At Pickerington High School Central, visual arts teacher Matt Young is “The 3D Guy.” Now, his students and colleagues can address him as “Ambassador 3D Guy.”
Young was chosen by the Lowell Milken Family Foundation (LMFF) for the 2024-25 cohort of ARTEFFECT ambassadors, an online fellowship for educators working with grades 6-12 to foster the visual arts.
The 34 fellows in the cohort come from 21 states and include 26 visual arts teachers. Ambassadors receive an unrestricted stipend of $1,250, a $250 materials credit and a certificate of participation upon completion.
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Young, who teaches sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, computer graphics and AP art, heard about ARTEFFECT — an initiative of the LMFF — at a National Art Education Association (NAEA) convention.
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“I met a gentleman who was talking about ARTEFFECT and how important it is. It was really inspiring talking to him,” he said.
Young also learned about the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, which works with educators and students on stories about lesser-known historical figures who performed extraordinary acts to help others.
Calling ARTEFFECT “a winner on all fronts,” Young was sold. “This was the perfect opportunity to apply for because it’s a valuable program,” he said.
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The 30-year education veteran joked that he was selected “for my good looks,” downplaying credentials including art department chairman at Central, past president of the Ohio Art Education Association and vice president-elect of the NAEA Western Region.
As an ARTEFFECT ambassador, Young will engage in online professional development sessions and connect with other educators nationwide.
Four of the virtual sessions are open to all interested educators and free to join. Registration is required at bit.ly/3VdQVpL.
Perhaps most importantly, ambassadors must develop capstone projects for their classrooms and communities focusing on unsung heroes.
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“My plan involves incorporating this program into the whole district, not only in Central, but in other schools,” Young said.
“I’ve met with junior high and other high school teachers to discuss how they can incorporate it into their classes.”
Young is pleased that ARTEFFECT’s unsung heroes reflect Central’s diverse student body, as in the case of three Asian American students.
“They had no Asian American heroes to look up to. They were very taken by the (WWII) internment stories. I saw the light in their eyes when they saw all the information about these heroes,” he said.
“(Students) can find these heroes they can follow. It’s neat to see the kids kind of latch on.”
ARTEFFECT’s offerings also include a student art competition in which participants tell the story of an unsung hero through original 2D or 3D visual artwork. The competition offers several cash awards including a grand prize of $6,000.
Submissions for the competition will be accepted through April 27. For guidelines and other details, go to bit.ly/3ZrFNs2.