Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowships

Two MSD Wayne Educators Receive Prestigious Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowships

One of them will create interactive virtual field trips for her students. The other will follow Vincent Van Gogh’s path through The Netherlands, Belgium and France, sketching and painting along the way.

Two MSD Wayne teachers – Kathryn Winsor and Molly Mote – will nurture their own curiosity and development as recipients of 2017 Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowships. They are among 100 Indiana K-12 educators who have received the $12,000 grants this year.

According to the Lilly Endowment, many of the educators will use their fellowships to travel – across the country and throughout the world – to explore a variety of interests.

Kathryn Winsor, biology teacher at the Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center, plans to explore state and national parks, capturing photographs while hiking, biking, and snorkeling. Her travels will take her to national parks in Hawaii, the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and Smoky Mountains National Park. These activities will allow Kathryn to create virtual field trips for use in the classroom.

“I hope my experiences will help our students see the impact we have on the environment,” Kathryn said, “as well as inspire them to visit state and national parks and to help preserve these parks.”

Molly Mote, art teacher at Rhoades Elementary, will use her fellowship to travel to Europe and soak in the world of one of its most famous artists.

“I have always been inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s visionary style,” said Molly. She said traveling through Europe to see Van Gogh’s work, and the world in which he painted, will build her self-confidence as a teacher and as an individual. Molly plans to use Van Gogh’s work as the central theme in her classroom next school year.

Leaders with the Lilly Endowment recognize the importance of supporting teachers who strive to be life-long learners.

“These dedicated teachers, principals, counselors and media specialists have designed inspirational projects that promise to strengthen them personally and professionally,” said Sara B. Cobb, the Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education. “For three decades now we have learned how important it is for educators to have time and space to create and explore. They have shared with us that they return to the schools with a greater commitment to their students and the vocation of education.”

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly and his two sons, Eli and J.K. Jr. The Endowment is primarily committed to the causes of community development, education, and religion.