The Lowell Milken Family Foundation (LMFF) has announced the 2024-2025 cohort of ARTEFFECT Ambassadors, a prestigious visual arts education online fellowship for educators working directly with students in grades 6-12.
Cleveland High School STEAM and robotics teacher Ashli Knoell is one of the 34 fellows in the second annual cohort. Members of the cohort represent diverse educational, professional and geographic backgrounds, including specializations in visual arts, social studies, STEAM and administration.
“The ARTEFFECT project excites me because it offers students the opportunity to explore real-world Unsung Heroes and express their findings through a visual medium of their choice,” Knoell said. “This approach not only enhances their research skills, but also encourages individual artistic expression.”
Knoell won a Milken Educator Award in December. Following that surprise, Knoell received her unrestricted $25,000 cash prizes from Milken Educator Awards Founder Lowell Milken and Milken Family Foundation Co-Founder and President Mike Milken at a national forum in Los Angeles in early June.
Dubbed the “Oscar Award for teachers,” the Milken Educator Award is one of the most prestigious awards an educator can receive and has honored outstanding educators across the country since 1987. Candidates for the award are sourced through a confidential selection process and reviewed by blue ribbon panels appointed by state departments of education.
Now, Knoell is also an ARTEFFECT Ambassador and will participate in a series of online professional development sessions, learning from other high-level practitioners in a collegial peer-learning community. According to a press release, the virtual sessions — four of which are open to all interested educators and free to join — explore varied themes and subject areas with a focus on Unsung Heroes including STEAM, character education, social impact and visual storytelling.
“The Ambassadors fellowship continues to foster visual arts education by directly engaging educators with remarkable stories of Unsung Heroes,” said Dr. Toni Guglielmo, Director of ARTEFFECT. “Through the teaching and learning in this program, students are equipped with new insights that allow them to make a positive impact on their communities by championing Unsung Heroes.”
ARTEFFECT is an initiative of the Lowell Milken Family Foundation. Since 2016, ARTEFFECT has run an annual international art competition for middle and high school students. Last year’s competition awarded over $25,000 in prizes.