This is a series on the

 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 Kelly Ryan, an AP environmental science and chemistry teacher at Northshore High School in Slidell, LA. Kelly 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.

                                                                                                                                 

Ryan was honored to receive the 2023 Louisiana Milken Educator Award. Her dedication to academic excellence shines through her meticulously structured, standards-based approach, emphasizing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Ryan’s goal is not just to impart knowledge but to empower students to think independently, navigate challenges, and make informed decisions throughout their lives.

​​Through a partnership with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), Ryan is an active member of her school’s Instructional Leadership Team (ILT), which drives professional development and support on campus. She also serves as the science department chair, head of the school’s ACT committee, and member of the district’s ACT committee. In 2024, the district achieved the highest ACT scores among all public-school districts in Louisiana. Ryan is also the coach of two award-winning robotics teams and is the advisor of National Honor Society.

LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Kelly encourages her students in collaborative scientific exploration. By incorporating project-based learning, the students become adept at analytical reasoning and higher-order thinking skills. With the importance of scientific fields of discovery throughout history, Kelly’s knowledge of unsung heroes within these fields will bring to light many new unsung heroes for our Fellows to research with their students.”

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.