference in the world around them.

* * * * * * * * *

Self Publishing – 10:00 Little Theater

Presenter: Sally Freeman Jadlow

Come learn how to publish your own book, step-by-step, in paperback or ebook through Amazon.com. Handouts will accompany the class.

Sally Jadlow has published eleven books which have gone through the process Amazon offers authors. She writes award-winning historical fiction, inspirational short stories, non-fiction, devotionals and poetry. Sally has also been published in many magazine articles and anthologies. She teaches writing for the the Kansas City Writers Group in the spring and fall.

Know Your Sources – 10:00 Conference Room

Presenter: Ronda Hassig

Primary sources can be mysterious, exciting, and lead to creative writing at its finest.  If you want to write non-fiction or historical fiction you will need to know your sources!  When you leave this session, you will know what a source is, where to find it, how to use it and how to document it. 

Ronda Hassig is a retired Kansas Master Teacher and middle school librarian.  She is the author of two books including “The Abduction of Jacob Rote” and “The Greatest Test of Courage.”  Ronda loves reading, writing, and walking her three feral dogs!  

* * * * * * * * * *

Workshop Drawing – 10:55

Transformative Works & the Online Writing Experience – 11:00 Little Theater

Presenter: Qwen Salsbury

Discussion of the popularity and opportunities in online writing. How to build an online following, locate writing e-communities, and the bridge to publishing. Exploration of the importance of transformative works in society’s need to own its own stories. Presentation by author Qwen Salsbury, Amazon #1 Best-Selling author, whose online works have over 5 million unique hits. 

* * * * * * * * * *

Writing the Poetic Image – 11:00 Conference Room

Presenter: Laura Lee Washburn

Laura Lee Washburn will lead this workshop on imagery.  Poets will participate in a poetic game as well as write a short lyric or narrative free verse poem.  

Washburn is the author of two books of poetry, This Good Warm Place (March Street) and Watching the Contortionists (Palanquin Chapbook Prize).  Her poetry has appeared in numerous journals including Poet Lore and The Sun.  Harbor Review’s Washburn Chapbook prize is named in her honor.  She directs the Creative Writing Program at Pittsburg State.

12:00 – 1:30 Lunch Break

Authors set up for the Authors Fair

Afternoon Mini-Sessions – Conference

1:30 Thomas Yoke

2:15 Kate Emmett-Sweetser

3:00 Jan Hedges

“Why I Just Now Write” – 1:30 Conference Room

Presenter: Tom Yoke

It took me 60 years to fulfill the dream of becoming an author. The roadblocks and obstacles I had to overcome, are the motivation for telling my story. I want to encourage anyone of any age or circumstance to pursue that dream.

The main points of the talk are:

  • Listening to the right voices
  • Daring to believe in yourself
  • Dreaming big dreams
  • Following your heart’s hidden desire

* * * * * * * * * *

 

NaNoWriMo and Poem-a-Day: Write. Every. Day. – 2:15 Conference Room

Presenter: Kate Emmett-Sweetser

Though raised by a professor of British literature and a poet, Kate Emmett-Sweetser prefers to write non-fiction. She has worked as a free-lance journalist in both English and Spanish, as a translator, and as a Spanish adjunct at Pittsburg State University. She is currently working on a book about the Jewish families who lived in SE Kansas in the decades following the Civil War. Her biggest challenges are perfectionism and procrastination; she will share ways to adapt fiction- and poetry-writing prompts and goals to all genres of writing. 

* * * * * * * * * *

The Art of Journaling – 3:00 Conference Room

Presenter: Jan Hedges

We each have a great deal to write about already tucked in our own heads. Journaling is a way to keep track of and organize these thoughts, musings and ideas. This session will cover the many aspects of journaling, how-to’s, inspiration and motivation. A drawing for a journal will be held at the end of the session.

Jan Hedges is a retired teacher and school administrator. She and her husband Dick opened Hedgehog.INK! Gently Used Books and So Much More… in October 2018. She has dabbled in writing for over 50 years. I write because I must.

* * * * * * * * * *

Author Fair Participants: (Tentative List)

Ronda Hassig Young Adult Historical Fiction

Gerri Hilger Adult Historical Fiction

Sally Freeman Jadlow Adult Christian Living/Memoir/Poetry…

Scott KinKade Adult Science Fiction / Fantasy

Joyce Love Children/Young Adult Historical Fiction / Devotional

Eric Reynolds Adult Historical Fiction

Carol Russell Young Adult Historical Fiction

Sally Smith Adult Christian Living

R.J. Thesman Adult Christian Living / Fiction…

Laura Lee Washburn Poetry

Cathy Werling Children Children

Thomas Yoke Adult Fiction

Notes, Inspirations, To-Do’s

Writing Festival

October 19, 2019

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Activities:

8:30 – 8:50 Registration and Refreshments

8:50 – 9:00 Welcome

9:00 – 12:00 Writing Workshops with experienced published authors – 50 minute break-out sessions

12:00 – 1:30 Lunch Break and set-up for Authors’ Fair

1:30 – 3:30 Authors’ Fair and mini-workshops

(multiple authors will be set-up to market, sign and share with participants their writing journey.)

Pre-Registration due by October 15 –

$35 per Participant Late registration – $45

High School and College students free with current

student ID

Co-sponsored by Bourbon County Arts Council,

Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce,

Books and Grannies & Hedgehog.INK!

Hosted by the Lowell Milken Center

Art, Bourbon County, Business, Entertainment, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

The Story of Irena Sendler Explained to Children

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From left: Blair Felt, Cathy Werling, and Megan Felt sign  Mommy Who Was Irena Sendler? books Sept. 19.

Irena Sendler’s story is so inspiring and yet so very sad.

The Polish social worker smuggled Jewish children to safe places as the Jews were being annihilated by the Nazis in World War II.

The story was discovered by three Uniontown High School students 20 years ago and changed the lives of all involved.

Sept. 19 the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, one of the outshoots of that discovery of Sendler’s story, hosted a book signing.

The book is entitled Mommy Who Was Irena Sendler? by local children’s author Cathy Werling. It is a book that explains the story in a way children can understand.

The book depicts Megan Felt, who was one of the students who discovered Sendler, telling the heartbreaking story one woman’s courage, to her daughter Blair.

“I try to spark conversations,” Werling said. “My books are ones that parents read to their children and answer some of the questions.”

Mommy Who Was Irena Sendler? is the third children’s book in her series about humble heroes.

Werling believes that by sharing these stories, it helps children understand the power of one person to make a positive difference in the world around them.

 

A panel in the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes tells how Sendler smuggled out the children.
A panel in the Lowell Milken Center tells how the center came about.
To preserve Sendler’s legacy several books have been written, a Hallmark movie was made and her story is still being depicted in a short play performed around the world.
Kellye Barrows and Becky Tourtillot wait in line Sept. 19 to purchase the book Mommy Who Was Irena Sendler? Once purchased, books were then signed by the author, Cathy Werling and the characters depicted in the book, Megan Felt and her daughter, Blair.

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes is located in downtown Fort Scott, Kansas at the corner of Wall and Main Street.

For more information:

620-223-1312, or view its Facebook page or the website

http://lowellmilkencenter.org

Art, Bourbon County, Business, Entertainment, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Chamber Coffee Celebrates Irena Sendler Project at Milken Center Sept. 19

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Join us for Chamber Coffee and a
very special celebration!
Hosted by:
The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Location:

1 S. Main St.
Thursday, September 19, 2019  at 8:00 a.m.

Help us celebrate 20 years of “Life in a Jar: the Irena Sendler Project”. Irena Sendler was a Polish Catholic social worker who risked her own life to rescue a significant number of Jewish children during WWII. Her story was unknown for 60 years until high school students from Uniontown, Kansas uncovered its details in September of 1999, and shared Irena’s story with the world. The students wrote a performance that has now been presented more than 375 times across the United States, Canada and Poland. Their goal to bring Irena Sendler’s story to the world continues.

Chamber members and guests are encouraged to attend for networking, community announcements, and to learn about the hosting business or organization.
Members may pay $1 to make an announcement about an upcoming event, special/sale/discount, or news of any kind.
Upcoming Coffees:
September 26 – Diehl Banwart Bolton CPA’s P.A. (70th Anniversary)
October 3 – Gordon Parks Museum (16th Annual Gordon Parks Celebration, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of “The Learning Tree”)
October 10 – McDonald’s (2224 S. Main St.)
October 17 – Pioneer Harvest Fiesta
Art, Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Life In A Jar: 20 Years Later, Celebrating Sept. 19

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Irena Sendler

It all began 20 years ago, when an assignment from a  local high school history teacher changed the lives of many people, including an unsung hero.

Irena Sendler was a Polish Catholic social worker, who risked her own life to rescue a significant number of Jewish children during WWII.

Her story was unknown to the public for 60 years until three high school students from Uniontown, Kansas uncovered its details in September of 1999 and shared Irena’s story with the world, according to a press release from the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.

Sendler died in 2008 but not before meeting the teacher and three students who discovered her story.

Twenty years ago this week, Life in a Jar: the Irena Sendler Project was started by Uniontown High School students Elizabeth Cambers Hutton, Sabrina Coons Murphy, and Megan Stewart Felt in Norm
Conard’s high school history class, according to the press release.

Megan Felt has gone on to become the program director of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, while the former history teacher, Norm Conard, has become the executive director.

“The Life in a Jar Project and Irena Sendler’s story has completely changed my life,” Felt said. “I have learned a powerful history, met wonderful people, received scholarships and support to complete both of my college degrees, and changed my career path so I can help others have the special experiences I have had.”
“Those who have been involved in the project over the last 20 years realize we all have a responsibility to make a positive difference in the world around us,” she said. “I am so grateful for that day in 1999 when we started this incredible journey of bringing Irena’s story to the world.”

Throughout the last 20 years, the play has been performed more than 375 times with more than 50 students involved in the project.

The performances have been all across the United States, Canada, and Poland.

The www.irenasendler.org website that the students created has had more than 50 million hits, according to the press release.

The center continues the encouragement of searching for unsung heroes.

A Celebration

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes is pleased to announce the 20th Anniversary Commemoration of Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project.

On September 19 from 3:30 –5:30 p.m. at the Lowell Milken Center, 1 South Main Street in Fort Scott, there will be a special book
signing for Mommy, Who Was Irena Sendler?

Even after the story became known, that emotional connection of Irena’s story continues to reach across generations, according to the press release.

Megan’s daughter, Blair, also learned a life-changing lesson from both the courage of Irena Sendler’s selfless acts and those of
her own mother’s determination to share Irena’s story, according to the press release.

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

The book, available in paperback for $9.95, can be purchased and signed by the author and two of the characters featured in the story,  Felt and her 9-year-old daughter, Blair.

Megan Felt and her daughter, Blair, help tell the story of Irena Sendler’s courage in a new book written by Cathy Werling. Submitted photo.

Their goal of making Irena Sendler’s story known to the world continues.

Life in a Jar: the Irena Sendler Project by Jack Mayer is also available during the book signing. This is the story of the students’ discovery of Irena Sendler and her efforts to save the Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto.

Cathy Werling is a local children’s book author at the Lowell Milken Center For Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott.

Cathy Werling, the author of Mommy, Who Was Irena Sendler? is an award-winning elementary educator from Fort Scott. Her passion for helping students develop positive character traits and seek out worthy role models led to her part-time work at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.

Through her series of books, four so far,  about these humble heroes, Cathy hopes to inspire elementary children to realize that they, too,
have the power every day to make a difference in the lives of those around them.

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, the center advocates for the student’s unsung heroes by sharing them in its’ Hall of Unsung Heroes or the center’s 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 located in Southeast Kansas and showcases some of the top projects developed in collaboration with the center.

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

LMC Hosts Fellows

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Photo by Kenny Felt. Back row (L-R): Heidi Albin, Megan Clark, Lora Durr, and
front row (L-R): Wesley Hedgepeth, Thomas Knab.

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes is hosting five award-winning educators from across the nation for a week-long fellowship.

During the fellowship, teachers share pedagogical strategies for facilitating project-based learning through unsung heroes.

They will explore Fort Scott with visits to The Fort Scott National Historic Site, City Hall, Kiwanis Club, Gordon Parks Center, LaRoche Baseball Complex, and downtown shops and restaurants.

A highlight of the Fellowship is a video conference with Lowell Milken. The teachers begin the process of an unsung hero project, which will be concluded the following school year with their students.

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Lowell Milken Center Welcomes Fellows

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The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, an international educational non-profit, has awarded its prestigious 2019 Fellowship on the basis of merit to educators who have distinguished themselves in teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning or who have the potential for this distinction. The Center selects exemplary teachers from across America and Europe, drawn from a variety of disciplines, to collaborate on projects that discover, develop, and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history.

These are the fellows coming to the LMC for June 24-28

Heidi Albin, a 2017 Milken Educator, has been the science teacher and character education coordinator at Complete High School Maize (CHSM) for the past 10 years, where she teaches 9-12th grade Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physical Science, Agriculture, Health, Career Skills, and Character Education. Heidi believes in making content relevant to life and develops unique, multifaceted, engaging lessons through interaction with the outdoors and the community. Heidi has helped CHSM receive recognition, both as a Character.org State and National School of Character and as the Kansas Association of Conservation and Environmental Education Green School of the Year. She has also coauthored “186 Days of Character,” a yearlong character education curriculum, has implemented a facility therapy dog program, and established a handicap accessible community garden.

Heidi’s passion for teaching extends beyond her school and has impacted other educators, as well. She is a member of a national 100k-in-10 Project Team which helps to improve teacher preparation. As a member of the Master Angler with Fishing’s Future and Board of Directors for WILD KS, Heidi has written and implemented curriculum for unique science courses in fishing, wilderness survival and camping. Through her presentations at conferences for the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network and the Kansas Association for Teachers of Science, Heidi has shared her resources with hundreds of educators across Kansas.

LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Heidi’s innovative implementation of both the science and character education curriculums is what we are looking for, as we seek the most inspiring and motivating teachers. Heidi’s experience and expertise will be a great asset to our Fellowship.”

Megan Clark is the Elementary Kansas Teacher of the Year for Region 3 and is part of the 2019 Kansas Teacher of the Year Team. For the last fifteen years, she has served as art teacher for nearly six hundred kindergarteners through fifth graders at Clear Creek Elementary. She promotes an art classroom environment of curiosity and creativity. Her lesson design goes a step further than simply “making,” by growing students’ curiosity in analyzing and discovering the role of art in the world around them and developing students’ unique ideas and perspectives. As a strong advocate for building relationships with families and students in her community, she was honored by USD 232 with the Teacher of Excellence Award in 2007 and the Inspiration Award in 2015.

Megan has served in multiple leadership roles at the building and district levels, including the role of chairman for the district elementary art curriculum writing and materials adoption, four years as a member of the building leadership team and eight years as District Coordinating Teacher for Elementary Art. Outside of the classroom she serves organizations that help students and support children with cancer. The uniting theme to Megan’s work in the classroom and beyond is her passion for improving the lives of all children.

LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Megan’s expertise in using art to connect students to the world around them is a powerful tool in helping them discover their own talents and potential. We look forward to learning more from Megan as a member of our team of Fellows.”

Lora Marie Durr is the 2018 recipient of the National Art Education Association Eastern Region Middle Level Division Art Educator Award, the 2016 Art Educators of NJ Middle Level Art Educator Award, and was recognized as the 2016 Crockett Middle School Teacher of the Year. Lora currently works at Hopewell Valley Central High School in Pennington, NJ, teaching advanced art courses. She is known for her engaging lessons designed to connect students to their community through art. In recent months, Lora’s students have used their art to support The Memory Project with creative portraits for Syrian children and have also researched and created artwork to support local animal shelters. She is a dedicated educator who supports her students in and out of the classroom.

Lora has served in many roles in her state’s professional art educators’ organization and currently holds the position of President Elect of AENJ. She has worked with countless pre-service and novice teachers over the years to contribute to the future of the field of art education. As a presenter for workshops at the state and national level, Lora believes in the importance of lifelong learning for all educators. She is also an active artist, exhibiting her artwork regularly in the region and curating a group exhibition at Artworks Trenton.

LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “We welcome Lora to the LMC Fellowship as an innovative educator, who shares her artistic ability and creativity by inspiring students to use their talents to connect with others.”

Wesley Hedgpeth lives and breathes the social studies! Throughout his decade-long career in education, he has taught multiple social studies courses from grades 7-12, at all ability levels, in both public and private institutions. He currently teaches World History at The Collegiate School in Richmond, Virginia and will add Advanced Placement Comparative Government and Politics next year. In addition to teaching, Wesley co-coordinates his school’s Model United Nations Program, preparing students for multiple conferences each year. He also serves as a member of both his School’s Traditions Committee and Physical Wellness Committee.

Wesley currently serves on the NCSS Board of Directors, the VCSS Executive Board as Past-President, and as the Secretary of the Board of Directors of Patrick Henry School for Arts and Sciences in Richmond, VA. From 2014-2017, Wesley served as President of the Virginia Council for Social Studies (VCSS). During his tenure he co-chaired the 2016 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Local Arrangements Committee for the Washington, D.C. conference and twice co-chaired the Virginia Conference for Social Studies Educators. He regularly lobbies elected officials for social studies education, works on political campaigns supporting social studies advocates, presents at both statewide and national conferences, and consults for various social studies organizations.

LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Wesley makes history come alive for his students and encourages their real-life involvement in government by the opportunities he provides. His combined passion for social studies and compassion for his students make Wesley an important contributing member of our team of Fellows.”

Thom Knab is the 2018 NAEA National Elementary Art Educator, the NAEA Eastern Region Elementary Art Educator, and the New York State Art Teacher of the Year. While addressing learning standards, Thom always includes components which allow students to make decisions, express themselves, and reach ever upward. He created the BRAG (Brick Room Art Gallery) at his elementary school where over 250 student works can be exhibited, allowing Thom to “brag” about students’ artistic accomplishments. Additionally, he arranged for student-created murals displayed throughout his school and initiated a 2014 “Roadrunner Art Walk on the community’s Main Street, with the artwork of 80 students displayed in business windows. When asked what he does, Thom shares, “I teach children…I just try to reach them through art.”

Mr. Knab believes in service to his profession and passionately advocates for the power and importance of the visual arts. He is the current president of the National Art Education Association (NAEA), the past president of the New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA), and has assisted with writing district visual art curriculum, technology curriculum and curriculum for the Albright-Knox Art Gallery Freedom Wall Project. Thom has advocated for the arts on Capitol Hill in Albany, NY, has been a presenter at many NAEA national conventions and NYSATA state conferences, and has provided professional development for his school district colleagues, with an upcoming presentation in Beijing, China.

LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Thomas is a leader in art education and demonstrates great expertise in his field. Recognized as a dynamic, inspiring and compassionate educator by colleagues, students, and community members, Thom possesses the qualities that will make him an outstanding Fellow.”

While in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources and ongoing support to enhance their classrooms and help students cultivate a passion for learning by creating projects that initiate positive change. Fellows emerge prepared to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students as they apply and evaluate the stories of role models who have changed the world throughout history.

 

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Lowell Milken Fellows Presented Key to Fort Scott

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Fort Scott city officials welcomed the first class of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Fellows with the key to the city today.

Front Row (left to right): Valerie Baalerud, Mary Huffman, Silvia Miranda, Beth Alexander Back Row (left to right): Jordan DeWilde, Ryan James, all are Fellows with Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. They were welcomed to Fort Scott today.
Front Row (left to right): Valerie Baalerud; Mary Huffman; Silvia Miranda; Beth Alexander. Back Row (left to right): Dave Martin, Rhonda Dunn, Lindsay Madison all with the City of Fort Scott; Jordan DeWilde, Ryan James, and Jeanie Parkerand Deb Needleman from the City of Fort Scott.

 

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Lowell Milken Center Celebrates D-Day

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The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes celebrated the 75th
D-Day anniversary events throughout the day of June 6th.

The Center honored unsung hero, Andrew Jackson Higgins with the following events: 8 am Chamber Coffee, 10 am unveiling of the new Higgins children’s book by author, Cathy Werling, 3 pm Question and Answer with Skipper Higgins and a 4 pm Wine and Cheese.

All events were at the Center, 1 South Main Street
in Fort Scott.

The following were submitted photos:

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

D-Day Commemoration at Lowell Milken Center June 6

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Join The Lowell Milken Center
for Unsung Heroes
in Commemorating the
75th Anniversary
of D-Day
Meet Skipper Higgins,
grandson of Andrew Jackson Higgins, inventor of the LCVP boats used during the D-Day invasion of Normandy
The Lowell Milken Center will
commemorate the
75th Anniversary of D-Day with special events all day
8 am – Chamber Coffee
10 am – Introduction of children’s book
3 pm – Q & A with Skipper Higgins
4pm – Wine & cheese
Veterans, please come meet Skipper and receive a free gift!!
The Lowell Milken Center
1 S. Main St.
Fort Scott, KS 66701
620-223-1312
Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

D-Day Commemoration June 6

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D-Day Commemoration at Lowell Milken Center Includes Release of New Children’s Book

 

On June 6, the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes invites all to attend special events at the Center to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.The center is located at the corner of Wall and Main Streets in downtown Fort Scott.

There will be an honorary recognition of Andrew Jackson Higgins, the man who invented the Higgins D-Day boats, which were very instrumental in the Allied victory in WWII. Events will include the 8:00 a.m. Chamber Coffee, the 3:00 p.m. presentation and discussion with special guests, Skipper Higgins and Jerry Meyer, the 4:00 p.m. wine and cheese event, and the 10:00 a.m. introduction of the Center’s fourth children’s book, What If Higgins Had Given Up?

The author of the new children’s book, Cathy Werling, will host a book reading and signing event at 10:00 a.m. All children are invited to learn the story of Andrew Jackson Higgins and be encouraged to work toward their goals without letting obstacles hold them back. Higgins never gave up in his quest to design and provide the perfect boats needed for important missions during World War II.  That determination and perseverance were evident in his early life, as well, and provide powerful lessons for children today.

There will be two very special guests in attendance during the day. One is Skipper Higgins, the oldest living grandson of Andrew Higgins, who has many stories about his grandfather, whose spirit greatly influenced Skipper and his children. One of Skipper’s stories plays an important role in the story, “What If Higgins Had Given Up?” The other special guest, Jerry Meyer, conceived, designed, and completed The Andrew Jackson Higgins National Memorial in Columbus, Nebraska, which is the birthplace of Mr. Higgins. His knowledge of the life of Andrew Higgins contributed greatly to the details included in the children’s book.

Cathy Werling is an award-winning, retired elementary educator living in Fort Scott, Kansas. Her passion for helping students develop positive character traits and seek out worthy role models led to her part time work at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.

About the Lowell Milken Center: The Lowell Milken Center is a non-profit 501 © (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, the student’s unsung heroes are shared in the Hall of Unsung Heroes or on the website, encouraging people all over the world to 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.