Carmel, IN –Five Carmel Clay Schools Educators were named as recipients of the 2019 Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship. Towne Meadow Elementary Art Teacher Phil Lamie, Clay Middle School  Science Teachers Sean McVey and Andrew Simon, Cherry Tree Elementary Art Teacher Katharine Ristow and Carmel High School Math Teacher Linda Jones are among the 100 K-12 educators across the state who will each receive a $12,000 grant to support a project of personally and professionally fulfilling activities. The experiences they gain from their fellowships will invigorate enthusiasm, diverse perspectives and creativity in the classroom and beyond.  

Towne Meadow Elementary Art Teacher Phil Lamie will use his grant to visit museums, monuments and historic sites and conduct research at the Smithsonian Libraries and Institutes in Washington D.C. He will bring the knowledge he gains back to the classroom, developing new lesson plans and collaborative student art projects.

Clay Middle School Science Teachers Sean McVey and Andrew Simon will use their grant to travel to France and dive into the physics of bicycle racing which include experiencing the pageantry and excitement of the 2019 Tour de France and also meeting accomplished engineers of Aerodine Composites, Zipp Weaponry and Trek Bicycle. Upon their return, they will bring what they’ve learned back to the classroom to plan a school-wide symposium and project-based learning experience called, “Physics on Wheels.”

Cherry Tree Elementary Art Teacher Katharine Ristow will use her grant to travel jewelry-centered cities in Scotland and England, to better understand the people, history and craftsmanship behind 19^th century Victorian-era jewelry. Throughout her adventure she will enhance her photography skills, take classes on gemstone classification and start her own jewelry blog. Following her trip, she will incorporate more lessons plans on photography, jewelry-making and three-dimensional art with her students.

Carmel High School Math Teacher Linda Jones will use her grant to spend a month in the wilderness backpacking the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. During her adventure, she will document the journey for others to see and plans to include life lessons learned on the trail for class discussions about perseverance in tough situations and how to utilize effective problem-solving skills for a positive outcome.

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