December 7, 2023                                                           Volume 14

WISHING YOU WARMTH AND JOY

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Dear Friends,

As the holiday season approaches, we want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to each of you who has visited and supported the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes throughout the year.

May this festive season be a tapestry of joy and cheer for you and your loved ones. Your commitment to our mission has made a significant impact, and we are grateful for the positive change we have achieved together.

As we reflect on the past year, we look forward with excitement to the opportunities the future holds. Thank you for being an essential part of our efforts.

We wish you and your loved ones a holiday season filled with warmth, happiness, and the joy of giving.

Merry Christmas , Happy Hanukkah , and Happy Holidays !

Lowell Milken Park was adorned with the enchanting glow of festive lights during the inaugural Christmas on the Bricks event in downtown Fort Scott. The heartwarming sight welcomed over 100 visitors as we remained open late Friday night, spreading joy and holiday cheer and sharing stories of unsung heroes. Lowell Milken Park took center stage and played a large part in this inaugural holiday event.

Discovery Award Updates

EXCITING DISCOVERY AWARD NEWS FOR EDUCATORS & STUDENTS!

Attention, educators working on the Discovery Award project with your students! Brace yourselves for some fantastic updates:

This year’s Discovery Award is better than ever, offering nearly $25,000 in prizes for your talented students! But hold on—there’s more! We’re thrilled to introduce new awards exclusively for the amazing teachers guiding and inspiring our young learners!

For any guidance, assistance, or questions, contact Norm Conard at [email protected] or Megan Felt at [email protected].

Get ready to witness the incredible projects 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.

Discovery Award Project Spotlight

The Outstanding Middle School Project in the 2023 Discovery Award Competition. One of the award winners was Rehan Mathew Koshy from Edison Regional Gifted Center, Chicago, IL. Check out Rehan Mathew’s moving documentary, Andrée de Jongh: Faster than a Comet, at https://bit.ly/Andree_de_Jongh.

Stay tuned for more incredible award-winning projects coming your way!

ARTEFFECT Updates

“StorytellingThrough Art” Online Session

Wednesday, December 13 | 4:00-5:15 PM (Pacific Time)
Register Here

All educators are invited to join this session on “Storytelling Through Art,” led by award-winning educator Brad LeDuc. Explore strategies to support your students in their visual storytelling about the Unsung Heroes. Attendees to the live session will receive a Certificate of Participation. All registrants will receive the lesson plan and session recording. Free to join—registration required.

The 2023-2024 ARTEFFECT visual art competition is now underway and open through May 1, 2024. Middle and high school students are invited to creatively interpret the story of an Unsung Hero through an original visual artwork accompanied by an impact statement. Learn more here!

Fellows News and Updates

We had the privilege of hosting the First Place winners of the 2023 Discovery Award competition at the LMC! 11th graders Paige Franzen, Kadence Huck, and Callahan Levi from Nashua-Plainfield High School in Nashua, Iowa, claimed the $2,500 First Prize award. They were accompanied by their teacher, 2022 LMC Fellow Suzy Turner. During their visit, these talented students lent their expertise to assist us in developing a unique new exhibit honoring their Unsung Hero, Dr. Christine Grant.

Their award-winning documentary beautifully captures the life and impactful journey of Dr. Christine Grant, a trailblazer for equity in women’s sports programs. She left an indelible mark as a legendary women’s field hockey coach and the first director of women’s intercollegiate athletics at the University of Iowa.

Congratulations again to Paige, Kadence, and Callahan! Your achievements are not only commendable but also an inspiration to future generations. Thank you for sharing the impactful story of Dr. Christine Grant with the world. The new exhibit panel is made possible by a grant from Kansas Commerce and Kansas Tourism. We look forward to unveiling the new panel in the summer of 2024.

LMC News and Updates

With a grant from Evergy, we brought Operation Wildlife to the Lowell Milken Center in celebration of our unsung environmentalist hero, Jacob Valentine.

When it gets warmer, we plan to have a program featuring a bald eagle in Lowell Milken Park. Executive Director Norm Conard said, “This was one of the best programs of the year! We had a full house for each presentation, and those who attended fell in love with these beautiful creatures.”

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 Lana had to say:

Being an LMC fellow and integrating unsung hero projects into my curriculum has profoundly shaped my teaching philosophy and style. It’s like adding a splash of color to my teaching canvas! It has encouraged my students and me to dive into unique historical perspectives (ones often sidelined in textbooks), which I am able to share with my class and as an advisor for National History Day. Equally impactful was the emphasis on research and writing skills. I’ve witnessed my students evolve into adept researchers, crafting articulate narratives. This fellowship transformed my classroom into a vibrant learning space where historical exploration is not just a lesson but a thrilling journey, fostering curiosity and critical thinking in every student.

The unsung hero projects make history come alive, helping my students connect the dots and write compelling stories they wouldn’t normally explore. Being at an art school has also given them the space to shape their craft while still being engaged in social sciences in a unique way. I love learning about the different topics along with the students, nudging them to push themselves outside their comfort zones and really make a connection between their unsung heroes and themselves. Seeing their accomplishments and their pride in themselves, or their random emails at 11:30 pm saying, “Mrs. S, I found someone to interview, and I’m so excited because they emailed me back!” only fuels the excitement for me. When I receive emails from parents saying they’ve seen growth and a positive difference in their child while working on the project, I know I am doing what I was meant to do.

Last year, one of my students was awarded an Honorable Mention from LMC. I gently nudged her to use her voice and performing skills to share her story. The fact that I have a platform to give students a voice and choice in how they present their research is something I do not take for granted. When I asked her what the most memorable experience of her journey was, here’s what she said: “The moment I realized the direction of my project was when you told me to focus on the story I wanted to tell: the Korean American business owners. I recognized then that telling one person’s story could help me connect the stories around them. The amount of effort and time you dedicated to revising my project is something I deeply appreciate. Through your coaching, I was able to explore so many topics of Asian American history that I would not be able to learn through the school curriculum. The Lum v Rice case left such a significant impact on my understanding of Asian American history, and the dedication of Katherine Lum has inspired me so many times.”

Integrating unsung hero projects into my curriculum made history come alive, helping my students connect the dots and write compelling stories. It’s like watching a flower bloom – their research and writing skills have blossomed. Thanks to this experience, my classroom is a place of excitement and curiosity, where every day is an adventure into the past. Students develop empathy and compassion through the research project, whether they know it or not.

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