May 2024                                                                                     Volume 3

Lowell Milken Center Buzzes with Field Trip Excitement

This spring, the Lowell Milken Center (LMC) has been a hive of activity. As the school year draws to a close, LMC has become a favored destination for field trips among local schools. Over the past few weeks, we’ve welcomed hundreds of students, teachers, and chaperones, each eager to explore and learn. The center’s vibrant programs and engaging exhibits continue to inspire and educate visitors, making every trip a memorable adventure.

Discovery Award Updates

Discover Heroes, Win Big: 2024 Discovery Award Competition Now Open!

The 2024 Discovery Award Competition has officially launched, presenting an extraordinary opportunity for students in grades 4-12 to win a share of $25,000 in prizes. This competition, sponsored by the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, is designed to encourage young learners to uncover and highlight the stories of unsung heroes who have made a significant impact yet remain largely unrecognized.

Competition Details

• Prizes: A total of $25,000 is up for grabs, rewarding creativity and research.
• Eligibility: The competition is open to students from grades 4 through 12.
• Deadline: All projects must be submitted by July 1, 2024.
• Formats: Students can present their findings in one of three formats: a performance, a website, or a documentary.

This is not just a contest; it’s a chance to integrate real-world research and storytelling into your curriculum, making history come alive for students. Encourage your students to participate and possibly win big by exploring the lives and legacies of unsung heroes and role models who have impacted history and shaped our world.

For more information and to enter the competition, visit here.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact [email protected].

ARTEFFECT Updates

The 2024 ARTEFFECT Competition received a record-breaking number of entries!

We extend our gratitude to all participating students and their teachers.

Awardees will be announced on June 3. Stay tuned!

Fellows News and Updates

The LMC Fellowship unites top educators for a prestigious, merit-based professional development opportunity with high standards of excellence, output and benefits. 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.

The LMC Fellowship provides educators with an opportunity to reflect, reenergize and strategize. Fellows receive personal attention from our dedicated team of educational experts and time to network and collaborate with their exemplary peers. The program strengthens educators’ ability to facilitate student ownership over projects and to help their students develop skills in critical thinking, research, analysis and application. 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.

“The Lowell Milken Center has connected me with some of the most outstanding teachers from across the United States and the world. These connections push me to be a better teacher. The Discovery Award project has become one of my favorite project-based learning activities to use with students. These projects create connections to people and events in history that have a lasting impact on not only the students that create them but everyone that sees their project.”

Lindsey Dowell, LMC Fellow 2017- KS

Teacher Appreciation Week was May 6-10,

but at the LMC we celebrate teachers everyday!

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – William Butler Yeats.

This year, the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes celebrates our dedicated LMC Fellows and all the remarkable educators worldwide!

Discover more about our impactful Fellows program here.

LMC News and Updates

We were honored to welcome Madison Glidden, the 2023 National Discovery Award-winning student from Taylor, Nebraska, to the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes! She was accompanied by her teacher, Megan Helberg, a 2021 LMC Fellow, and Dan Helberg, a 2021 LMC Fellow, along with Discovery Award project-maker Gracey Rodocker. The group enjoyed a tour of our center and then began the work of contributing to the development of a new exhibit honoring Susan LaFlesche-Picotte.  Madison’s award-winning documentary on Dr. LaFlesche-Picotte is a powerful testament to her dedication and passion for recognizing unsung heroes.

View the documentary and learn more about Susan LaFlesche-Picotte’s inspiring legacy.

April 17th was the unveiling of our new Pavel Weiner exhibit, which recounts his remarkable story of survival at the Terezin Concentration camp through his bond with his roommates. An informative presentation about Terezin by the Executive Director of the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, Jessica Rockhold, provided many additional details about Pavel’s experience. Pavel and his roommates called themselves “Nesharim,” which in Hebrew translates to “Eagles.” To honor the name of these brave young men, our unique attraction for the day was a visit by Operation Wildlife’s Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle and their handlers. It was easy to see why these majestic birds were chosen to represent the dreams of the boys at Terezin.

The attendance for these events was record-setting, and we’re deeply grateful to everyone who joined us in celebrating Pavel, learning about Terezin, and experiencing the spirit of the eagles. The presence and support of our community members truly make these events worthwhile.

We invite you to the grand unveiling of our newest exhibits at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes!  Join us on June 26th at 3:00 PM for an inspiring afternoon as we celebrate the stories of two new heroes who have changed the world behind the scenes.

Date: June 26

Time: 3:00 PM

Location: Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

These exhibits promise to move, inspire, and challenge you. Don’t miss out on the chance to dive into the extraordinary lives of unsung heroes who have made a profound impact. We hope to see you there!