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Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Announces Boren Mentoring Initiative Grant Recipients

To help support the growth and development of K-12 mentoring programs in Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has announced the recipients of its first Boren Mentoring Initiative start-up grants and opportunity grants totaling $15,000.

The announcement coincides with National Mentoring Month in January, a campaign that aims to celebrate the power of mentoring relationships and raise the awareness of the importance of youth mentoring around the United States.

Two start-up grants of $3,000 each have been awarded to BEST! (Building Extraordinary Success Today) Mentoring, a community-based mentoring organization sponsored by the CACHE Schools Education Foundation; and Positive Presence, a mentoring program serving students ages 5-19 in WILSON Public Schools. Start-up grants are awarded to organizations in their first three years of operation and are designed to encourage communities to establish quality mentoring programs.

Six opportunity grants of $1,500 each were awarded to existing mentoring programs to help fund programming, training, materials or other needs that advance excellence in mentoring for K-12 students. Recipients are Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma in BARTLESVILLE, which serves children ages 6 to 18; Volunteers for Youth Pal+ Program of CLAREMORE, which serves youth ages 6-18 in Rogers County schools; One True Light Inc., which serves DUNCAN K-12 students through Summer Feeding and Link One Mentoring Programs; Freedom City, which helps at-risk OKLAHOMA CITY Public Schools students catch up academically through in-school and after-school programming; Thunderbird Challenge Program in PRYOR, a 22-week program for high school dropouts sponsored by the Oklahoma National Guard; and Oklahoma State University Reading and Math Center and Pre-Service Teachers Program in STILLWATER, which provides mentoring and literacy help to Upward Bound high school students.

“We are excited to announce our first Boren Mentoring Initiative Grant recipients and to watch how this year’s recipients will use their funds to strengthen mentoring and impact student growth in their communities,” said Elizabeth Inbody, executive director of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. “We look forward to sharing success stories from each of these programs in the coming year.”

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a statewide nonprofit founded in 1985 by then U.S. Sen. David L. Boren to recognize and encourage academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. The David and Molly Boren Mentoring Initiative – one of the foundation’s five programs — promotes the growth and development of quality mentoring programs in Oklahoma. The initiative grew out of the Borens’ own commitment to mentoring and the proven impact that mentoring can make on a student’s success in and out of the classroom.

In addition to awarding grants, the Boren Mentoring Initiative provides on-call support and resources for mentoring organizations, school districts, businesses and others seeking information on how to start or strengthen their mentoring program for K-12 students. For more information, visit ofe.org or contact Program Director Katy Leffel at (405) 236-0006.

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(EDITOR: Boren Mentoring Initiative Grant recipients are listed below by the city in which they serve. Each listing includes a brief description of how the Mentoring Program plans to use its grant funds.)

 

BARTLESVILLE – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma provides fully vetted, caring mentors for children 6 to 18. Its mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. The agency’s Bartlesville office will use its opportunity grant funds to help revitalize its school-based mentoring program in Dewey Public Schools, recruiting and training high school volunteers to serve mentees in need.

 

CACHE – The BEST! (Building Extraordinary Success Today) Mentoring Program, sponsored by the Cache Schools Education Foundation, focuses on leadership, career exploration and life skills education for middle school and high school students. Start-up grant funds will be used to support group Lunch-and-Learn events, a spring leadership event at Skills for Life Academy, a Mentor Appreciation Day as well as marketing materials for recruiting and retaining volunteers.

 

CLAREMORE – Volunteers for Youth’s PAL + Program serves youth ages 6-18 in school systems in Rogers County. The mentoring program provides at-risk youth with positive adult leadership. As part of the mentor training process, volunteers complete a six-hour pre-match training addressing topics such as how to respond if a youth is engaged in substance misuse, mandatory reporting, effective communication techniques and motivational interviewing. The PAL + Program will use its Opportunity Grant funds to purchase updated training materials and resources for mentors.

 

DUNCAN – One True Light Inc. was founded in 2012 with the mission of “linking generations to learn, love and live together.” Its focus is to unite the community to meet the physical, emotional and academic needs of K-12 students in Duncan through a Summer Feeding Program and Link One Mentoring Program. One True Light plans to use its opportunity grant funds to purchase sensory chairs and cushions and sensory-rich bucket kits for each of the seven school sites to help enhance sensory input to promote self-regulation, behavior and attention. They also plan to incorporate STEM educational toys that will help students develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Freedom City works with at-risk students in Oklahoma City Public Schools, helping them to catch up academically through in-school and after-school programs, with a special focus on reading and math. The program will use its opportunity grant funds to help cover after-school staff expenses and purchase supplies for math and reading instruction.

 

PRYOR – Thunderbird Challenge Program provides 16 to 18-year-old school dropouts with the opportunity to gain control of their lives. The program, a division of the National Guard and National Guard Bureau Youth Challenge Program, utilizes a structured approach to self-discipline, improving self-esteem and physical fitness to address the needs of the whole person. The program plans to use its opportunity grant to provide mentor appreciation gifts and prizes to be awarded during mentor training events. Mentor appreciation is critical to mentor retention and the program’s success.

 

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State University’s Reading and Math Center and Pre-Service Teachers Program provides mentoring and literacy support to Upward Bound high school students. The program will utilize opportunity grant funds to purchase materials benefiting mentees such as journals, curriculum materials and assessments. They also plan to use the funds to host closing events in fall and spring for mentors and mentees.  

 

WILSON – Positive Presence matches positive adult role-models with Wilson students ages 5 to 19. Mentors will read with students, participate in game nights, talk about careers, provide tutoring and simply spend time visiting with their mentees. Start-up grant funds will be used for volunteer background checks, for activities such as the School Unity Project, and for mentoring supplies such as books and games.

Virtual Colonial Days Webinars Open to Oklahoma Fifth-Grade Classes

Oklahoma fifth-grade teachers are invited to register their classes for Virtual Colonial Days, a series of early American history webinars presented by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. Teachers can register online through Jan. 17 at ofe.org.

“Agents of Change: Promoting Civil Discourse and Action” is the theme of the Zoom webinar series, which will focus on the importance of civil discourse and the role it plays in creating positive change in democracy. Students will meet people of the past to learn about problems they faced and steps they took to make positive change. Students will be challenged to consider how they can be problem-solvers, have civil discussions and be agents for change in their own communities.

The 45-minute webinars are free to registered fifth-grade teachers and will be held at 10 a.m. Fridays, Jan. 28, Feb. 11, Feb. 25 and March 4. Presenters include Tulsa historical interpreter Stephen Smith as Founding Father Benjamin Franklin; Mount Vernon historical interpreter Tom Plott as Dr. James Craik, who will reflect on his friend George Washington as a change agent; Colonial Williamsburg historical interpreter Bryan Austin, portraying James Madison, Father of the Constitution; and Colonial Williamsburg actor and interpreter Deirdre Jones Cardwell as Agnes, an enslaved woman in the home of Peyton Randolph, speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses.

Following the series, students will be invited to participate in a literature contest reflecting on how they, too, can be agents for change in their communities. Virtual Colonial Days is part of the Early American History Programs sponsored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a statewide nonprofit that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. The foundation also administers scholarships for fifth and eighth-grade teachers to attend the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute and has co-sponsored Colonial Day at the State Capitol, a hands-on history education event for fifth-graders.

Last year, more than 5,700 Oklahoma students and teachers participated in Virtual Colonial Days webinars, which began as an educational outreach program during the pandemic. In a post-event survey, teachers indicated they wanted the program to continue – even after the pandemic is over.

“There weren’t many opportunities for authentic learning last year due to the pandemic,” said Aimee King of Shaweee, a 2021 program participant. “This was a chance for students to have engaging lessons and reinforce skills they learned in the classroom.”

Fairview teacher Kim Larsen said the historical presentations were very realistic. “Every one of my students finished the series knowing something they didn’t know before.”

Virtual Colonial Days is made possible with support from Oklahoma Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Larry and Diana Brown, and Charles L. Oppenheim. Teresa Potter, an instructional coach for Putnam City Schools, serves as project director for Virtual Colonial Days.

Virtual Colonial Days Registration Open

Arnett fifth graders, shown here Zooming with Benjamin Franklin, were among more than 5,700 participants in Virtual Colonial Days, a webinar series bringing interactive historical presentations to classrooms throughout Oklahoma. Applications for the 2022 webinar series presented by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence are now open here.

Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Announces New Board Members

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a statewide charitable organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools, has announced the addition of 12 new members to its Board of Trustees.

Appointed to serve three-year terms are Casey Gilliam, educator and community volunteer, EDMOND; Stephen G. Butler, assistant dean for Advancement and External Affairs, Oklahoma City University Law School, OKLAHOMA CITY; Dr. Sonja J. Hughes, vice president, Strategy & Service Excellence, Aetna, OKLAHOMA CITY; Sheryl Lovelady, executive director, Oklahoma Afterschool Network, OKLAHOMA CITY; Marion Paden, executive director, Leadership Oklahoma, OKLAHOMA CITY; Jennifer Dilley, senior vice president and chief strategy officer, American Heritage Bank, SAPULPA; Mike Boynton, Oklahoma State University men’s basketball coach, STILLWATER; Annie Chang, concept and story lead, Gitwit Creative, TULSA; Michael Epps, vice president, Network Management, Zayo Group, TULSA; Melvin R. Gilliam Sr., associate vice president, SpiritBank, TULSA; Dr. David Kendrick, chair, Department of Informatics and assistant provost, OU Health Sciences Center, TULSA; Jennifer Loren, director of the Cherokee Nation Film Office, TULSA.

Three of the new trustees – Butler, Chang and Kendrick– received Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic All-State Awards when they were high school seniors.

“It is our honor to welcome such exemplary community leaders to our Board of Trustees,” said Jami Rhoades Antonisse, president of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. “Our foundation and our work on behalf of public education in Oklahoma will be strengthened by their talents and contributions.”
One of the keys to the foundation’s success is the leadership of its 180 trustees. They are leaders in business, education and public service who represent every region of the state and help promote the foundation’s mission and its programs.

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence was founded in 1985 by then U.S. Sen. David L. Boren to strengthen support for public education in Oklahoma. Through its flagship Academic Awards Program, the foundation has presented more than $5.1 million in cash awards to honor outstanding public school students and educators. Through its Oklahoma School Foundations Network, the foundation provides training and networking opportunities to more than 200 public education foundations across the state.

Among its other initiatives, the Foundation for Excellence coordinates a summer fellowship program to send Oklahoma fifth- and eighth-grade teachers to the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute. Through its statewide mentoring initiative, the foundation supports the development of quality youth mentoring as a positive step toward academic success.

The foundation partners with the national Fund for Teachers and the Tulsa Community Foundation to provide grants for self-designed summer professional development opportunities for teachers in locations around the world. The foundation recently completed the pilot phase of its Teachers of English Learners Project, an online learning and networking platform to support classroom teachers in elementary schools with high enrollment of English Learners. The platform is now available free to teachers statewide through the State Department of Education.

Since 1987, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and its partners have invested more than $12.6 million in teacher grants, scholarships and awards directly benefiting Oklahoma public school teachers and students.

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(EDITORS: New trustees are listed below by hometown.)

EDMOND — Casey Gilliam is a former public school teacher turned interior designer. After a 10-year period living in California, she and her husband now reside in Edmond where their three children attend Edmond Public Schools. Gilliam serves on the Parent-Teacher Organization board of her children’s school and is looking forward to serving on the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Board along with her father, longtime board member Ken Fergeson.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Stephen G. Butler is the assistant dean for Advancement and External Relations at Oklahoma City University School of Law. He previously served as director of the Law Associates annual giving program at Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, Calif. He has been active in mentoring programs and coordinated the Omega Educational Foundation’s Youth Leadership Conference and the Street Law Academy to educate young men on their constitutional rights. Butler was honored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence as an Academic All-Stater in 1997.
Dr. Sonja J. Hughes serves as vice president of Strategy and Service Excellence at Aetna. Prior to joining Aetna, she was the executive medical director for the Federal Employee Program at Health Care Service Corporation. She is a board-certified OB/GYN who practiced for over 20 years before changing the focus of her career to include health care quality improvement. She is a member of the Health Care Business Diversity Council and is co-executive sponsor for the Diversity Mentorship and Sponsorship Program. She is active in state and national medical associations and a member of the Oklahoma Black Physicians Alliance.
Sheryl Lovelady is executive director of the Oklahoma Afterschool Network, which expands learning opportunities for at-risk children. She is also executive director for the Oklahoma City Housing Services Redevelopment Corporation. Her past experience includes positions with the Oklahoma State Senate, a statewide political caucus, a Washington political research firm, the City of Tulsa, and the Women’s Leadership initiative at the University of Oklahoma. Lovelady is a graduate of Leadership Tulsa, the Department of Corrections Leadership Academy and the US Department of Defense JCOC leadership program. She has served on numerous boards, particularly those focusing on women, children and education.
Marion Paden is president and CEO of Leadership Oklahoma. A licensed professional counselor, she has worked as vice president for student services at Oklahoma City Community College for more than 20 years. Paden has served on the boards of many state and national organizations, including the College Board, American Red Cross, Oklahoma All Sports Association and Junior League. She is a member of Leadership Oklahoma, Leadership Oklahoma City, Economic Club of Oklahoma and the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City. During Paden’s tenure as president, the Oklahoma City Rotary Club became the world’s largest Rotary Club.

SAPULPA – Jennifer Dilley is a senior vice president and chief strategy officer for American Heritage Bank of Sapulpa. She is a member of the Oklahoma Bankers Association and active in the Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce and Sapulpa Main Street.

STILLWATER – Mike Boynton is head coach for the Oklahoma State University men’s basketball team. Academics are at the heart of Boynton’s philosophy. In four years, Boynton has 11 Academic All-Big 12 selections, including a school-record five honorees in 2021. In 2020, the team earned the National Association of Basketball Coaches Team Academic Excellence Award after recording the second-highest team GPA in school history.

TULSA – Annie Chang is a story lead and content strategist for Gitwit, a Tulsa creative marketing and product agency. After earning her journalism degree from Northwestern University in 2013, she worked as a television news reporter in South Bend, Ind., and in Tulsa. Chang serves on the Tulsa Ballet Board of Directors and Emergency Infant Services’ Young Professionals Board. She is a volunteer for Poetic Justice, a restorative writing and creative arts program serving women who are incarcerated. Chang is a 2009 recipient of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic All-State award.

Michael Epps is vice president of Network Management for Zayo, a Colorado-based company providing communications infrastructure to some of the world’s leading businesses. With over 25 years in the telecommunications industry, Epps established his career at Worldcom and later transitioned to Level 3 Communications before joining Zayo in 2010. He promotes workplace diversity as a member of Oklahoma Women in Technology. Epps is active in the Tulsa community, serving on the board of Birthright Living Legacy and supporting James Mission and Tulsa Parent and Child Center.

Melvin R. Gilliam Sr. is a business development officer for SpiritBank of Tulsa. He serves on the Board of Directors of KIPP Tulsa Public Charter Schools, the Oklahoma Former NFL Players Chapter Board and the City of Tulsa Financial Literacy Board. He is also active in the Oklahoma State University Inclusion and Diversity Committee.

Dr. David Kendrick chairs the Department of Medical Informatics and serves as assistant provost for Strategic Planning for the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He is the principal investigator and CEO of MyHealth Access Network, Oklahoma’s non-profit Health Information Exchange. Kendrick is board chairman of the National Committee for Quality Assurance and a board member for the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative. He was honored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence as an Academic All-Stater in 1990.

Jennifer Loren is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and director of the Cherokee Nation Film Office and Original Content. She served as a television news anchor, producer and investigative reporter before joining Cherokee Nation Businesses in 2014. She is co-creator of the acclaimed docuseries “Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People.” She is active in many journalism and film associations and serves on the Tulsa Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women. She is a member of the Booker T. Washington High School Foundation for Excellence and the Eliot Elementary Parent-Teacher Association Board.

Three Public School Foundation Programs to Be Recognized for Outstanding Achievement

A fully equipped bookmobile, a book dispensing vending machine and a program connecting school site needs with community resources have been selected as recipients of the 2021 Outstanding Program Awards for Oklahoma School Foundations presented by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and its Oklahoma School Foundations Network.

The awards recognize innovative programs sponsored or administered by public school foundations in Oklahoma. Receiving plaques and monetary awards of $1,000 each will be the Trojans Read the Way Bookmobile sponsored by the Jenks Public Schools Foundation; the Get Books, Not Twix! Book Vending Machine sponsored by the Grove Education Foundation for Excellence; and the Community and Schools Together Initiative sponsored by the Putnam City Schools Foundation.

“We are honoring these programs for their creativity and the positive impact they have in supporting academic excellence in their communities,” said Katy Leffel, director of the Oklahoma School Foundations Network. “In addition, program award winners will present a free webinar on Oct. 27 to share their ideas so other school foundations might emulate or adapt these programs in their own school districts.”

Trojans Read the Way Bookmobile
 Jenks Public Schools Foundation

A grassroots effort by Jenks Public Schools educators to provide access to books and literacy support during the summer and their vision to expand the program into a dedicated bookmobile led the Jenks Public Schools Foundation to support the Trojans Read the Way literacy initiative. The initiative raised the funds needed to transform a retired Jenks school bus into a fully functional bookmobile.

In summer 2019, a group of dedicated educators determined a population of Jenks Public Schools students may not have access to books during the summer months. To provide these students with equitable access to books, multiple teachers volunteered their time and resources to load donated books into a van, travel to nearby apartment complexes, and offer books to families. The makeshift book- mobile was well received, and families lined up each week to take home a selection of books. These

teachers presented the positive outcomes of their summer literacy effort to the Jenks Board of Education, along with their vision of expanding the program.

Jenks Public Schools Foundation leaders heard their request and approved a Trojans Read the Way funding initiative. In February 2020, the foundation issued a call to action at its annual Dinner and Auction, raising funds to repurpose a retired Jenks school bus into the Trojans Read the Way Bookmobile.

Jenks carpenters removed the interior seating and worked with the Trojans Read the Way team to create a colorful interior equipped with bookshelves, seating, and a generator to provide air conditioning during the hot summer months. Once the interior of the bookmobile was completed, a Jenks business produced a wrap with a fun design to cover the bus. The Jenks Public Schools Foundation logo is proudly included in the design. Funds raised for the initiative also provided a permanent canopy for the bookmobile. A call for donated books was made throughout the district with Trojan Read the Way donation receptacles placed at all school sites. Several Foundation board members also offered to place receptacles at their businesses. Thousands of books have been collected.

“Jenks Public Schools Foundation leaders and the Trojans Read the Way team all agree that the Trojans Read the Way literacy program was extremely successful,” said foundation executive director Elizabeth Inbody. “It has grown from a grassroots effort of delivering books out of a van to an air conditioned, colorful, inviting bookmobile where students can experience the joy of selecting a book that will become part of their own home library. The number of students served increased dramatically, and three times as many books were given away with the addition of the bookmobile.”

During the summer of 2021, over 2,300 books were distributed to students and families. An average of 150 students were served each week, greatly expanding equitable access to learning for Jenks students during the summer months. The Trojans Read the Way team has plans to increase the impact of the program going forward by adding additional routes and taking the Bookmobile out to serve families during holiday breaks.

 

Get Books, Not Twix! Book Vending Machine
Grove Education Foundation for Excellence

 

Grove Upper Elementary School librarians were looking to reinforce positive behavior, reward students for reaching reading goals, encourage student reading and self-selection of books, and create a culture of excitement around reading. The Grove Education Foundation for Excellence stepped in to fund a book vending machine to provide an experience that fosters those important student achievement objectives.

Vending machines are a ubiquitous feature in many schools around the country, but creating a machine that dispenses a selection of brand new, high-interest books with a variety of reading levels rather than soda or candy has motivated students to focus on positive behaviors at Grove Upper Elementary. Students can earn a golden token to use in the book vending machine by demonstrating positive behavior, showing good character traits, reaching reading goals, going above and beyond in the classroom, or celebrating a birthday.

Giving books to students is also a great way to build bridges between schools, families, and the community. Community members who donate the books can write positive, uplifting messages in the books for students. The books in the vending machine are high-interest, diverse, and high quality, reaching students at all different reading levels. Students choose the book they want based on interest, regardless of reading level.

“The book vending machine brings new excitement to reading!” said Grove Upper Elementary Principal Charla Matthews. “Our students, no matter their academic level or socioeconomic status, are excited to earn a coin. They love to choose a book of their own and to receive it in a way that is FUN!

“Whole classes will come to watch the recipient spend their coin which builds excitement for others,” Matthews added. “We have some students who will save their coin for months until ‘just the right book’ becomes available. It’s an amazing tool for both our positive behavior plan and our schoolwide literacy initiative.”

The Grove Education Foundation for Excellence strives to provide grants that feature new and innovative ways to improve education for Grove students. Reading skills and good behavior are critical components of classroom success, and foundation leaders said they are thrilled to see the book vending machine encourage those objectives for years to come.

 

Community and Schools Together Initiative
Putnam City Schools Foundation

Recognizing that there are many community members, businesses and organizations that want to help public education and that there is always a need for community support for schools, Putnam City Schools Foundation created the Community and Schools Together Initiative (CAST) to help connect community resources to school needs.

Each of the district’s three feeder school patterns has a CAST liaison who works with school staff to identify and to fill needs and to build lasting relationships with community donors that improve educational opportunities for students.

During the pilot year for the CAST program, several opportunities for community engagement occurred. A group of church members painted games on the blacktop at one school while another repainted the United States flag. A women’s group came together to build a Girls’ Closet full of feminine hygiene and care products at a middle school. A youth group replaced the shingles on the roof of a shed at an elementary school. The Energy soccer club donated soccer equipment to enhance an elementary PE program. A local business donated two refrigerators for teacher lounges, replacing long outdated ones. During COVID school closures, the foundation’s CAST liaisons worked with three churches to collect and distribute school supply packets to students in need.

“The outcomes of the CAST program, from providing supplies for girls and sports equipment to books and school supplies, show that we are meeting the needs our schools have,” said foundation President Jennifer Seal. “Those things may not represent major breakthroughs in test scores, but they represent an improved community spirit and the building of a culture of mutual support throughout our area. Putnam City is not an actual city, which makes it difficult for people to feel that ownership and pride one might have in an actual town. This program will foster those feelings as it grows.”

The impact of the Community and Schools Together Initiative continues to expand as relationships are built and school needs are met in big and small ways across the district. Over 2,400 students received school supply packets during distance learning, and countless more have been impacted with donations big and small, thanks to community partnerships formed and fostered through CAST.

Nominations Open for 2022 Academic All-State, Outstanding Educator Awards

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a nonprofit organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools, is seeking nominations for its 2022 Academic All-State Scholarships and Medal for Excellence Awards.

Scholarships and educator awards totaling $125,000 will be presented at the foundation’s 36th annual Academic Awards Banquet on May 21, 2022, at the Omni Hotel in Oklahoma City. The event, which has been described as the “Academy Awards for public education in Oklahoma,” is attended by more than 800 guests and is broadcast statewide on public television.

“The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic Awards Program is Oklahoma’s premiere awards program honoring academic achievement, innovation and leadership among students and educators in our public schools,” said OFE President Jami Rhoades Antonisse. “By working together to give outstanding students and educators the recognition they deserve, we send a strong message to our state and to the nation that Oklahomans value academic excellence.”

Academic Awards nominations are being accepted through an online portal at ofe.org in the following categories:

  1. Academic All-State, which honors 100 public high school seniors with $1,000 merit-based scholarships. To qualify, students must meet at least one of the following requirements: a composite ACT score of at least 30; a combined SAT evidence-based reading & writing and math score of at least 1370; or be selected as a semi-finalist for a National Merit, National Achievement or National Hispanic Scholarship. Eligibility must be verified by the district superintendent or high school principal. Academic All-State nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2.

Given the unique circumstances surrounding ACT and SAT testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, an alternative nomination criterion is available to students who have been unable to take the ACT and/or SAT test in 2021. For those students, the principal must certify that the student was unable to take the test due to COVID-19 and that the student ranks in the top 4 percent (weighted cumulative GPA) of their senior class. Students who took the ACT or SAT in 2021 but did not receive the minimum required score are not eligible for this alternative.

  1. The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Elementary Teaching, which honors one outstanding public school elementary teacher.

  2. The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Secondary Teaching, which honors one outstanding public school secondary teacher.

  3. The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Elementary/Secondary Administration, which honors an exceptional public school administrator at the elementary or secondary level.

  4. The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Regional University or Community College, which honors an innovative teacher at a public regional university or community college.

  5. The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Research University, honoring an outstanding educator at a public research university.

Oklahoma Medal for Excellence honorees each receive a $5,000 cash award and a glass Roots and Wings sculpture. Anyone may nominate an educator for a Medal for Excellence Award. Nominees must be full-time employees of their public school or institution and have demonstrated excellence as an educator. All Medal for Excellence nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30.

Scholarship and award recipients are chosen by an independent selection committee, chaired by retired Tulsa attorney Teresa B. Adwan, and comprised of business, education and civic leaders, as well as former Academic All-Staters and Medal for Excellence winners. Since 1987, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has awarded more than $5.1 million in academic awards and scholarships.

For more information, visit the foundation’s website at ofe.org or call (405) 236-0006.

Tulsa-Area Educator Cassaundra Walker Named BancFirst ESL Teacher of the Year

Cassaundra Walker, a newly appointed Title III English Language Development Coordinator for Jenks Public Schools, has been named the BancFirst ESL Teacher of the Year by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a statewide nonprofit that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in public schools.

The $3,000 award sponsored by BancFirst recognizes an exceptional Oklahoma English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teacher who has participated in the foundation’s Teachers of English Learners Project and has demonstrated exemplary professionalism and practice in teaching English Learner students.

Walker, a Broken Arrow resident who recently served as Bixby Public Schools’ EL coordinator and an English Learner teacher at Bixby Middle School, was nominated for the award by Bixby district administrators. The award was presented Aug. 16 at the Bixby Public Schools Administration Building, where Walker was recognized by colleagues from both districts as well as representatives from BancFirst and the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

“English Learner teachers get to try on a new hat every day – actor, linguist, singer, artist, technical support and my favorite – tour guide,” said Walker, describing how she had edited her middle school’s map last year to include the languages of her students and spotlighting her classroom so EL students knew where to go for help.

Walker traces her love for teaching and learning language back to her childhood when she was selected by her fifth-grade teacher to become a buddy with a new student from Mexico.

“We would trade words in English and Spanish with each other at lunch, sing songs we learned, or draw pictures to communicate with each other at first,” she recalls. “My fifth-grade buddy and I graduated together and are still friends today. Becoming a ‘buddy’ was my first experience with teaching and learning simultaneously. I knew then that teaching could be in my future.”

As an undergraduate English student at Northeastern State University, Walker earned her certificate to teach ESL and developed her Spanish language proficiency. She was “hooked on helping others,” volunteering to tutor exchange students and teach ESL classes at a local church. Her journey as an ESL educator later led her to teach English kindergarten for three years in Asia, to run ESL classes for inmates at the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center in Tulsa, and to serve as an adjunct instructor at Tulsa Community College guiding adults through grammar and speaking classes. Walker, who earned a master’s degree in English from Oklahoma State University with a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) focus, has taught in Bixby for the past seven years, with the last five dedicated to both teaching a coordinating the EL Program.

More than 800 educators from 104 districts who participated in the Teachers of English Learners Pilot Project in 2020-21 were eligible to be nominated for the BancFirst Teacher of the Year Award. Criteria for selection included demonstrated commitment to professional learning; professional practice; knowledge sharing; teacher leadership; parent, family and community engagement and communication; student growth; and effective use of technology.

Bixby colleagues praised Walker as a role model who goes above and beyond in her work as an ESL teacher and trusted resource to fellow teachers and families.

“As an ESL teacher and EL Coordinator, Cassaundra is constantly researching best practices and participating in professional learning,” her administrators wrote in their nomination. “In perhaps her most impactful skill, she shares these strategies with classroom teacher colleagues and EL teachers to help improve their content presentations. Her dedication to improving environments for her students outside her personal classroom illustrates her commitment to improving all aspects of her students’ experience.”

Walker has reached out to surrounding school districts to develop a list of resources and ideas to support classroom teachers in meeting the needs of their EL students. She also developed an outreach plan with the local YWCA to provide information sessions for the parents of Bixby immigrant students. When EL students were faced with the challenges of adapting to new Chromebook computers and distance learning during the pandemic, Walker tailored lessons to fit each student’s needs and make them comfortable with the technology and skills needed to operate in a digital world.

“The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is proud to partner with BancFirst in presenting the ESL Teacher of the Year Award to Cassaundra Walker,” said Executive Director Emily Stratton. “Her commitment to supporting English Learner students and their families and to sharing ideas and best practices with fellow educators is second to none.”

Walker was one of many Oklahoma educators who participated in the foundation’s Teachers of English Learner Project, which uses a collaborative online platform to provide professional development, networking and support for classroom teachers in schools with high enrollment of EL students. The project, which recently completed its pilot phase, is now available to teachers statewide on the Oklahoma State Department of Education Oklahoma EDGE website at  https://osdeconnect.ok.gov. The platform includes an ESL Certification Test prep course. 

“Nearly 60,000 students in Oklahoma’s public schools do not speak English as their first language, presenting a challenge for classroom teachers who often do not have the training or resources to effectively integrate English Learners into their classroom activities,” said Lisa Pryor, Teachers of English Learners project manager. “As part of our teacher professional development activities, the foundation created the Teachers of English Learners Project to provide an anytime, anyplace professional learning hub for classroom teachers committed to providing quality instruction for their English Learners.”

Walker said she has been fortunate to have an EL team in her districts to collaborate with, but not all educators in the field are that lucky.

“Being an English language teacher can be quite isolating,” she said. “That’s why professional learning communities, like those fostered by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, are so important. They provide teachers with a feeling of value and belonging – a place to be heard, to learn, connect and grow.”

Cassaudra Walker (center), the Title III English Language Development Coordinator for Jenks Public Schools, receives the BancFirst ESL Teacher of the Year Award from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. Congratulating Walker on the honor are (from left) Russ Smith, executive vice president of BancFirst, Jenks; Doug Tippens, executive vice president of BancFirst; and Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence representatives Lisa Pryor, Teachers of English Learners Program Manager; Emily Stratton, executive director; and Charlotte Jones, virtual facilitator coordinator.
Emily Stratton (right), executive director of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, presents Cassaundra Walker a custom glass sculpture in honor of her selection as BancFirst EL Teacher of the Year.

Foundation Completes Teachers of English Learners Pilot Project: Resource Now Available Statwide

Nearly 100 Teachers Complete Exam Prep Course

An online professional development platform for Teachers of English Learners created by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has completed its pilot phase and is now open for teachers statewide on the Oklahoma State Department of Education Oklahoma EDGE website at https://osdeconnect.ok.gov.

As part of its Teacher Professional Development programs, the foundation created the Teachers of English Learners Pilot Project to address a critical need for Oklahoma classroom teachers and their English Learners, said Emily Stratton, executive director of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a statewide nonprofit that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in public schools.

“Nearly 60,000 students in Oklahoma’s public schools do not speak English as their first language, presenting a challenge for classroom teachers who often do not have the training or resources to effectively integrate English Learner students into their classroom activities,” Stratton said.

The Teachers of English Learners project uses a collaborative online learning platform to provide professional development, networking and support for classroom teachers in schools with high enrollment of English Learner (EL) students. The project was developed by advisory and content committees made up of Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence trustees and English Learner specialists from school districts and colleges. In addition, six English-as-a-Second-Language certified teachers served as virtual facilitators for the pilot project to answer questions and provide resources for participants.

“Our ultimate goal was to provide an anytime, anyplace professional learning hub for classroom teachers committed to improving instruction for their English Learners,” said Project Manager Lisa Pryor. “This goal was accomplished through the curation of high-quality content and the ability for teachers to share information and network organically.”

When the foundation launched the platform in February 2020, the program was available to educators in 17 schools with approximately 360 registered teachers. Today, more than 800 Oklahoma educators from 95 districts have utilized the online platform, thanks to the additions of an ESL Certification Prep Course, a webinar series and opportunities to network with other English Learner teachers.

“The project has provided a platform to unite English Learner teachers who desire collaboration with others working in our subject area,” said Payne County EL teacher Anastasia Mendoza. “Many EL teachers are the only one in their school or district. The online project has given teachers from across the state a common place to collaborate, build relationships and learn from each other.”

Last September, facilitators added the free ESL Certification Prep Course created by veteran ESL teachers Ellen Kraft and Marcie Levy of Norman. The course readings, videos, activities, and quizzes are tied to six state standards and keyed to 14 competencies addressed in the state certification exam. To date, 98 Oklahoma educators have completed the prep course and are working their way towards achieving state ESL certification. The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has awarded $80 exam fee vouchers to teachers who completed the course and will continue to award vouchers – on a first-come basis – for those who complete the prep course by Sept. 15.

Organizers are hopeful that the number of teachers will increase exponentially with the new statewide access to the program. “We are particularly pleased that the Oklahoma State Department of Education is taking on the operations of continuing and expanding these supports to Oklahoma educators,” Pryor said. “We expect that this will translate to improved instruction for English Learners in classrooms across the state.”

The Teachers of English Learners project was managed by EDUTAS at the University of Oklahoma Outreach/College of Continuing Education. The online learning technology was developed by NextThought, an Oklahoma company that specializes in online professional development and community networking.

Project sponsors are the Sarkeys Foundation, BancFirst, The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, Home Creations, Gene Rainbolt, Bar S Foods, Cherokee Strip Community Foundation, Dillingham Foundation, The Joullian Foundation, the Office of Education Quality and Accountability, ARVEST Bank of Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Lopez Foods, Kirk and Sue Morris, Junior Welfare Leagues of Enid, Stephen and Sherrel Jones, Central Machine and Tool LLC, Dick Sias, Lisa Pryor, Oklahoma Bank & Trust Co., Cheryl & GW Lowry Jr., and Dick Ebrey.

OETA Academic Awards Broadcast May 29, 30 To Honor Outstanding Students, Educators 

Program to Feature Education Activist, Author Erin Gruwell

OKLAHOMA CITY – Five outstanding Oklahoma educators and 100 of the state’s top public high school seniors will be recognized when OETA Public Television broadcasts the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence 35th Academic Awards Ceremony at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 29, and 10 a.m. Sunday, May 30.

Keynote speaker Erin Gruwell, an education activist and author, will also be featured in the program. The broadcast will air on OETA Channel 13 in Oklahoma City and Channel 11 in Tulsa. Subsequent broadcasts will be shown on OETA’s OKLA channel. For digital broadcast listings, visit the station’s website at www.oeta.tv. A link to the broadcast will also be available in June on the foundation website at ofe.org.

The celebration, recorded May 22 at the Cox Business Convention Center in Tulsa, is sponsored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a nonprofit organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. This year’s ceremony was emceed by Tulsa veteran television news journalist Scott Thompson, a trustee of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

 The awards ceremony recognizes 100 public high school seniors from throughout the state as Academic All-Staters. Also honored are this year’s recipients of Oklahoma Medal for Excellence Awards: Elementary Teaching recipient Michelle Rahn, a sixth-grade STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) teacher at Will Rogers Junior High School, Claremore; Secondary Teaching winner Shelley Self, an art teacher at Coweta High School; Elementary/Secondary Administration recipient Chuck McCauley, superintendent, Bartlesville Public Schools; Regional University/Community College Teaching winner Dr. David Bass, professor of biology, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond; and Research University Teaching honoree Dr. Edralin Lucas, professor of nutritional sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. Bios of this year’s honored students and educators are available online at ofe.org.

Education activist and author Erin Gruwell (third from right), keynote speaker for the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic Awards Celebration, gathers with Medal for Excellence-winning educators (from left) Dr. David Bass, Dr. Edralin Lucas, Shelley Self, Chuck McCauley and Michelle Rahn prior to the ceremony on May 22. The event, which also honored 100 outstanding public high school seniors as Academic All-Staters, will be broadcast statewide at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 29, and 10 a.m. Sunday, May 30 on OETA Public Television.

The broadcast will include Gruwell’s keynote address, “Be a Change Maker,” in which she recounts her journey as a rookie teacher at Long Beach, California, working with students whose lives had been plagued by gangs and violence. Gruwell’s innovative teaching methods gave new hope to students forgotten by a broken system, motivating them not only to graduate high school, but to aspire for college, become published authors and more. Inspired by the personal essays of Anne Frank, a Jewish teenager in hiding in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, Gruwell’s students captured their collective experience in the book “The Freedom Writers Diary,” which inspired a major film in 2007. Inspired by her students, Gruwell began The Freedom Writers Foundation, which shares her unique teaching methods with educators and inspires young people to be change makers.

Foundation to Honor State's Top Educators, Students at 35th Academic Awards Celebration May 22 in Tulsa

Five outstanding Oklahoma educators will be honored along with 100 of the state’s top public high school seniors when the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence hosts its 35th Academic Awards Celebration at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 22, at the Cox Business Convention Center, 100 Civic Center.

Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, attendance for the 2021 Academic Awards Celebration is limited to honorees and their registered family members. The public is encouraged to view the awards ceremony broadcast at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 29, or 10 a.m. Sunday, May 30, on OETA Public Television. The broadcast will also be available on the foundation’s website at ofe.org.

“Rising Above, Going Beyond” is the theme for this year’s celebration, which will feature a keynote address by award-winning teacher and education activist Erin Gruwell. She is the collaborative author of “The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around them.”

Emmy Award-winning television journalist Scott Thompson – an Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence trustee – will serve as the emcee for the afternoon ceremony honoring “the best of the best” in Oklahoma’s public schools. Foundation Trustee Ken Busby, executive director and CEO of the Route 66 Alliance, serves as chair of the event.

“The Academic Awards Celebration is such an inspiring, entertaining, and important event for public education in Oklahoma,” Busby said. “Some have described it as the ‘Academy Awards’ of public education in Oklahoma because we really roll out the red carpet to honor extraordinary teachers and students. Top that off with an inspiring address by educator Erin Gruwell, and you have a very memorable celebration.”

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a nonprofit, charitable organization founded in 1985 by then-U.S. Sen. David Boren to recognize and encourage academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Through its Academic Awards Program, the foundation has awarded more than $5 million in merit-based scholarships and cash awards to honor outstanding graduating seniors as Academic All-Staters and exceptional educators as Medal for Excellence winners.

The foundation will present its 2020-21 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence Award in Elementary Teaching to Michelle Rahn, a sixth-grade STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) teacher at Will Rogers Junior High in Claremore; in Secondary Teaching to Shelley Self, an art teacher at Coweta High School; in Elementary/Secondary Administration to Chuck McCauley, superintendent of Bartlesville Public Schools; in Regional University/Community College Teaching to Dr. David Bass, professor of biology at the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond; and in Research University Teaching to Dr. Edralin Lucas, professor of nutritional sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. The honorees, who were unable to be recognized in person in 2020 due to the pandemic, will receive awards at this year’s awards ceremony.

Each Medal for Excellence recipient receives a $5,000 cash award as well as a glass “Roots and Wings” sculpture. With support from scholarship sponsors, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence will also present merit-based Academic All-State Scholarships of $1,000 each and medallions to 100 Academic All-State Scholars.

The 2021 Academic All-State class hails from 77 schools in 69 Oklahoma school districts. The honorees were selected from 379 nominations in what is described by Boren as “Oklahoma’s most rigorous academic awards selection process.”  Four high schools will celebrate their first Academic All-Stater: Davenport, Porum, Soper and Stigler high schools.

For more information on the Academic Awards Celebration and this year’s honorees, visit the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence website at ofe.org or call (405) 236-0006.

Stratton Named Multicultural Citizen of the Year

OKLAHOMA CITY – Norman resident Emily Stratton, executive director of the nonprofit Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, has been awarded the 2021 Multicultural Citizen of the Year by the Multicultural Education Institute at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Stratton was recognized at the institute’s recent virtual conference for her leadership in developing and coordinating the Teachers of English Learners Project, a collaborative online training platform to provide professional development, networking and support for classroom teachers in schools with a high enrollment of English Learner students.

 

The Multicultural Education Institute at the University of Central Oklahoma is a two-day networking and training opportunity for education professionals that embraces diversity in the classroom and seeks to improve academic success. Each year, the institute honors individuals and organizations for their positive influence in diversity and cross-cultural efforts in Oklahoma.

“I am very honored to be the recipient of this special award and represent the team that brought success to our Teachers of English Learners Pilot Program,” Stratton said.

Stratton and her team, which included advisory and content committees made up of foundation trustees and English Learner specialists from school districts and colleges, created the platform in response to the rapidly growing diversity of Oklahoma’s students, and the unique challenges that this represents for classroom teachers.

“When we heard that 42 percent of the more than 50,000 English Learner students in our public schools were not graduating, we knew we had to do some type of teacher professional development to help teachers better assimilate these students into their classrooms,” Stratton said.

The online learning platform for the Teachers of English Learners Project was developed by NextThought, an Oklahoma company that specializes in online professional development and community networking. Following a successful pilot year serving more than 800 educators, organizers are planning a state-wide roll-out in partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

The platform includes a comprehensive English as a Second Language Certification Exam Prep Course complete with readings, videos, activities and quizzes tied to the 14 competencies required for state certification. As an incentive, the program provided exam fee vouchers for teachers who completed the course.

“This program fits the mission of our Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence so well – to recognize and encourage academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools,” Stratton said. “We hope the program will make a difference for the future of these English Learner students and the future of our state.”

Since 1999, Stratton has served as executive director of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a nonprofit that seeks to recognize and encourage academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. A strong advocate for public education in Oklahoma, she serves on the boards of OU’s Jeanine Rainbolt College of Education and the OU School of Dance and is active in the Downtown Rotary Club of Oklahoma City, where she was named Rotarian of the Year in 2009. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma and has served on its Board of Directors. In addition, Stratton is a founding member of the Oklahoma Arts Institute and the Clinton Public School Foundation, for which she served as interim president.

Outstanding Mentors Honored During National Mentoring Month

OKLAHOMA CITY – Twenty-two outstanding Oklahoma mentors are being recognized by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and their community mentoring organizations during National Mentor Month in January.

The honored mentors were submitted by their respective mentoring organizations across the state, and each received certificates of achievement from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. The certificates are being presented in the communities where the mentors volunteer.

“We salute these outstanding mentors for the important role they play in helping young people achieve better academic, social and economic futures,” said Emily Stratton, executive director of the Foundation for Excellence. “Oklahoma mentors are truly changing lives!”

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a statewide nonprofit that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Through its statewide mentoring initiative, the foundation promotes the growth and development of quality youth mentoring programs. The foundation works with school districts and mentoring organizations to promote mentoring as a positive step toward academic success.

 “Through a statewide survey of mentoring organizations, we found that the most positive program outcomes were improved academic performance, positive mentor-mentee relationships, improved behavior, increased self-esteem and greater enrichment opportunities for participating youth,” Stratton said. “Mentoring also helps students develop resilience and feel supported as they face difficult life challenges.”

National Mentoring Month is a campaign sponsored by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership to celebrate the power of mentoring relationships and recruit new volunteer mentors. The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence provides a directory of mentoring organizations across the state seeking volunteers. For more information and a list of this year’s honored mentors, visit www.okmentors.org.

 (EDITOR: The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and community mentoring organizations are recognizing 20 outstanding Oklahoma mentors during National Mentoring Month. Honorees are listed below by their hometown and the city in which they mentor. Honored mentor bios and program descriptions are posted online at www.okmentors.org and linked below.)

BARTLESVILLE – Rachelle Wilson, commercial banker at Arvest Bank, is the outstanding mentor for the Lowe Family Young Scholars Program.

BEAVER – Olene Hale, a retired community volunteer, is the outstanding mentor for Beaver Duster Mentoring Program.

BIG CABIN – Royden Heginbotham, a retired volunteer, is the outstanding mentor for the Thunderbird Challenge Program in Pryor.

CLAREMORE – Garrett Ewell, a quality engineer with The Nordam Group LLC, is the outstanding mentor for STARBASE Oklahoma 2.0. Ewell is a resident of Claremore.

John Lingenfelter, a retired community volunteer, is the outstanding mentor for Volunteers for Youth.

DUNCAN – Terry Dennard, vice president at Legacy Bank, is the outstanding mentor for Link ONE Mentoring, ONE True Light Inc.

ELGIN – Olivia Long, a senior electrical engineering major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Scholars Mentor Program. Long is from Elgin.

EL RENO – Kathy Hill, a sign language interpreter from Yukon, is the outstanding mentor for House of Healing in El Reno.

LAWTON – Elizabeth Nalley, professor of chemistry at Cameron University, is the outstanding mentor for the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation.  

Bryan and Ida Mae Wheeler, a retired couple from Lawton, are the outstanding mentors for Southwest Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Manitou.

LEEDEY – Connie Quattlebaum, a retired community volunteer, is the outstanding mentor for Believe In Some One Now (B.I.S.O.N.) Mentors, a program of Leedey Public Schools.

MANITOU – Bryan and Ida Mae Wheeler, a retired couple from Lawton, are the outstanding mentors for Southwest Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Manitou.

NORMAN – Ronald Anderson, assistant professor of management at the University of Oklahoma, is the outstanding mentor for the Division of Management & International Business Mentoring Program, Price College of Business.

Shavonne Evans, a real estate agent for Keller Williams-Mullinix of Norman, is the outstanding mentor for Bridges of Norman Inc.

Mallory Lambert, a senior international business and accounting major at the University of Oklahoma, is the outstanding mentor for the JCPenney Leadership Program, Price College of Business. Lambert is from Tomball, Texas.

Taylor Thacker, a senior chemical, biological and materials engineering major, is the outstanding mentor for the Chevron Phillips Scholar-Mentor Program at the University of Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Jolene Ingram, a retired community volunteer, is the outstanding mentor for Whiz Kids Oklahoma.

Nancy Nathaniel, a retired community volunteer, has been named the outstanding mentor for the INTEGRIS Positive Directions Mentoring Program at Stanley Hupfeld Academy.

PRYOR – Royden Heginbotham, a retired volunteer from Big Cabin, is the outstanding mentor for the Thunderbird Challenge Program in Pryor.

STILLWATER – Sarah Casey, a senior chemical engineering major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Peer Mentor Program. Casey is from Houston, Texas.

Scott Cornelius, a fifth-year architecture major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for the Architecture Mentoring Program. He is a resident of Stillwater.

Olivia Long, a senior electrical engineering major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Scholars Mentor Program. Long is from Elgin.

Brooke Ryan, a fifth-year architecture major from Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Summer Bridge Program. Ryan is from El Dorado, Kansas.

Patrick Williams, a junior mechanical and aerospace engineering major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for the Parker Engineering, Architecture and Technology Experts program. Williams is a resident of Stillwater.

TULSA – Garrett Ewell, a quality engineer with The Nordam Group LLC, is the outstanding mentor for STARBASE Oklahoma 2.0. Ewell is a resident of Claremore.

YUKON – Kathy Hill, a sign language interpreter from Yukon, is the outstanding mentor for House of Healing.

Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Announces New Board Members

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a statewide charitable organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools, has announced the addition of 14 new members to its Board of Trustees.

Appointed to serve three-year terms are Matt Trentham, vice president and branch manager, Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma, BALKO; Terry Davidson, retired superintendent, COMANCHE; Jerrod Murr, professional speaker, Paradigm Shift, MUSKOGEE; Erika Wright, president, Noble Public Schools Foundation for Academic Excellence, NOBLE; Emily Virgin, minority leader, Oklahoma House of Representatives, NORMAN; Aletha Burrage, retired educator, OKLAHOMA CITY; Corinne Simon, corporate counsel, Ascent Resources, OKLAHOMA CITY; Alyson Willis, physician, SSM Health, OKLAHOMA CITY; Jason F. Kirksey, chief diversity officer, Oklahoma State University, STILLWATER; Ed Fite, vice president of water quality, Grand River Dam Authority, TAHLEQUAH; Diane Eason Contreras, director of immigrant & refugee services, YWCA Tulsa, Stephanie Horne, former director, Owasso Education Foundation, TULSA; John Waldron, Oklahoma House of Representatives, District 77, TULSA; and Dayna Rowe, executive director of external affairs, Redlands Community College, YUKON.

Five of the new trustees – Contreras, Murr, Trentham, Virgin, and Willis – received Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic All-State Awards when they were high school seniors. Two of the new trustees – Davidson and Waldron – received the foundation’s Medal for Excellence Awards recognizing their innovation and impact as outstanding educators.

“It is our honor to welcome such exemplary community leaders to our Board of Trustees,” said Emily Stratton, executive director of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. “Our foundation and our commitment to quality public education in Oklahoma will be strengthened by their talents and contributions, and we look forward to their partnership with us.” 

One of the keys to the foundation’s success is the leadership of its 180 trustees. They are leaders in business, education and public service, who represent every region of the state and help promote the foundation’s mission and its programs.

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence was founded in 1985 by then U.S. Sen. David L. Boren to strengthen support for public education in Oklahoma. Through its flagship Academic Awards Program, the foundation has presented more than $5 million in cash awards to honor outstanding public school students and educators. Through its Oklahoma School Foundations Network, the foundation provides training and networking opportunities to more than 200 public education foundations across the state.

Among its other initiatives, the Foundation for Excellence coordinates a summer fellowship program to send Oklahoma fifth- and eighth-grade teachers to the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute. Through its statewide mentoring initiative, the foundation promotes quality youth mentoring as a positive step toward academic success.

The foundation partners with the national Fund for Teachers and the Tulsa Community Foundation to provide grants for self-designed summer professional development opportunities for teachers in locations around the world. This year, the foundation launched the Teachers of English Learners Pilot Project, an online learning and networking platform to support classroom teachers in elementary schools with high enrollment of English Learners.

Since 1987, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and its partners have invested more than $12.1 million in teacher grants, scholarships and awards directly benefiting Oklahoma public school teachers and students.

###

(EDITORS: New trustees are listed below by hometown.)

BALKO – Matt Trentham is vice president and branch manager of Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma. He is chairman of the board of directors for the Baptist Village Communities and a member of the Oklahoma Cattleman’s Association, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association, and the National Rifle Association. He was selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence as an Academic All-Stater in 2000.

COMANCHE – Terry Davidson is retired superintendent of Comanche Public Schools, where he served 24 years. He is currently serving as part-time finance director for the district. Davidson received the Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Elementary/Secondary Administration in 2010 and the Superintendent of the Year Award from the Oklahoma Association of School Administrators in 2012.

MUSKOGEE – Jerrod Murr is a speaker, leadership trainer and cultural entrepreneur. He was selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence as an Academic All-Stater in 2000 and graduated from Northeastern State University. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Paradigm Shift, a leadership training and development company. He serves on the advisory board for the Salvation Army and was named a Partner Expert for The Forge, a business startup incubator administered by the Tulsa Regional Chamber.

NOBLE – Erika Wright is an architectural consultant for Burgess Company. She is currently the president of the Noble Public Schools Foundation and is a former member of the Noble Public Schools Board of Education. She is also secretary and den leader for Cub Scouts, Noble Pack 222.

NORMAN – Emily Virgin is a state representative and minority leader for the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She is an active member of the Oklahoma Bar Association. She serves on the boards of Bridges of Norman and Human Rights for Kids. She is a past board member of the Norman Arts Council and Thunderbird Clubhouse. Virgin was selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence in 2005 as an Academic All-Stater.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Aletha Burrage is a retired educator and a member of the Oklahoma Retired Educators Association. She is also a board member of the Semple Family Museum of Native American Art located on the campus of Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant.

Corinne Simon is corporate counsel for Ascent Resources, an oil and gas exploration and production company based in Oklahoma City. She is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Oklahoma City Bar Association, the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation, and the Ohio Oil and Gas Association. She currently serves on the Wilson Elementary PTA and the Junior League of Oklahoma City. In addition, she is a mentor for Oklahoma City Public Schools.

Alyson Willis is a physician at SSM Health St. Anthony. She is a member of the American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Osteopathic Association and the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association. She is also a participant in the Oklahoma County Medical Society Leadership Academy. Willis received the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic All-State Award in 2000.

STILLWATER – Jason F. Kirksey is vice president for institutional diversity and the chief diversity officer at Oklahoma State University. He is also an associate professor in the university’s Department of Political Science and is the principal investigator for the Oklahoma Lois Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program, designed to increase the number of minority STEM graduates. Under his leadership, OSU has significantly increased enrollment and graduation rates of students of color. In 2014, he pioneered a $6.4 million capital campaign that resulted in 50 new privately endowed scholarships focused on diversity and inclusion. He currently serves on the board of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education and the Oklahoma Diversity Officers and Practitioners Consortium.

TAHLEQUAH – Ed Fite is vice president for Rivers Operations and Water Quality with the Grand River Dam Authority, having previously served 30 years as the administrator for the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission. He serves as president of Keep Oklahoma Beautiful and the Midwest Chapter-River Management Society. In addition, he is active on the boards of Cherokee Nation Environmental Protection Commission, the Solid Waste Research Institute of Northeast Oklahoma and the Illinois River Watershed Partnership. A co-founding member of Save the Illinois River, Fite instructs swift water rescue technicians and is a floodplain manager. He is also active in the Tahlequah Kiwanis Club.      

TULSA – Diane Eason Contreras is the director of immigrant and refugee services at YWCA Tulsa. She is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, Tulsa County Bar Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association and the OU Alumni Association. She was selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence as an Academic All-Stater in 1996.

Stephanie Horne is former director of the Owasso Education Foundaton and an active community volunteer. She a member of the American Indian Science & Engineering Group and the American Legion. She is active in Hunger Free Oklahoma, the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association, Junior League and the Foundation for Tulsa Schools.

John Waldron is a state representative with the Oklahoma House of Representatives and a member of the House Democratic Caucus. A former history teacher at Booker T. Washington High School, he is a member of the Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association and the Oklahoma Educators Association. Waldron received the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Medal for Excellence in Secondary Teaching in 2013.

YUKON – Dayna Rowe is the executive director of external affairs for Redlands Community College. Prior to joining Redlands, she served as Communications and Program Outreach Specialist for the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. Rowe is a member of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Communicators Council, the Oklahoma College Public Relations Association, and the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations. She is also a graduate of Leadership Canadian County and Leadership El Reno.

Oklahoma City Attorney Jami Rhoades Antonisse Named Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence President

October 22, 2020 (Oklahoma City) – Oklahoma City attorney Jami Rhoades Antonisse has been elected president of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a statewide nonprofit that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools.

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence was founded in 1985 by then U.S. Sen. David L. Boren to strengthen support for public education in Oklahoma. Through its flagship Academic Awards Program, the foundation has presented more than $5 million in cash awards to honor outstanding public high school seniors as Academic All-Staters and to recognize innovative educators as Medal for Excellence winners. Through its Oklahoma School Foundations Network, the foundation provides training and networking opportunities to more than 200 public education foundations across the state.

Among its other initiatives, the Foundation for Excellence coordinates a summer fellowship program to send Oklahoma fifth- and eighth-grade teachers to the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute. Through its statewide mentoring initiative, the foundation promotes quality youth mentoring as a positive step toward academic success. The foundation partners with the national Fund for Teachers and the Tulsa Community Foundation to provide grants for self-designed summer professional development opportunities for teachers in locations around the world. This year, the foundation launched the Teachers of English Learners Pilot Project, an online learning and networking platform to support classroom teachers in elementary schools with high enrollment of English Learners.

Since 1987, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and its partners have invested more than $12.1 million in teacher grants, scholarships and awards directly benefiting Oklahoma public school teachers and students.

Antonisse was one of five seniors from Midwest City High School to be selected to the foundation’s inaugural class of Academic All-Staters in 1987. She earned her bachelor’s degree in French from Georgetown University, her master’s degree in library science from the University of Maryland, and her juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. She is a partner in the law firm of Miller & Johnson, PLLC.

A self-described “groupie” of public school teachers, Antonisse was proud to be one of the “Girl Attorneys” who marched on the Oklahoma state capitol during the Teacher Walkout of 2018. She said she supports OFE’s mission because “Oklahoma students deserve the very best we can give them — roots and wings. By promoting excellence in education, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence invests in our state’s future in a very meaningful way.”

Antonisse has served on the foundation’s Board of Trustees since 2009 and was a member of the Fund for Teachers selection committee and the Academic Awards Banquet planning committee for several years. In 2016, after chairing the Academic Awards Banquet for the second time, she was presented with the foundation’s Distinguished Service Award.

“Through my long association with OFE, I have found so many excellent mentors and dear friends who share my commitment to lifelong learning and community service,” Antonisse said, upon being elected foundation president. “I am especially proud that 18 other Academic All-State Alumni, including President-Elect Andrew Morris, are serving with me on the foundation’s Board of Trustees, and I invite other alumni to join us in supporting public education in Oklahoma.”

Antonisse is also active with the Mid-Del Public Schools Foundation, the P.E.O. International Sisterhood (Chapter EI, Midwest City), and the Georgetown University Alumni Association. She and her husband, Col. Richard H. Antonisse (ret.), are the parents of two sons, Hunter, a student at the University of Illinois College of Law, and Evan, a student at American University in Washington, D.C.

Three Public School Foundation Programs to Be Recognized for Outstanding Achievement

A successful running-based mentoring program, bilingual and diversity teacher training program, and a program designed to feed students in the midst of the pandemic have been selected as recipients of the 2020 Outstanding Program Awards for Oklahoma School Foundations presented by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and its Oklahoma School Foundations Network.

The awards recognize innovative programs sponsored or administered by public school foundations in Oklahoma. Receiving plaques and monetary awards of $1,000 each will be the Bruins on the Run student mentoring and running program sponsored by the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation, the Teacher Pipeline Program sponsored by the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools and the Picnic in the Park feeding program sponsored by the Weatherford Public Schools Foundation.

“We are honoring these programs for their creativity and the positive impact they have in supporting academic excellence in their communities,” said Katy Leffel, director of the Oklahoma School Foundations Network. “In addition, program award winners will present a free webinar on October 30th to share their ideas so other school foundations might emulate or adapt these ideas in their own school districts.”

Bruins on the Run Mentoring Program
Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation

The Bartlesville Public School District’s desire to increase student focus in the classroom, improve relationships between students and teacher-mentors, encourage a healthy lifestyle, increase student collaboration and friendships and provide a no-cost after school program were the driving factors that led the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation to start the Bruins on the Run mentoring program.

Bruins on the Run is a free after school club that meets three times a week for fifth-grade students to run with teacher mentors and near peer mentors from the middle and high school. Student participants receive a quality pair of running shoes and t-shirt to eliminate the financial barriers to participate and are provided with healthy snacks at each club meeting. In addition to running, each meeting sets aside time for participants to work with teacher-mentors on setting goals, overcoming training obstacles, and building relationships.

“The running component is merely the vehicle used to connect with students,” said foundation executive director Blair Ellis. “Mentors are trained to engage with their students before, after, and during the runs. They model behavior beneficial to a classroom environment, like supporting and collaborating with peers, being determined and maintaining a positive attitude.”

After a successful first season with 30 students and 12 mentors participating from two elementary schools, last year the program was expanded to include all six elementary schools, serving 87 students with 48 teacher-mentors. Though the program is on pause this fall due to the pandemic, the foundation is excited to get started again in the Spring.

Teacher Pipeline Program Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools

Role modeling, setting high expectations and culturally informed teaching are three primary ways The Brookings Institute has determined a diverse teacher workforce encourages academic excellence in students. This study, among many others, also shares how difficult it is to “go out and hire” a diverse teacher. The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools Teacher Pipeline Program works within the confines of current Oklahoma City Public School paraprofessionals, helping them become certified teachers and working to increase the number of bilingual and Black teachers in the district.

The program pays 100% of participants’ tuition, fees and books as they complete their degrees and become certified teachers for OKCPS. Participants make a commitment to remain employed by OKCPS for at least three years once they earn their teacher certification.  The Bilingual Teacher Pipeline Program has 39 active participants, with four more approved to start in the spring. The Diversity Teacher Pipeline Program has 12 active participants with three more approved to start in the spring.

“Data proves that students’ success in school can be directly attributed to having teachers who look like them, and a strategic focus for the foundation is Recruiting and Retaining Urban Ready Teachers. This program is making a real impact in increasing teacher diversity in our district” said Mary Mélon, President and CEO of The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools. “It is exciting to see program graduates teaching in their own classrooms.”

All program participants continue full time employment with the district during the time they are completing their degree, with the goal to have long-term retention of all program graduates. Three participants have graduated from the program so far, with three more on track to finish their degrees this spring.

Picnic in the Park Community Outreach Program Weatherford Public Schools Foundation

 Teachers are often on the front lines in recognizing the terrible effect of hunger in the lives of many of their students. With the devastating effects of the COVID pandemic and a severe downturn in the oil and gas industry impacting finances of many families, the Weatherford Public Schools Foundation recognized that more students than ever are impacted by hunger issues. With no school feeding program available over the summer months, the foundation stepped in to create and implement their Picnic in the Park program.

Each weekday, in partnership with the Weatherford Daily News, Ben E. Keith food company and with generous community donations, the foundation provided sack lunches in the park to give children and their families a fun, casual and safe way to pick up needed food. Volunteers were able to serve and stay socially distant, while still checking on students and providing smiles and encouraging words. Each Friday an ice cream truck was on hand to serve free ice cream to the kids.

“As kids rode by on their bicycles each day to pick up lunch, the smiles, high-fives and looks on the faces of all involved let volunteers know how deeply appreciated these lunches were,” said Weatherford Daily News publisher Phillip Reid. “Surprisingly, some of the biggest winners were the volunteers themselves, who had the opportunity to take their minds of the stress and sadness of COVID and re-focus on helping others.”

Picnic in the Park provided over 3,800 lunches thanks to donations totaling $8,250. 426 volunteers helped hand out lunches, and over 900 ice cream bars were given out during the course of the summer.

 

Thompson Receives Distinguished Service Award from Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence

Longtime Tulsa television journalist Scott Thompson accepts the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence 2020 Distinguished Service Award from outgoing OFE President Cathy Render of Tulsa during the foundation’s recent Virtual Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City.

October 20, 2020 (Oklahoma City) – Scott Thompson, a veteran television news journalist from Tulsa, has been named the recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Service Award from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a nonprofit organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools.

Thompson, who is a foundation trustee, was honored for sharing his talents as communications expert to help promote the work of the foundation. He was particularly recognized for serving as emcee for the foundation’s Academic Awards Banquet in 2019 and as host for a special televised Academic Awards Tribute on OETA in May 2020, when the foundation’s banquet was canceled due to COVID-19.

As a former news anchor for KOTV and later KJRH in Tulsa, Thompson did features on students and teachers who have benefited from the foundation’s Academic Awards Program, Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute, Mentoring Initiative and Oklahoma School Foundations Network. 

“Scott is positive, creative and compassionate in his support of Oklahoma’s teachers and students and is a tremendous trustee team member and champion for excellence in public education,” said outgoing OFE President Cathy Render of Tulsa, who presented the award. “We are so grateful for his exceptional dedication to our foundation.”

Thompson has served since 2010 as a trustee of the Sand Springs Education Foundation and was named a trustee of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence in 2016. He was later named to serve on OFE’s Executive Committee.

Thompson is one of Oklahoma’s most honored broadcast journalists. He has received six national and nine regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for writing and for Best News Series. He is the recipient of eight Emmy Awards and three national Telly Awards for Best Feature Reporting. His work has been honored with national awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Legion Auxiliary and the National Catholic Communicators, among others.

Thompson and his wife, Holly, are the parents of two Academic All-State Alumni, Will (2014) and Jack (2018).

Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Seeking Nominations for 2021 Academic All-State Scholars

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a nonprofit organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools, is seeking nominations for its 2021 Academic All-State Awards.

Scholarships totaling $100,000 will be presented at the foundation’s 35th annual Academic Awards Banquet on May 15, 2021, at the Cox Business Convention Center in Tulsa.  In addition, the foundation will recognize five innovative public school educators who were selected in 2020 as Medal for Excellence winners but were unable to be honored last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Academic Awards Banquet, which has been described as the “Academy Awards for public education in Oklahoma,” is typically attended by nearly 1,000 guests and is broadcast statewide on public television.

“The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic Awards Program is the Oklahoma’s premiere awards program honoring academic achievement, innovation and leadership among students and educators in our public schools,” said Executive Director Emily Stratton. “By working together to give outstanding students and educators the recognition they deserve, we send a strong message to our state and to the nation that Oklahomans value academic excellence.”

Academic All-State Award nominations are being accepted through an online portal at ofe.org. The award honors 100 public high school seniors with a $1,000 merit-based scholarship. To qualify, students must meet at least one of the following requirements: a composite ACT score of at least 30; a combined SAT evidence-based reading & writing and math score of at least 1370; or be selected as a semi-finalist for a National Merit, National Achievement or National Hispanic Scholarship.

Given the unique circumstances surrounding ACT and SAT testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, an alternative nomination criterion will be available to students who were unable to take the ACT or SAT test in 2020. For those students, the principal must certify that the student was unable to take the test due to COVID-19 and that the student ranks in the top 4 percent (GPA cumulative) of their senior class. Students who took the ACT or SAT in 2020 but did not receive the minimum required score are not eligible for this alternative.

Eligibility for all Academic All-State nominations must be verified by the district superintendent or high school principal. Academic All-State nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3.

The foundation will not be doing a selection process for Medal for Excellence Awards for educators this year so that it may honor the 2020 Medal winners, whose recognition was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Academic All-State Award recipients are chosen by an independent selection committee, chaired by retired Tulsa attorney Teresa B. Adwan, and comprised of business, education and civic leaders, as well as former Academic All-Staters and Medal for Excellence winners. Since 1987, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has awarded more than $5 million in academic awards and scholarships.

For more information, visit the foundation’s website at ofe.org or call (405) 236-0006.

OETA To Broadcast Tribute to Academic Award Winners

With the cancellation of its May 16 Academic Awards Banquet due to COVID-19, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is partnering with OETA Public Television to broadcast a 30-minute tribute to award winning-students and educators at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16, and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 17. The program will also be shown on OETA World Channel at 8:30 p.m. May 23 and 7:30 p.m. May 30.

The program, featuring videos submitted by the 2020 Academic All-Staters and other special guests, will be hosted by longtime Tulsa television anchor Scott Thompson, a trustee of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. The program is produced in partnership with Red Rock Video Services of Edmond.

“When we learned that our Academic Awards Banquet would need to be canceled, we immediately began seeking creative ways to give our honorees the statewide recognition and honor they deserve,” said Emily Stratton, executive director of the foundation. “OETA has been a loyal supporter of our Academic Awards Program, broadcasting our banquet for many years. We are so grateful they agreed to help us pay special tribute to our award winners through a broadcast to premiere May 16 – the same evening we would have held our banquet.”

The televised program will honor 100 of the state’s top public high school seniors as Academic All-Staters. Selected from 495 nominations statewide, the student honorees hail from 75 schools in 69 Oklahoma school districts. The 2020 Academic All-State class is the 34th to be selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence in what has been described as “Oklahoma’s most rigorous academic competition.”

Since the award program’s inception in 1987, some 3,400 high school seniors from 326 school districts have been named Academic All-State scholars. Each of this year’s All-Staters will receive a $1,000 merit-based scholarship and a medallion. This year’s All-Staters scored an average of 33.9 on the ACT, with 15 recipients scoring a perfect 36. The students’ average GPA was 4.20. In addition, 40 of this year’s All-Staters are National Merit semifinalists, and two are National Hispanic Scholar semifinalists.

The program will also recognize five innovative public school educators as recipients of its $5,000 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence Awards. This year’s honorees are elementary teaching winner Michelle Rahn, a sixth-grade STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) teacher at Will Rogers Junior High in Claremore; secondary recipient Shelley Self, an art teacher at Coweta High School; elementary/secondary administration winner Chuck McCauley, superintendent of Bartlesville Public Schools; regional university/community college teaching winner Dr. David Bass, professor of biology at the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond; and research university teaching recipient Dr. Edralin Lucas, professor of nutritional sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.

Educator and author Erin Gruwell, who was scheduled to be the keynote speaker for this year’s Academic Awards Banquet, plans to deliver the address at the 2021 banquet. All 2020 honorees will be invited to attend next year’s banquet as guests of the foundation. The annual gala event, which is attended by nearly 1,000 people, has been described as the” Academy Awards of public education in Oklahoma.”

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a nonprofit, charitable organization founded in 1985 to recognize and encourage academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Through its Academic Awards Program, the foundation has awarded more than $4.8 million in merit-based scholarships and cash awards to outstanding students and educators.

Following the OETA broadcast, the tribute will also be available on the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence website at ofe.org.

###

Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute of Colonial Williamsburg on-site Summer 2020 Sessions Cancelled Due to COVID-19

Special online programming under development; all 2020 teacher scholarships can be deferred to 2021

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (May 4, 2020) – On-site sessions of the Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute of Colonial Williamsburg are cancelled for summer 2020 as part of the foundation’s continued effort to limit health risks associated with COVID-19.

Teachers who received scholarships for 2020 can defer them to 2021. In addition, special summer 2020 online programs are under development for the scholarship recipients and other interested teachers.

“We’re inspired every day by the work of our nation’s teachers, particularly during the COVID- 19 crisis,” said Tab Broyles, Colonial Williamsburg’s Peter L. and Patricia O. Frechette director of teacher development. “Cancelling the 2020 Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute of Colonial Williamsburg is a difficult decision but one based on public health guidance, and it is the best solution for the safety of teachers, staff, students and our communities.”

Since 1989, the Teacher Institute has hosted more than 10,000 primary and secondary school educators for week-long sessions and three-day themed seminars, immersing them in an interdisciplinary approach to teaching social studies with a focus on American history.

“We are grateful to the program’s dedicated teachers for their patience, and to the generous donors who funded 2020 Teacher Institute scholarships,” Broyles said. “We look forward to hosting our 2020 scholarship recipients next year.”

Teacher Institute participants experience includes:

  • Presentation of primary source-centered, standards-based historical content
  • Immersive living-history experiences with classroom applications
  • An inclusive approach to analyzing people and events of the past from multiple perspectives
  • Innovative, engaging teaching strategies to bring history to life in the classroom
  • Collaborative idea sharing with Colonial Williamsburg staff and fellow teachers

Additional information about the Teacher Institute is available by visiting colonialwilliamsburg.org/cwti, by calling 1-855-296-6627 toll-free, and by following Colonial Williamsburg Education on Facebook.

Colonial Williamsburg public sites are closed through May 31 to limit health risks associated with COVID-19.

A growing library of virtual program content and resources for parents, teachers, other educators, lifelong learners and lovers of history is available by visiting the “Explore from

Home” section of colonialwilliamsburg.org, by following Colonial Williamsburg on Facebook and @colonialwmsburg on Twitter and Instagram, and on the Colonial Williamsburg streaming channel, which is free to account holders via the “Education” sections of Amazon Fire TV and Roku TV.

Media contact:                   
Joe Straw
757-220-7287
jstraw@cwf.org

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation preserves, restores and operates Virginia’s 18th-century capital of Williamsburg. Innovative and interactive experiences highlight the relevance of the American Revolution to contemporary life and the importance of an informed, active citizenry. The Colonial Williamsburg experience includes more than 600 restored or reconstructed original buildings, renowned museums of decorative arts and folk art, extensive educational outreach programs for students and teachers, lodging, culinary options from historic taverns to casual or elegant dining, the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club featuring 45 holes designed by Robert Trent Jones and his son Rees Jones, a full-service spa and fitness center, pools, retail stores and gardens. Philanthropic support and revenue from admissions, products and hospitality operations sustain Colonial Williamsburg’s educational programs and preservation initiatives.




 

– CWF –

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence puts the health and safety of students, teachers, their families, and their communities first. After monitoring recommendations from state and local health officials to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), we have decided to cancel the May 16 Academic Awards Banquet.

We will continue to pay tribute to our 2020 Academic All-Staters and Medal for Excellence-winning educators in statewide media and social media, as well as through cash awards. We are proud of our honorees and we will do all that we can to celebrate and publicize their remarkable achievements.

REFUND POLICY: Those who have submitted payment for banquet registration will receive a full refund. 

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this unprecedented public health crisis and its impact on Oklahoma’s premier event honoring excellence in public education.

2020 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence-Winning Educators Announced

(March 2, 2020) OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has announced the winners of its 2020 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence awards honoring five outstanding educators in Oklahoma’s public schools.

The awards will be presented at the foundation’s 34th annual Academic Awards Banquet on May 16 at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Norman. Each of the five winners will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a glass “Roots and Wings” sculpture, designed by the late Oklahoma artist Ron Roberts and produced by Artistic Glass Studio of Edmond.

This year’s Medal for Excellence winners and their award categories are: Michelle Rahn, a sixth-grade STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) teacher at Will Rogers Junior High in CLAREMORE, elementary teaching; Shelley Self, an art teacher at COWETA High School, secondary teaching; Chuck McCauley, superintendent of BARTLESVILLE Public Schools, elementary/secondary school administration; Dr. David Bass, professor of biology at the University of Central Oklahoma, EDMOND, regional university/community college teaching; and Dr. Edralin Lucas, professor of nutritional sciences, Oklahoma State University, STILLWATER, research university teaching.

“Oklahomans know that education is the best investment we can make for our future,” said Cathryn Render, president of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a non-profit organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in the state’s public schools. “By honoring these exceptional educators, we are sending a message that we value excellence in public schools and the professionals who have given so much of themselves to enrich the lives of our children.”

Michelle Rahn, winner of the Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Elementary Teaching, teaches sixth-grade STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) at Will Rogers Junior High in Claremore. Rahn began her career as a small business owner, but discovered her true calling when she volunteered at a camp teaching children about nutrition and diabetes management. The experience prompted her to pursue a degree in elementary education.

Now a 12-year teaching veteran, Rahn has led the charge for her district to focus on STEM education, first by receiving a $23,000 grant to start Claremore’s first elementary STEM program at Westside Elementary School and now to expand STEM education at Will Rogers Junior High.

“Michelle encompasses all the qualities that make a great STEM teacher,” said colleague Ranetta Eidson. “She creates a classroom environment that allows students to problem-solve, work collaboratively in groups, construct with their hands, and think critically and creatively.” As a former business woman, Rahn is mindful to incorporate higher-level thinking skills and strategies such as cooperative learning and inquiry-based investigations to help students prepare for the future workforce.

In Rahn’s classroom, students have worked in teams to design a Mars Rover and lander that is tested by dropping it from a height of 20 feet to see if its precious cargo – a raw egg – will survive the fall. In a cross-curricular unit, her students have read the memoir “Rocket Boys” and designed and built their own rockets. Through inquiry-based investigations, students become young scientists, observing natural phenomena, collecting data to develop their own hypotheses and conducting peer reviews as teams. Rahn volunteers after school to host an all-girls STEM Club, which is currently re-engineering old toys to accommodate students with cognitive disabilities.

“Mrs. Rahn connects with students through interactive learning and inspires them to love science and science concepts,” said Alicia Doonkeen, who credits Rahn with inspiring her daughters’ fascination with science. “The students not only learn the subject, but they learn to love the subject!”

Committed to lifelong learning, Rahn invests her summers attending some of the nation’s top STEM teaching institutes and will soon earn her master’s degree in Teaching, Learning and Leadership with a focus on math and science from Oklahoma State University. Among her many honors, Rahn is a 2020 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year finalist and recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching.

Shelley Self, winner of the Medal for Excellence in Secondary Teaching, is a National Board Certified teacher who has taught art at Coweta High School for 28 years. Her impact in arts education reaches far beyond the students in her classroom, said Kathleen Blake, an Oklahoma City arts educator. “She is an over-the-top secondary teacher … committed to advancing the arts in her school, community and our state.”  

Whether she is teaching a first-time art student or helping an Advanced Placement student develop a portfolio for college credits, Self seeks to be a catalyst, “nudging students to question, to take risks and to rise to a higher level of artistic development.” She challenges students to discover creativity through researching, expanding their experiences, sharpening their synthesizing skills and discovering more about themselves. “In Shelley’s classroom, there is a written component to every project,” says colleague Jennifer Deal. “She believes students need to think … about what decisions they made and why, analyzing the work based on things like materials, processes, ideation and their application of the elements and principles of design.”

Self seeks out opportunities for students to showcase their talents and serve the community through their art. Her students have participated in UnSung Heroes, a national initiative that honors lesser known heroes who changed history. Her Art Club students paint the windows of local businesses each Christmas, provide face painting for carnivals and sporting events, and host an annual Family Glaze Night for the community to glaze ceramics. Last Christmas, her Art Club was honored to represent Oklahoma by creating Christmas ornaments for the National Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

As a state leader in arts education, Self has been a mentor to countless art teachers and has served several years on the committee for Young Talent in Oklahoma, a juried high school art exhibition and senior portfolio competition. Self is the recipient of numerous teaching honors, including Oklahoma Art Educator of the Year and the Milken National Educator Award. Many of her former students have gone on to become artists, art educators and arts advocates.

“I have seen former students come back to visit her and share the impact her instruction has made on them and now, through them, is making on individuals she may never meet,” said colleague Kathleen Sanders.

The winner of the Medal for Excellence in Elementary/Secondary Administration is Chuck McCauley, superintendent of Bartlesville Public Schools. When he assumed the post in 2016, the district was facing a dire budget situation and low morale. In just three years, McCauley has led the passage of two historic bond issues, engaged stakeholders to develop and execute a strategic plan, and expanded opportunities for students.

“McCauley earned his way to the district’s top post through a soft-spoken leadership style combining humility with intelligence and drive – a combination that naturally attracts others toward a  shared vision of a better future for all children,” said Dan Droege, a founder of Bartlesville’s Public Education Advocates for Kids.

In his first 100 days as superintendent, McCauley engaged key stakeholders, from students and parents to district employees and community members, to help create a three-year strategic plan. Inspired by their input, the district has implemented several new programs, including a 1:1 Student Computing Initiative providing Chromebook computers for all students in grades 6-12; Project Lead the Way STEM curriculum for all K-5 classes; and a new agriculture program for secondary students. In addition, the district established an Alternative Therapeutic Learning Academic Setting (ATLAS) for elementary students who struggle in school due to trauma.

Many of those projects, as well as facility improvements, were made possible through the passage of a $19.4 million bond issue in 2016 and a $17.9 bond issue in 2019. The first bond issue was also critical in saving teaching positions and protecting class sizes.      

McCauley has also sought to improve school culture by engaging more with teachers through school site visits and community events. He hosts informal Coffee-with-Chuck discussions and has instituted the BPS Wellness Challenge, where school sites compete against each other for the highest participation in the Wooloroc 8K race.

During the education funding crisis in 2018, McCauley encouraged many fellow superintendents across the state to suspend school so teachers and parents could make their case at the State Capitol. He and his school board even worked with local Rep. Earl Sears to develop a bipartisan funding plan that would eventually provide for $6,000 teacher pay raises and other critical needs. “Chuck McCauley’s commitment to public education has been etched in stone,” Sears said. “Chuck’s action for students and teachers has moved Oklahoma forward.”

Dr. David Bass, the recipient of the Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Regional University/Community College, is a professor of biology and curator of invertebrates at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. A leading expert in aquatic invertebrates, Bass teaches courses ranging from beginning biology and ecology to invertebrate zoology and aquatic entomology. He also coaches UCO’s competitive sailing team.

“Even though Bass has been a professor at UCO for 35 years, he still works as if he were a green Ph.D. starting his first semester of teaching,” said Dr. Wei Chen, dean of the UCO College of Mathematics and Science. “He treats each class as a new adventure, constantly revising lecture notes, adding new contents and experimenting with new delivery approaches.”

Bass’s courses combine dynamic, well-organized lectures with lab work. He utilizes numerous strategies to accommodate different learning styles, including discussion, data analysis, writing, drawing, field work and problem-solving. “As I prepare for class, I imagine myself as a student in the course to better understand their situation,” Bass said. “I focus on the most important concepts and how they apply to the real world or use examples to which students relate.”

Most courses Bass teaches involve field studies where students make observations in nature. Bass instructs students to “get out of their human skin” and imagine they are the organisms being studied to gain a greater understanding of organisms and their environment.

Colleague Gloria Caddell has accompanied Bass and his students on weekend field trips to explore Oklahoma field biology. “David patiently gives each student individual attention and when they find an invertebrate, his excitement makes it seem like he is seeing it for the first time,” Caddell says. “He has never lost that joy of discovery, and his passion and curiosity are contagious.”

Because of Bass’s engaging teaching style and love for his subject, many non-majors have changed their major to become biologists. He mentors and encourages students to become involved in research and curation activities. At least 15 of his publications are co-authored by students.

“David taught me what is necessary to take a scientific project from idea generation to the final published project,” said Kinsey Tedford, a former nursing major turned biology grad, who is now a coastal ecologist and doctoral student at the University of Virginia.

The winner of the Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Research University is Dr. Edralin Lucas, the Jim and Lynne Williams Endowed Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Oklahoma State University. Lucas’s research focuses on the role of nutrition in promoting cardiovascular health and preventing chronic disease. A 30-year teaching veteran, Lucas has been recognized at OSU as an educator and mentor who sets high standards for academic success and goes the extra mile to help students succeed.

“She is understanding, yet holds students accountable,” said colleague Brenda Smith. “She communicates the importance of values, including hard work, striving for excellence, compassion as well as personal and professional integrity.”

Lucas teaches courses ranging from introductory Principles of Human Nutrition to graduate courses in Macronutrients and Nutrition and Evidence-Based Practice. She promotes student-centered learning by incorporating student-led discussion, in-class group assignments, hands-on activities and case studies. Lucas encourages students to apply lessons to their own lives to assess their own dietary habits and physical activity, which she hopes will impact their health long after they leave her class. “I am convinced that true learning is not simply a matter of memorizing facts, but understanding fundamental principles and being able to use these principles in everyday situations,” Lucas said.

Department Director Stephen Clarke said Lucas has a unique ability to take complex topics involving nutrient metabolism and make them applicable to students’ lives. Dr. Lucas played a critical role in reorganization of the department’s capstone nutrition course, which has dramatically improved student’s capacity to read and critically evaluate nutrition-related research.

 “What I love most about Dr. Lucas is she always pushes us to reach higher, learn more, understand more and be more,” said undergraduate student Cole Dillman. “She does this in a way that is completely personalized to each student. She has the innate ability to push you just outside your comfort zone to promote expanded knowledge, yet ensuring to never push too hard as to cause regression.”

Lucas was also praised for her role as a research mentor to graduate students. She takes a hands-on approach to developing their skills related to scientific inquiry, communication and laboratory techniques. Dr. Lucas has been honored six times as her college’s outstanding graduate faculty mentor and has twice been honored with an OSU Regents Distinguished Teaching Award.

In addition to presenting the Medal for Excellence awards, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence will honor 100 of Oklahoma’s top public high school seniors as Academic All-Staters at its May 16 banquet. The Academic Awards Banquet is open to the public, with admission priced at $50. Registration will open online April 1 at ofe.org.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has announced the recipients of its prestigious 2020 Academic All-State Awards. These 100 top public high school seniors, selected from 495 nominations statewide, hail from 75 schools in 69 Oklahoma school districts.

The 2020 Academic All-State class is the 34th to be selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.  Since the award program’s inception in 1987, some 3,400 high school seniors from 326 school districts have been named Academic All-State scholars. Three high schools will celebrate their first Academic All-Stater: Hooker High School, Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy and Silo High School.

Each of this year’s All-Staters will receive a $1,000 merit-based scholarship and a medallion. The All-Staters will be recognized at the foundation’s 34th annual Academic Awards Banquet on Saturday, May 16, at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Norman.

Cathryn Render, president of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, describes the selection of the scholars as “Oklahoma’s most rigorous academic competition.” To be nominated for Academic All-State, students must meet one of the following criteria: an American College Test (ACT) composite score of at least 30; a combined SAT evidence-based reading & writing and math score of at least 1370; or be selected as a semi-finalist for a National Merit, National Achievement or National Hispanic Scholarship.

This year’s All-Staters scored an average of 33.9 on the ACT, with 15 recipients scoring a perfect 36. The students’ average GPA was 4.20. In addition, 40 of this year’s All-Staters are National Merit semifinalists, and two are National Hispanic Scholar semifinalists.

Academic All-Staters are selected based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community involvement, as well as letters of recommendation and an essay submitted by each nominee. The selection committee, which is chaired by retired Tulsa attorney Teresa B. Adwan, works independently of all other foundation activities. The committee members are a diverse group of business, education and civic leaders, as well as past Academic Awards Program honorees.

The Academic Awards Banquet is open to the public, with admission priced at $50. The awards ceremony will later be televised statewide by OETA, the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority. For more information, call the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence office at (405) 236-0006 or visit its website at ofe.org.

Founded in 1985, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing and encouraging academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Through its Academic Awards Program, the foundation has provided more than $4.8 million in merit-based scholarships and awards to honor outstanding graduating seniors as Academic All-Staters and exceptional educators as Medal for Excellence winners.

(EDITORS: The 100 Academic All-Staters are listed below alphabetically by school district, school and the city where they reside. For more information on a particular student in your area, contact Brenda Wheelock at 405/236-0006, Ext. 11.)

*Indicates the All-State Scholar is the sibling of a previous winner. ** Recipient is the child of a previous winner.

       

Name

School District

School

City

Michael Draper*

Ada

Ada High School

Ada

Michaella Reed

Altus

Altus High School

Altus

Tyson Vernon

Altus

Altus High School

Olustee

Pace Mittelstaedt

Amber-Pocasset

Amber-Pocasset High School

Chickasha

Stone Yang

Bartlesville

Bartlesville High School

Bartlesville

Reanna DeLozier

Battiest

Battiest High School

Battiest

Kegan Firey

Berryhill

Berryhill High School

Sand Springs

Piper Lloyd

Bethany

Bethany High School

OKC

Hudson Haskins

Bethel

Bethel High School

Shawnee

Tara Eldridge

Bixby

Bixby High School

Bixby

Aidan Sudler

Bixby

Bixby High School

Bixby

Jonah Wagner

Bixby

Bixby High School

Bixby

Peyton Pierson

Blanchard

Blanchard High School

Blanchard

Michael Musa

Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow High School

Broken Arrow

Emily Hurst

Broken Bow

Broken Bow High School

Broken Bow

Ava Gladwell

Cache

Cache High School

Cache

Ava Swanson

Cache

Cache High School

Lawton

Jared Cox

Canton

Canton High School

Canton

Lydia England

Charter

Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy

OKC

Aaron Villaneuva

Charter

Santa Fe South Pathways Middle College

OKC

Danielle Dick

Chisholm

Chisholm High School

Enid

Bryant Chitsey

Choctaw-Nicoma Park

Choctaw High School

Choctaw

Aiyana Washington

Choctaw-Nicoma Park

Choctaw High School

Midwest City

Austin Haddock

Claremore

Claremore High School

Claremore

Sarah Willhoite

Claremore

Claremore High School

Claremore

Margaret Grace Baysinger*

Collinsville

Collinsville High School

Collinsville

Kirk Huseman

Cushing

Cushing High School

Cushing

Julie Dawkins

Deer Creek

Deer Creek High School

Edmond

Lauran Zheng

Deer Creek

Deer Creek High School

Edmond

Vanessa Cassidy*

Duncan

Duncan High School

Duncan

Ian McEntire

Duncan

Duncan High School

Duncan

Vivian Taylor

Durant

Durant High School

Durant

Fiza Sheikh

Edmond

Edmond Santa Fe High School

Edmond

Christopher Sipols

Edmond

Edmond North High School

Edmond

Lauren Smith

Edmond

Edmond Santa Fe High School

Edmond

Kevin Zhang

Edmond

Edmond Memorial High School

Edmond

Bradleigh Baker

El Reno

El Reno High School

El Reno

Hope Cunningham

Elgin

Elgin High School

Lawton

Alaina Spencer

Fort Gibson

Fort Gibson High School

Fort Gibson

Bo Robbins

Guthrie

Guthrie High School

Guthrie

Keaton Lollis

Henryetta

Henryetta High School

Henryetta

Mason Stalder

Hooker

Hooker High School

Hooker

Daniel Ripp

Inola

Inola High School

Inola

Aadesh Bajaj

Jenks

Jenks High School

Tulsa

Michael Hwang

Jenks

Jenks High School

Tulsa

Jackson Jeffries

Jenks

Jenks High School

Tulsa

Mark Mills

Jenks

Jenks High School

Tulsa

Harrison Themer

Kingfisher

Kingfisher High School

Kingfisher

Sophie Fosmire

Kremlin-Hillsdale

Kremlin-Hillsdale High School

Enid

Eric Wang

Lawton

MacArthur High School

Lawton

Connor Walker

Lomega

Lomega High School

Kingfisher

Madison Eulberg

Meeker

Meeker High School

Meeker

Corbin Walls*

Miami

Miami High School

Miami

Landon Bolyard

Midwest City-Del City

Midwest City High School

OKC

Kristen Duong

Moore

Moore High School

OKC

William Travis Fink

Moore

Westmoore High School

OKC

Caleb Lawson

Moore

Moore High School

Moore

Kaylyn Raper*

Morrison

Morrison High School

Morrison

Desiree Rickett

Mustang

Mustang High School

OKC

Cale Greenroyd

Newcastle

Newcastle High School

Newcastle

Calder Blackman

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Lindsay Bolino

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Zile Cao

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Charis Forbes

Norman

Norman High School

Norman

Samuel Kolar

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Claudia Merchan-Breuer

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Bradey Riopelle

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Shengran Zhou

Norman

Norman High School

Norman

Dimitri Bradford

Oklahoma City

Classen SAS at Northeast HS

Jones

Helen Dai*

OSSM

Ok. School of Science & Mathematics

Stillwater

Xinyi Li

OSSM

Ok. School of Science & Mathematics

Stillwater

Ronan Locker

Owasso

Owasso High School

Owasso

Katheryn Turner

Owasso

Owasso High School

Owasso

Luke Hamilton

Pauls Valley

Pauls Valley High School

Pauls Valley

Tobias Johnson

Piedmont

Piedmont High School

Piedmont

Colton Peery

Plainview

Plainview High School

Ardmore

Larin Wade

Ringling

Ringling High School

Ringling

Ethan Ratzlaff

Ringwood

Ringwood High School

Meno

William Bouchard**

Sand Springs

Charles Page High School

Sand Springs

Jaedyn Magness

Shattuck

Shattuck High School

Shattuck

Shelby Jones

Shawnee

Shawnee High School

Shawnee

Madison Gordon

Silo

Silo High School

Durant

Zahmiria Johnson

Stillwater

Stillwater High School

Stillwater

Daniel Tikalsky

Stillwater

Stillwater High School

Stillwater

Nicco Wang*

Stillwater

Stillwater High School

Stillwater

Hailey Williams

Strother

Strother High School

Okemah

Kylie Hix

Tahlequah

Tahlequah High School

Tahlequah

Christine Do

Tulsa

Booker T. Washington High School

Tulsa

Xena Gehring

Tulsa

Thomas A. Edison Prep. High School

Tulsa

Nathaniel Ijams*

Tulsa

Booker T. Washington High School

Tulsa

Carson Buller**

Turpin

Turpin High School

Turpin

Keegan Knouse

Union

Union High School

Tulsa

Anna Claire McMullen

Union

Union High School

Tulsa

Gabrielle McMahon-Csaki

Vanoss

Vanoss High School

Stratford

Catherine Tramel

Verdigris

Verdigris High School

Claremore

Claire Levesque

Wagoner

Wagoner High School

Wagoner

Emily Cornforth

Washington

Washington High School

Purcell

Noah Hightower

Watonga

Watonga High School

Watonga

Callie Madison Stephens

Weatherford

Weatherford High School

Weatherford

Nicholas Seyegh

Western Heights

Western Heights High School

OKC

OKLAHOMA CITY – Charlie Balthrop, a fifth-grader at Eisenhower Elementary School in Norman, has been named winner of the 2020 Colonial Day Literature Contest sponsored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Charlie, 10, was recognized and read his award-winning essay, “What It Means To Be An American,” during Colonial Day at the Oklahoma History Center on Feb. 7 in the Devon Great Hall.  Nearly 300 students participated in the contest.

Revolutionary War hero James Armistead Lafayette, portrayed by historical interpreter Stephen Seals from Colonial Williamsburg, presented Charlie with a plaque and a $100 prize during Colonial Day opening ceremonies. Charlie also received a citation from his state representative Merleyn Bell during the event. Charlie’s essay focused on First Amendment rights, America’s diversity and the importance of voting.

“I am so proud of Charlie and his essay,” said Deji Dugger, Charlie’s Gifted and Talented Program teacher at Eisenhower. “We talk about how important being a good and active citizen is for our country, and he took it to great length to promote voting in our society. I know he is going to be that productive citizen our country needs now more than ever. May he continue to use his voice!”

Charlie is the son of Matt Balthrop of Moore and LaDawn and Josh Batch of Norman. He is active in Moore Youth Football League and enjoys raising fish and playing computer games. He is a straight-A student who enjoys reading and learning about current events.

Also recognized at the Colonial Day opening ceremony were four contest finalists, who received certificates of merit. They were Olivia Johnson of Oakdale Elementary School in EDMOND; Lucas West of John Rex Charter Elementary School in OKLAHOMA CITY; Lindzee Wessels of CHEROKEE Elementary School; and Rosa Gonzalez of Coolidge Elementary School in ENID.

During Colonial Day, nearly 300 Oklahoma fifth-graders dressed in early-American clothing, traveled back in time to meet historical figures and learn about the daily lives of early Americans. Colonial Day is coordinated by teachers who have participated in the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute through a fellowship program administered by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Major funding for Colonial Day is provided by a grant from Oklahoma Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The event is also made possible with support from Aunt Pittypat’s Catering, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Embassy Suites Hilton Oklahoma City Northwest, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, Mattocks Printing Co., the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma History Center, the Oklahoma Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Charles L. Oppenheim and Catherine Wootten.

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(EDITOR: Below is the text of Charlie Balthrop’s essay, “What It Means To Be An American,” in case you wish to print it.)

 

Being an American to me means having freedom of speech, freedom to choose your own religion and the freedom to fulfill your own dreams. I believe being an American also means that everyone is equal and has equal rights. One very important right is the right to vote.

Americans are very fortunate to have these freedoms. Many people come to American for better opportunities – to be free and to have a better chance at achieving their dreams. Our forefathers fought for us to have these freedoms, and it’s something we should never take for granted.

America is a very diverse country with many different races and religions. It is our duty to respect each other, no matter what race or religion people may be. Just as the Pledge of Allegiance states, “One nation under God and indivisible with liberty and justice for all,” we are meant to unite together, fight together and above all, love one another.

In the United States, no one is required to vote in any local, state or presidential election. Voting is, however, a privilege that we should never waiver. Our forefathers have written several amendments to the Constitution that discuss our right to vote.

It is my promise to my country to exercise and never waiver my rights as an American. I know as an American, I have the freedom of speech, freedom to choose my religion and the freedom to fulfill my own dreams. I also promise to respect my fellow Americans, regardless of race or religion. I will also, when of age, exercise my right to vote. I have great respect for my forefathers and the solid foundation in which they build our country. I am proud to be an American.

Charlie Balthrop, (front right), a fifth-grader at Eisenhower Elementary School in Norman, receives a citation from State Rep. Merleyn Bell recognizing him as the winner of the Colonial Day Literature Contest, sponsored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. They are joined by (back row, from left) Eisenhower Elementary School Vice Principal Andrea Crowe, Principal Danielle Eikel and Colonial Williamsburg Historical interpreter Stephen Seals, who portrays Revolutionary War hero James Armistead Lafayette. Lafayette presented Charlie with a plaque and $100 award during opening ceremonies of Colonial Day at the Oklahoma History Center, held recently in Oklahoma City. Nearly 300 Oklahoma students participated in the literature contest and other Colonial Day activities. (Photo by David Wheelock)

OKLAHOMA CITY – More than 300 Oklahoma students will travel back in time and meet such historical figures as Revolutionary War hero James Armistead Lafayette and Benjamin Franklin during the 18th annual Colonial Day, slated Friday, Feb. 7, at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr., Oklahoma City. The program is presented by Colonial Williamsburg and George Washington teacher institute alumni in partnership with the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Students from Cherokee, Enid, Norman, Oakdale, Oklahoma City and Putnam City public schools will be dressed in colonial-period attire for the hands-on history education event. Activities will take place from 9:15 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center. Due to renovations at the State Capitol – the traditional location for Colonial Day – the event is being hosted this year by the Oklahoma History Center, which has been a longtime participant in Colonial Day educational programming.

Students will have the opportunity to interact with people from the past – portrayed by historical interpreters – and participate in such teacher-led sessions as colonial dancing, period games, tin smithing and Native American history. The day will include a student-led Bill of Rights song during opening ceremonies in the Devon Great Hall.

Highlighting this year’s Colonial Day will be special appearances by Colonial Williamsburg historical interpreter Stephen Seals, who will portray slave and Patriot spy James Armistead Lafayette; Mount Vernon historical interpreters Brenda Parker, performing as Priscilla, one of more than 300 slaves who lived and worked at Mount Vernon; and Tom Plott, playing Dr. James Craik, George Washington’s close friend and physician. Stephen Smith, a Tulsa historical interpreter, will return for his 18th Colonial Day performance as Benjamin Franklin; and Janet Bass, librarian at Oklahoma Christian School, will reprise her role as Revolutionary War spy Wyn Mabee.

 “Colonial Day is an engaging and action-packed day of learning that brings early American history to life for Oklahoma students,” said Colonial Day Director Teresa Potter, a teacher at Oakdale Elementary School in EDMOND. “We are grateful to the many teachers, volunteers and sponsors who make this learning experience possible and appreciate the Oklahoma History Center hosting this year’s event.”

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence will recognize the winner of its Colonial Day Literature Contest during opening ceremonies at 9:15 a.m. in the House of Representatives Chambers. Colonial Williamsburg’s James Armistead Lafayette will present a plaque and $100 to literature contest winner Charlie Balthrop of Eisenhower Elementary School in NORMAN. The theme of the annual contest is “What It Means to Be an American.”  

Colonial Day is coordinated by teachers who have participated in the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute through a fellowship program administered by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence or who have attended the George Washington Teacher Institute at Mount Vernon. Joining Potter as coordinators of this year’s Colonial Day are Jan Morris, Soldier Creek Elementary School in MIDWEST CITY; Jessica Brandon, Barnes Elementary School, MIDWEST CITY; and Kristle Morris, Northridge Elementary School, Putnam City Schools, OKLAHOMA CITY.

Schools participating in Colonial Day are Cherokee Public School in CHEROKEE; Oakdale Elementary School in EDMOND; Coolidge Elementary School in ENID; Eisenhower Elementary School, NORMAN; John Rex Elementary School in OKLAHOMA CITY; and Rollingwood and Northridge Elementary Schools, Putnam City Schools, OKLAHOMA CITY.

Major funding for Colonial Day at the Capitol is provided by a grant from Oklahoma Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The event is also made possible with support from Aunt Pittypat’s Catering, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Embassy Suites by Hilton Oklahoma City Northwest, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, Mattocks Printing Co., the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma History Center, the Oklahoma Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Charles L. Oppenheim,  and the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Thirty-one outstanding Oklahoma mentors are being recognized by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and their community mentoring organizations during National Mentor Month in January.

The honored mentors were submitted by their respective mentoring organizations across the state, and each received certificates of achievement from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. The certificates are being presented in the communities where the mentors volunteer.

“We salute these outstanding mentors for the important role they play in helping young people achieve better academic, social and economic futures,” said Emily Stratton, executive director of the Foundation for Excellence. “Oklahoma mentors are truly changing lives!”

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a statewide nonprofit that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Through its statewide mentoring initiative, the foundation promotes the growth and development of quality youth mentoring programs. The foundation works with school districts and mentoring organizations to promote mentoring as a positive step toward academic success.

 “Through a statewide survey of mentoring organizations, we found that the most positive program outcomes were improved academic performance, positive mentor-mentee relationships, improved behavior, increased self-esteem and greater enrichment opportunities for participating youth,” Stratton said. “Mentoring also helps students develop resilience and feel supported as they face difficult life challenges.”

“Mentor in Real Life” is the theme of National Mentoring Month, a campaign sponsored by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership to celebrate the power of mentoring relationships and recruit new volunteer mentors. The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence provides a directory of mentoring organizations across the state seeking volunteers. For more information and a list of this year’s honored mentors, visit www.okmentors.org.

 (EDITOR: The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and community mentoring organizations are recognizing 31 outstanding Oklahoma mentors during National Mentoring Month. Honorees are listed below by their hometown and the city in which they mentor. Honored mentor bios and program descriptions are posted online at www.okmentors.org and linked below.)

BARTLESVILLE – Mary Beth Buchanan, an administrative assistant for Tri County Technology, is the outstanding mentor for the Lowe Family Young Scholars Program.

BEAVER – Hattie Whipple, a Beaver business woman, is the outstanding mentor for Beaver Duster Mentoring Program.

CACHE – John Albright, owner and operator of Albright’s Heating and Air Conditioning in Indiahoma, is the outstanding mentor for BEST! (Building Extraordinary Success Today) Mentoring, a program of the Cache Schools Education Foundation.

CHEYENNE – Joe L. Hay, a retired Roger Mills County sheriff, is the outstanding mentor for B.E.A.R.S. (Building Esteem and Responsibility) Mentoring Program in  Cheyenne.

DEL CITY – Maria Simpson, an accountant for Chesapeake Energy, is the outstanding mentor for STARBASE Oklahoma 2.0, Department of Defense, program at Kerr Middle School in Del City. Simpson is a resident of Oklahoma City.

DUNCAN – Jean Schalit, a Duncan retiree, is the outstanding mentor for Link ONE Mentoring, ONE True Light, Inc.

EDMOND – Lexi Arnold is the outstanding mentor for Camp Fire Heart of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. She is a student at Cimarron Middle School and a resident of Edmond.

Cardin Hart, a recent chemical engineering graduate from Oklahoma State University, was selected as the outstanding mentor for the Chemical Engineering Student Mentor Program in OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. He is now attending medical school at the University of Oklahoma. Hart is a resident of Edmond.

ENID – Max Neville, an Enid community volunteer, is the outstanding mentor for Coach-A-Kid Enid, a program of United Way of Enid and Northwest Oklahoma.

LAWTON – Jeff Elbert is the outstanding mentor for Young Men in Action and Gentlemen of Lawton High School. He is a math teacher at Lawton High School and a wrestling coach.

Danielle Nickell, a Lawton senior majoring in accounting at University of Oklahoma, is the outstanding mentor for the JCPenney Leadership Center in OU’s Price College of Business.

LEEDEY – Roy McClendon, a retired educator and the volunteer mayor of Leedey, is the outstanding mentor for Believe In Some One Now (B.I.S.O.N.) Mentors, a program of Leedey Public Schools.

MANITOU – Jim Linker, a retired history teacher and principal from Vernon, Texas, is the outstanding mentor for Southwest Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Manitou.

MARLOW – Carina Friedl, a procurement specialist for Halliburton Services, is the outstanding mentor for Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma.

MIDWEST CITY – Thelma Bratten, a retired teacher from Midwest City, is the outstanding mentor for Whiz Kids Oklahoma, Oklahoma City.

Angela Keneda, a reading professor at Rose State College, is the outstanding mentor for Critical Learning in Community Knowledge (CLICK) at Rose State College.

NORMAN – Juliana Guisti Cavallin and Emily Merckx, both seniors at Norman High School, are the honored mentors for Norman High School’s Elementary Spanish Mentor Program.

Danielle Nickell, a Lawton senior majoring in accounting at University of Oklahoma, is the outstanding mentor for the JCPenney Leadership Center in OU’s Price College of Business.

Anthu Trinh, a senior biochemistry and pre-med major at the University of Oklahoma, is the outstanding mentor for Alcott Middle School Mentoring Program. She resides in Norman.

Jacob Klenke, a senior Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering student at the University of Oklahoma, is the outstanding mentor for the Chevron Phillips Scholar-Mentor Program in OU’s School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering. Klenke is from Greenville, Ill., and currently resides in Norman.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Lexi Arnold is the outstanding mentor for Camp Fire Heart of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. She is a student at Cimarron Middle School and a resident of Edmond.

Thelma Bratten, a retired teacher from Midwest City, is the outstanding mentor for Whiz Kids Oklahoma, Oklahoma City.

Aaron Corona, an Oklahoma City resident and junior mechanical engineering major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for the Summer Bridge Program in the OSU College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

Shari Dixon, a detective for the Village Police Department, has been named the outstanding mentor for the INTEGRIS Positive Directions Mentoring Program at Stanley Hupfeld Academy in Oklahoma City.

Maria Simpson, an accountant for Chesapeake Energy, is the outstanding mentor for STARBASE Oklahoma 2.0, Department of Defense, Program at Kerr Middle School in Del City. Simpson is a resident of Oklahoma City.

Karen Walker, a sixth-grade teacher at ASTEC Charter School, is the outstanding mentor for STARBASE Oklahoma 2.0, Department of Defense, program at ASTEC Charter School.

OWASSO – William Crawford, a senior architecture major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for the Architecture Coaching program in OSU’s  College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. Crawford is from Owasso.

Caleb Smith, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor at OSU’s LASSO Center Tutoring Program. He is from Owasso.

STILLWATER – Fiona Byrd, a junior biosystems engineering major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for Women Inspiring Successful Engineers (WISE) in the OSU College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

Aaron Corona, a junior mechanical engineering major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for the Summer Bridge Program in the OSU College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. Corona is from Oklahoma City.

William Crawford, a senior architecture major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for the Architecture Coaching program in OSU’s  College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. Crawford is from Owasso.

Cardin Hart, a recent chemical engineering graduate from Oklahoma State University, was selected as the outstanding mentor for the Chemical Engineering Student Mentor Program in OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. He is now attending medical school at the University of Oklahoma. Hart is a resident of Edmond.

Lamar Lawson, a senior electrical engineering major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for Inspiring Successful Engineers, a program in OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

Jennifer Litchfield, a junior mechanical and aerospace engineering student at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for the Student Council Big-Little Program in the OSU College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

Rebecca Powers, a senior chemical engineering student at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor for Parker Engineering, Architecture and Technology Experts (PEATE) in the OSU College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

Caleb Smith, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major at Oklahoma State University, is the outstanding mentor at OSU’s LASSO Center Tutoring Program. He is from Owasso.

TULSA – James Parker, a Tulsa frame carpenter and community volunteer, is the outstanding mentor for World Baseball Outreach in Tulsa.

Susan Kay Watkins is the outstanding mentor for Reading Partners of Tulsa. Watkins, a resident of Sapulpa, is the past event coordinator for the Tulsa Business and Legal News. She is a marketing major at Tulsa Community College.

Fellowship applications are now available for Oklahoma fifth- and eighth-grade teachers interested in attending the 2020 Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute next summer in the restored capital city of 18th-century Virginia. The fifth-grade institute is scheduled June 6-12, and the eighth-grade institute is scheduled June 13-19, 2020.  
           
The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence coordinates the selection of Oklahoma teachers to participate in the renowned teacher institute. Applications are available on the foundation’s website at ofe.org. Completed applications must be submitted by Feb. 1, 2020.

The fellowships cover all program activities, airfare, lodging and most meals. Each teacher also receives a $300 stipend for classroom materials. While in Colonial Williamsburg – the world’s largest living history museum – Oklahoma teachers will have the opportunity to meet character interpreters of 18th-century people and be immersed in early American history through hands-on activities and reenactments of historic events. Participants also will meet daily with a Master Teacher to discuss interactive teaching techniques and develop creative lesson ideas based on their experiences.

“No textbook can replace the inspiration and knowledge gained by walking in the footsteps of early Americans, both famous and ordinary,” said Teacher Institute alumna Linda Goodnight of Wewoka. “Visualizing George Washington and his troops at Surrender Field, debating in the very courtroom where Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry pled the cause of liberty, and learning to make rope by hand in Jamestown colony will ignite my teaching – and my students – forever.

“The Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute is by far the finest, most comprehensive teacher training I have ever attended,” Goodnight added.  “I am a better American and a better teacher because of it.”

Oklahoma’s fifth-grade teacher institute is open to fifth-grade social studies/history teachers and resource teachers, such as school librarians or gifted-talented teachers, who plan to teach U.S. history in their schools in 2019-2020. Their sessions will focus on the daily life of colonial Virginians and the transition from subject to citizen that occurred during the Revolutionary War period. Teachers will be immersed in content and hands-on activities that highlight the stories of the people who lived and worked in 18th-century Williamsburg.

Oklahoma eighth-grade classroom teachers who will teach U.S. history as part of their social studies curriculum can apply for fellowships to attend the Teacher Institute’s program for secondary teachers. Their sessions will examine how the concept of American identity began in the colonial period and continues to evolve and transform with each generation. Through inquiry-based analysis of primary sources, teachers will explore how that identity influenced American citizens to shape and change the Republic through the 1860s.
The fellowships are available to public and private school teachers. Participants are asked to share materials, skills and experiences with fellow teachers through two workshops or in-service programs upon their return from the institute.

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has coordinated Oklahoma’s participation in the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute since 1993. The program is made possible through the leadership and support of the late Oklahoma City businessman Edward C. Joullian III, who was an active supporter and former board member of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Joullian was also a trustee of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a nonprofit organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Joullian’s family, along with a group of loyal donors, continues to support the fellowship program, which has served more than 880 Oklahoma teachers.

For more information, visit the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence website at ofe.org or call Brenda Wheelock at (405) 236-0006, Ext. 11.
 
 
 

OKLAHOMA CITY – A successful reading program for at-risk students, a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign and a novice teacher training program have been selected as recipients of the 2019 Outstanding Program Awards for Oklahoma School Foundations presented by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and its Oklahoma School Foundations Network.

The awards, announced today at the Oklahoma School Foundation Network’s regional meeting in Lawton, recognize innovative programs sponsored or administered by public school foundations in Oklahoma.

Receiving plaques and monetary awards of $1,000 each will be the At-Risk Readers Program sponsored by Bartlesville Education Promise, the 50 for Fifty Peer-to-Peer Fundraiser sponsored by the Noble Public Schools Foundation and the Novice Teacher Support Program sponsored by the Foundation for Tulsa Schools.

“We are honoring these programs for their creativity and the positive impact they have in supporting academic excellence in their communities,” said Katy Leffel, director of the Oklahoma School Foundations Network. “In addition, we will recognize these program award winners among their peers at regional meetings so that other school foundations might emulate or adapt these ideas in their own school districts.”


At-Risk Readers Program
Bartlesville Education Promise

Statistics have shown that students who do not learn to read by the third grade are four times more likely not to graduate from high school. Recognizing that as many as 14 percent of Bartlesville third-graders did not pass the new, more difficult state reading test, Bartlesville Education Promise implemented an At-Risk Readers Program.

The reading program selects at-risk readers in all six elementary schools and provides after school tutoring, donates books for all elementary students to take home, and offers a summer reading program staffed by professional teachers. During the eight-week summer program, teachers worked with over 1,000 students and encouraged students to take a pledge to read at least one book over the summer. The foundation invested more than $38,000 last year in the reading program.

“As a result of significant after-school tutoring, encouragement of parents, providing reading books for home use, and an aggressive summer reading program, only four students were held back in third grade,” said Martin Garber Jr., chairman of Bartlesville Education Promise.

The Bartlesville Education Promise foundation was founded in 2015 to help Bartlesville Public Schools students graduate from high school and prepare for college and the workforce. More than 3,300 students participated last year in one or more of the foundation’s programs. Last year, the district graduation rate increased from 83 to 91 percent.

 

50 for Fifty Peer-to-Peer Fundraiser
Noble Public Schools Foundatio 

Noble Public Schools Foundation set a goal to raise $50,000 for their endowment fund and to also engage new donors with the foundation in an effort to raise awareness and commitment to supporting their mission.

They launched the 50 for Fifty campaign, calling on community members and alumni to engage their peers to help raise $1,000 on behalf of each of the 50 graduating classes from Noble. The foundation called on alumni to pay forward the advantages gained from their experiences in Noble Public Schools by raising funds to support current students.

The campaign utilized a peer-to-peer fundraising approach. Each graduating class had a team, with additional teams for non-alumni community members and staff. Team leaders shared the 50 for Fifty fundraising opportunity with their network of friends and classmates, asking them to share in turn with their own networks. Team leaders utilized many different methods of donor solicitation, from social media and text messages to phone calls and emails.

“This program engaged our supporter community by putting the ownership on their peer groups to reach a common goal of supporting our schools, together, as a team,” said Erika Wright, foundation president. “It fostered a healthy competition between classes, with each team having their own unique giving link and a leaderboard tracker to show who had raised the most at any given time during the campaign.”

The $50,000 fundraising campaign not only exceeded its goal, but also brought in 84 new donors and 24 new monthly donors.

Novice Teacher Support Program
Foundation for Tulsa Schools

To increase teacher retention, increase teacher content knowledge and strengthen student outcomes, the Foundation for Tulsa Schools began sponsoring the Novice Teacher Support Program in 2017-18. The program provides novice teachers enhanced on-boarding training, additional professional development and one-to-one mentorship from an experienced teacher mentor.

“A significant challenge facing Tulsa Public Schools is the hiring, training and retaining of quality teachers,” said Tulsa Superintendent Deborah A. Gist. “One of the most important factors in a student’s academic success is the quality of his or her teacher.”

Gist said 40 percent of Tulsa Public Schools’ teachers are novice teachers, defined as being in the first two years of their teaching career, with the district losing nearly 25 percent of teachers before they reach their sixth year of teaching. The district, with the support of the Foundation for Tulsa Schools, has faced the challenge head-on by increasing efforts to support novice teachers

Through the program, all novice teachers receive stipends to participate in additional monthly professional development days. The summer Novice Teacher induction was expanded from three to five days, allowing additional time for new teachers to go through new hire onboarding and receive more focused professional development and expanded breakout sessions. The Novice Teacher Support Program also increased the number of experienced teacher mentors to allow more one-on-one support for new educators.

“The primary measure of success for the Novice Teacher Support Program is an improved retention rate for novice teachers returning to the district,” Gist said, noting that the retention rate increased 7 percent in 2018-19 and 11.5 percent in 2019-20. This year, Tulsa Public Schools is financially supporting the program internally and continues to refine the program based on teacher feedback.

The Outstanding Program Awards are presented by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a nonprofit organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Among its many programs, the Foundation for Excellence provides free training, resources and networking opportunities to new and established public school foundations across the state through its Oklahoma School Foundations Network – formerly the Local Education Foundation Outreach program.

For more information, contact Katy Leffel at (405) 236-0006 or email kleffel@ofe.org.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a nonprofit organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools, is seeking nominations for its 2020 Academic All-State Scholarships and Medal for Excellence Awards.

Scholarships and educator awards totaling $125,000 will be presented at the foundation’s 34th annual Academic Awards Banquet on May 16, 2020, at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Norman. The event, which has been described as the “Academy Awards for public education in Oklahoma,” is attended by nearly 1,000 guests and is broadcast statewide on public television.

 “We know that education is the best investment our society can make for the future,” said David L. Boren, founder and chairman of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. “If we make all of the right policy decisions in every other area but fail to adequately educate the next generation, we will imperil the future of our society. By working together to give outstanding students and educators the recognition they deserve, we send a strong message to our state and to the nation that Oklahomans value academic excellence.”

Academic Awards nominations are being accepted through an online portal at ofe.org in the following categories:

1.      Academic All-State, which honors 100 public high school seniors with a $1,000 merit-based scholarship. To qualify, students must meet at least one of the following requirements: a composite ACT score of at least 30; a combined SAT evidence-based reading & writing and math score of at least 1370; or be selected as a semi-finalist for a National Merit, National Achievement or National Hispanic Scholarship. Eligibility must be verified by the district superintendent or high school principal. Academic All-State nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5.

2.      The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Elementary/Secondary Teaching, which honors two educators – a public school elementary teacher and a secondary teacher.

3.      The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Elementary/Secondary Administration, which honors an exceptional public school administrator at the elementary or secondary level.

4.      The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Regional University or Community College, which honors an innovative teacher at a public regional university or community college.

5.      The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Research University, honoring an outstanding educator at a public research university.

Oklahoma Medal for Excellence honorees each receive a $5,000 cash award and a glass Roots and Wings sculpture. Anyone may nominate an educator for a Medal for Excellence Award. Nominees must be full-time employees of their public school or institution and have demonstrated excellence as an educator. All Medal for Excellence nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Scholarship and award recipients are chosen by an independent selection committee, chaired by retired Tulsa attorney Teresa B. Adwan, and comprised of business, education and civic leaders, as well as former Academic All-Staters and Medal for Excellence winners. Since 1987, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has awarded more than $4.8 million in academic awards and scholarships.

For more information, visit the foundation’s website at ofe.org or call (405) 236-0006.

Oklahoma pre-K-12th grade teachers seeking customized professional development opportunities are encouraged to attend upcoming information sessions in Oklahoma City, Lawton and Clinton about Fund for Teachers grants. 

In partnership with the national nonprofit Fund for Teachers, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and the Tulsa Community Foundation will offer grant proposal writing and information sessions. The meetings are scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at The Oklahoman, 100 W. Main St., Suite 100, in Oklahoma City; at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at Great Plains Technology Center, 4500 W. Lee Blvd. in Lawton; and 5 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Clinton Schools Administration Building, 1720 Opal Ave. in Clinton.

Webinar information sessions will be available in November and December on the national Fund for Teachers website. Registration and webinar information can be found at www.fundforteachers.org/fft-events. 

Teachers attending the sessions will learn about eligibility requirements, the application process, tips and advice for developing a fellowship proposal and grant writing assistance. The Fund for Teachers grant program awards fellowships of up to $5,000 for individual teachers and up to $10,000 for teams of teachers for self-designed professional development experiences to take place anywhere in the world during the summer months. The grant cycle application process opens Oct. 1 online at www.fundforteachers.org and will close Jan. 30, 2020. 

Fund for Teachers supports teachers in their desire to improve their craft and gain understanding by offering professional development unique to the needs of their students and teaching philosophy. Since 2006, the Fund for Teachers program in Oklahoma has provided more than $3.1 million in grant funds to 878 Oklahoma teachers. Oklahoma’s 2019 Fund for Teachers program was funded in part with support from a tribal alliance including the Chickasaw Nation, Cherokee Nation, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Native America teachers from all Oklahoma tribal areas are also encouraged to apply for the 2020 grant cycle. 

Fund for Teachers fellowships are open to Oklahoma pre-K through 12th-grade teachers in public, private, parochial and charter schools. Applicants must have at least three years of teaching experience, be full-time employees and spend 50 percent or more of their time in a classroom setting. In addition, applicants must have the intention of returning to their school and/or district following their summer professional development. School administrators are not eligible for the grants. 

This summer, 28 teachers from Oklahoma schools returned from learning odysseys in locations in Europe, Japan, South America and North America. Fellows ignited new passions for learning as they adventured through diverse ecosystems, toured historical locations, observed industry professionals, experimented with new technology, and more. 

Chelsea Archie and teammate Shanna Eicher, science teachers from Owasso Seventh Grade Center, ventured to Eastern Australia to investigate the effects of climate change on the country’s ocean and land ecosystems to develop an inquiry-based unit that engages students in local and global conservation efforts. While in Australia, the team met with conservationists and research scientists to discuss the current state of local ecosystems and to strategize about conservation. Their learning adventure included guided tours of rain forests and animal sanctuaries, behind-the scenes research at the Cairns Aquarium, underwater research at the Great Barrier Reef, observing conservation efforts at the Australia Zoo and visiting local research colleges. 

“I would describe this fellowship as a game-changing event in my education career,” Archie said. “As educators, it is our duty to learn as much as we can so we can be the best teachers for our students. I can now infuse more real-world problem-solving and critical thinking into my classroom, talk with colleagues about complex world issues, and encourage others to stretch outside of their comfort zones.” 

For more information about Fund for Teachers, or to apply for a grant, please visit www.fundforteachers.org, contact Sara Wilson at swilson@ofe.org or call 405-236-0006, ext. 12. 

Exactly 699 Oklahoma coaches from 204 communities in 73 counties participated in the fifth annual Oklahoma Coaches Mentoring Challenge, a campaign to encourage Oklahomans to mentor young people in their communities.

The 2018-19 campaign was kicked off with endorsements from OSU Head Football Coach Mike Gundy and OU Head Football Coach Lincoln Riley in collaboration with state mentoring organizations and the Boren Mentoring Initiative, a program of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. During the campaign, coaches from public and private elementary and secondary schools, as well as many colleges and universities in Oklahoma stepped up to endorse mentoring. Prospective mentors can learn about volunteer opportunities on the campaign website at www.okcoacheschallenge.org.

“We are grateful to the many coaches who have lent their voices in a unified call for youth mentors in Oklahoma,” said Beverly Woodrome, director of the Boren Mentoring Initiative. “As natural and group mentors, coaches know firsthand the impact that a mentor can have on the academic, social, emotional and economic futures of our young people. Mentoring is critical to the future of our state, providing workforce and quality-of-life development.

“Coaches consistently tell me they see students who are not involved in sports or organized school activities who would benefit from a mentor,” Woodrome added. “By endorsing the Coaches Mentoring Challenge, they are sending a message that they value mentoring and see a critical need for more volunteers to spend an hour a week mentoring young people in their communities.”

The Coaches Mentoring Challenge began in 2008 as a friendly competition between mentoring advocates Coach Tom Osborne of the University of Nebraska and Coach Bill Snyder at Kansas State University. Since then, many coaches from universities, colleges and secondary schools around the country have signed up to endorse mentoring.

According to MENTOR, the National Mentoring Partnership, it is estimated that one in three young people is in need of a mentor – someone to listen, to encourage and to set a positive example. One of the greatest challenges facing mentoring programs in Oklahoma is the shortage of volunteers. Mentors are needed to serve young people from Pre-K through young adults in college and Career Tech. “The Coaches Mentoring Challenge has helped raise awareness about the need for more mentors across the state and has even generated some interest in starting new mentoring programs,” Woodrome said.

The Boren Mentoring Initiative is a program of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a statewide nonprofit that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in public schools. The mentoring initiative, named for foundation founder and chairman David L. Boren and his wife, Molly, grew out of their shared support for mentoring and its proven impact on student success in and out of the classroom.

The initiative was launched in 2006 to promote the growth and development of quality youth mentoring programs statewide, providing free consulting and resources. The Mentoring Initiative also celebrates the impact of mentoring by honoring outstanding volunteers at the annual Oklahoma Mentor Day. As a resource for those seeking a mentor or mentoring opportunities, the initiative hosts a directory of 328 Oklahoma mentoring organizations on its website at www.okmentors.org.

 “We are happy to meet with schools, churches, businesses and others interested in starting a mentoring program in their community,” Woodrome said. “Research has shown that the most positive outcomes of mentoring are improved academic performance, positive mentor-mentee relationships, improved behavior, increased self-esteem and greater enrichment opportunities for participating youth.”

For more information, visit www.okcoacheschallenge.org or contact Woodrome at (405) 590-4063.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is seeking nominations for its 2019 Outstanding Program Awards for Oklahoma School Foundations. 
The foundation annually recognizes innovative programs sponsored or administered by public school foundations. Trophies and monetary awards of $1,000 each will be presented to honorees in late October.

Recognized programs may include but are not limited to: curriculum enhancement, arts integration, student leadership development, student scholarships, mentoring, professional development for teachers, public relations and fundraising. Nominations for recognition may come from anyone in the community knowledgeable about the foundation, including its board members. Only one program per foundation may be nominated for recognition.

Nomination forms and instructions, as well as descriptions of past award recipients, are available online at ofe.org. Nominations must be completed online by midnight September 15, 2019.

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing and encouraging academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Among its many programs, the foundation provides training, resources and networking opportunities to new and established school foundations across the state.
           
For more information, contact Katy Leffel, director of Oklahoma School Foundations Network, at (405) 922-5420 or email kleffel@ofe.org.

OKLAHOMA CITY –Thirty-six Oklahoma educators can hardly wait to return to the classroom after experiencing a week of historical immersion into early American life at the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute, held at the restored capital of 18th – century Virginia.

While in Colonial Williamsburg – the world’s largest living history museum – Oklahoma teachers met character interpreters of 18th-century people – from Powhatan Indians and plantation slaves to British loyalists and Founding Fathers. Educators were immersed in early American history through hands-on activities and reenactments of historical events. This marks the 27th year that Oklahoma teachers have attended the institute through a fellowship program coordinated by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a statewide nonprofit that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in public schools.

Oklahoma is second in the nation, following California, in the number of teacher institute participants, with 1,044 graduates.

“My week in Williamsburg has been fantastic,” said Brooke Lee, a fifth-grade teacher at Pioneer Elementary School in Noble. “From meeting historical character interpreters and learning trades to exploring buildings, I have been immersed in the colonial history of our nation. My favorite part of the week was examining original documents in the special archive collection and exploring original structures.”

Lee said she feels better prepared to help her students understand the lives of everyday people who lived in the colonies and to help students “connect their lives today with historical moments that shaped our nation.”

This summer’s Oklahoma participants included 27 fifth-grade teachers and nine eighth-grade educators. Fifth-grade teacher participants, listed by school district, are Myriah McVay, BEAVER; Pam Norris, BEGGS; Jannean Thompson, BERRYHILL; Lecia Hopkins, BRIDGE CREEK; Gabrielle Figueroa, BROKEN ARROW; Alicia Mitchell, CHEROKEE; Jamie Spradlin, CLINTON; Tina Green, ENID; Jennifer Shearer, FRIEND; Beau Keener, JENKS; Cheryl Smith, LUKFATA; Kelli Chambers, MUSKOGEE; Monique Ratliff, MUSTANG; Brooke Lee and Skyler Smith, NOBLE; Bryan Karinshak, Janet Villani and Tiffany Wylie, NORMAN; McKenzie McCall, JOHN REX CHARTER SCHOOL, OKLAHOMA CITY; Haley Nelson, OWASSO; Susan Barnes, PAWHUSKA; Shawnacie Tresler, PURCELL; Monica Hiller, PUTNAM CITY; Wendy Sheets, TULSA; Stephanie Harris, WEATHERFORD; and Jourdan Bustos and Taryn Ellis, YUKON. Teresa Potter, a teacher at OAKDALE Elementary School in EDMOND, was selected by the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute to serve as peer facilitator for the fifth-grade Oklahoma delegation. She met daily with teachers to discuss interactive teaching techniques and help develop creative lesson plans based on their experiences.

Eighth-grade teacher participants, listed by school district, are June Sindelar, ADA; Brandy Baldwin, ARDMORE; Justin Ennis, BROKEN ARROW; Sean Dooley, CHOCTAW-NICOMA PARK; Justin Shaw, DICKSON; Brent Mahan, LAWTON; Dennis Paul Butler, OKLAHOMA SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND, MUSKOGEE; Sarah Drake, RUSH SPRINGS; and Rhonda Cegielski, VERDIGRIS.

Sarah Drake, who teaches U.S. history at Rush Springs Middle School and High School, said the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute was the best professional development experience she has attended in her 26-year teaching career. “Our group debated voting for independence in the very chamber when the Virginia Burgesses voted to join the independence movement,” she said. “We were privileged to meet several interpreters of historical figures, including Martha Washington; French Revolutionary war hero Marquis de Lafayette; Nat Turner, who led a slave rebellion; and Jenny Joseph, a slave woman.

Drake said she looks forward to sharing personal stories and applying lessons she has learned in both middle school and high school classes. The Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute provides participants with interactive teaching techniques and skills to become mentor teachers who can assist other educators to develop active learning classrooms and make history exciting for their students. Participants share strategies to improve instruction, raise literacy levels and enhance thinking skills.

Oklahoma’s teacher institute program was founded and supported through the fundraising efforts of the late Oklahoma City businessman Edward C. Joullian III.  A trustee of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and former board member of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Joullian died in 2006. Graduates of the institute now receive lapel pins and certificates designating them as Edward C. Joullian Oklahoma Scholars. Joullian’s family, along with a group of loyal donors, continues to support the program, which has transformed the way many Oklahoma educators teach early American history.

(EDITORS: Oklahoma’s Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute participants are listed below by hometown and the cities in which they teach.  Photos and quotes from individual teachers are attached, when available.  If you would like to interview a local participant, contact Brenda Wheelock at 405-236-0006 for information.)

ADA – June Sindelar teaches eighth grade at Ada Junior High School.
 
ARDMORE – Brandy Baldwin is an eighth-grade teacher at Ardmore Middle School.
Justin Shaw, a resident of Ardmore, teaches eighth-grade history and science at Dickson Middle School.
BEAVER – Myriah McVay teaches fifth grade at Beaver Elementary School.
 
BEGGS – Pam Norris, an Okmulgee resident, teaches fifth grade at Beggs Public School.
 
BLANCHARD – Lecia Hopkins, a Newcastle resident, teaches fifth-grade social studies and math at Bridge Creek Intermediate School.
 
BROKEN ARROW – Justin Ennis teaches sixth through eighth-grade social studies at Centennial Middle School.
Gabrielle Figueroa, a Tulsa resident, is a fifth-grade teacher at Aspen Creek Elementary School.
 
BROKEN BOW – Cheryl Smith teaches fifth-grade social studies and science at Lukfata Elementary School.
 
CATOOSA – Dennis Paul Butler, a resident of Catoosa, teaches eighth-grade history at the Oklahoma School for the Blind in Muskogee.
 
CHEROKEE – Alicia Mitchell teaches fifth-grade social studies at Cherokee Elementary School.
 
CHICKASHA – Sarah Drake, a resident of Chickasha, teaches social studies at Rush Springs Middle School and High School.
Jennifer Shearer of Chickasha teaches fifth grade at Friend Elementary School.
 
CHOCTAW – Sean Dooley, a resident of Midwest City, teaches eighth-grade U.S. history at Nicoma Park Middle School.
 
CLAREMORE – Rhonda Cegielski, a Claremore resident, teaches eighth-grade history and civics at Verdigris Jr. High School.
 
CLINTON – Jamie Spradlin, a Weatherford resident, teaches fifth-grade social studies and English at Washington Elementary School in Clinton.
 
COLLINSVILLE – Haley Nelson, a resident of Collinsville, teaches fifth-grade social studies at Barnes Elementary School in Owasso.
 
EDMOND – Teresa Potter teaches fifth grade and gifted & talented classes at Oakdale Elementary School. A 2000 Teacher Institute alumna, she was has served 12 times as peer facilitator for the fifth-grade Oklahoma teacher delegation at the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute.
 
ENID – Tina Green is a fifth-grade teacher at Coolidge Elementary School.
 
LAWTON – Brent Mahan teaches eighth-grade U.S. history at Central Middle School.
 
MIDWEST CITY – Sean Dooley, a resident of Midwest City teaches eighth-grade United States history at Nicoma Park Middle School in Choctaw.
 
MUSKOGEE – Dennis Paul Butler, a resident of Catoosa, teaches 6th through 10th grade at the Oklahoma School for the Blind.
Kelli Chambers teaches fourth through sixth-grade at New Tech at Cherokee Elementary School.
 
MUSTANG – Monique Ratliff, a Yukon resident, teaches fifth-grade social studies and science at Horizon Intermediate School.
 
NEWCASTLE – Lecia Hopkins, a Newcastle resident, teaches fifth-grade social studies and math at Bridge Creek Intermediate School in Blanchard.
 
NOBLE – Brooke Lee, a Noble resident, and Skyler Smith, a Norman resident, teach fifth grade at Pioneer Intermediate School in Noble.
NORMAN – Bryan Karinshak teaches fifth-grade social studies and science at Jefferson Elementary School.
Skyler Smith, a Norman resident, teaches fifth grade at Pioneer Intermediate School in Noble.
Fifth-grade teachers Janet Villani and Tiffany Wylie of Norman teach at Truman Elementary School.
 
OKLAHOMA CITY – Jourdan Bustos, an Oklahoma City resident, teaches fifth-grade social studies at Lakeview Elementary School in Yukon.
Monica Hiller teaches fifth-grade social studies and math at Rollingwood Elementary School in Putnam City Schools.
McKenzie McCall teaches fifth grade at John Rex Charter School.
 
OKMULGEE – Pam Norris, a resident of Okmulgee, teaches fifth grade at Beggs Public School.
 
OWASSO – Haley Nelson, a resident of Collinsville, teaches fifth-grade social studies at Barnes Elementary School.
 
PAWHUSKA – Susan Barnes is a fifth-grade teacher at Pawhuska Elementary School.
 
PURCELL – Shawnacie Tresler teaches fifth grade at Purcell Intermediate School.
 
RUSH SPRINGS – Sarah Drake, a resident of Chickasha, teaches eighth-grade at Rush Springs Middle School.
 
SAND SPRINGS – Jannean Thompson, a resident of Sand Springs, teaches fifth grade at Berryhill North Elementary School in Tulsa.
 
TULSA – Gabrielle Figueroa, a Tulsa resident, teaches fifth-grade social studies at Aspen Creek Elementary School in Broken Arrow.
Beau Keener teaches fifth and sixth-grade special education at Jenks East Intermediate School.
Wendy Sheets teaches fifth-grade English, French and social studies at Eisenhower International Elementary School.
Jannean Thompson, a Sand Springs resident, teaches fifth grade at Berryhill North Elementary School.
 
WEATHERFORD – Stephanie Harris teaches fifth-grade history and language arts at West Elementary School.
Jamie Spradlin, a Weatherford resident, teaches fifth-grade social studies at Washington Elementary School in Clinton.
YUKON – Jourdan Bustos of Oklahoma City and Taryn Ellis of Yukon teach fifth-grade at Lakeview Elementary School.
Monique Ratliff, a Yukon resident, teaches fifth-grade social studies and science at Horizon Intermediate School in Mustang.
Oklahoma fifth-grade teachers meet a historical interpreter portraying James Madison during their visit to the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute.
Nine Oklahoma eighth-grade teachers were selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence to attend the 2019 Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute session for middle school educators. Pictured front row, from left, are June Sildelar of Ada, Rhonda Cegielski of Verdrigris, Brandy Baldwin of Ardmore, Brent Mahan of Lawton and Justin Ennis of Broken Arrow. On the back row, from left, are Dennis Paul Butler of Oklahoma School for the Blind, Sean Dooley of Midwest City and Justin Shaw of Dickson Schools.


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