Milken Fellow awarded keys to city

Thursday, June 14, 2012
Fort Scott Mayor Jim Adams presents a key to the city and certificate of recognition to Lowell Milken Center Fellowship recipient Susan McNeil Tuesday morning at City Hall. McNeil came to Fort Scott on June 10 and is spending the week collaborating with staff at the Lowell Milken Center. (Jason E. Silvers/Tribune)

Accomplished educator Susan McNeil is visiting Fort Scott this week to work with and learn from staff at the Lowell Milken Center.

McNeil, of Taylor, Neb., was recently awarded the prestigious Lowell Milken Center Fellowship and is learning how to develop projects centered around unsung heroes in history.

McNeil said she was "absolutely thrilled" and still "in shock" after recently receiving the honor. She said the center has "met my expectations by far.

"I was familiar with the center through Norm," she said, referring to LMC Director Norm Conard. "The unsung hero idea has me so motivated."

McNeil has been a leader in Nebraska education and has demonstrated a creative and highly academic student curriculum, a news release said.

"Susan is a powerful force in education and inspires a vision of success in her students," Conard said in the release. "She is extremely worthy to be a 2012 Fellow."

Megan Felt, Lowell Milken Center program director, said McNeil was chosen for the award because she is a reputable educator who has received many awards and because she takes a project-based learning approach to teaching.

"She's a very decorated teacher," Felt said. "She has embraced project-based learning and is excited to see a new aspect of it."

Felt said McNeil will work at the center, located at 4 S. Main St., this week conducting research on unsung heroes and working with staff to choose a project to take back with her to Nebraska.

"She is being taught how to develop these types of projects, then she will complete a project with her students," Felt said.

McNeil has been a social studies teacher for more than three decades and has served as a principal and superintendent for local county schools. She is a USA All-American teacher, National DAR History Teacher of the Year, Milken National Educator, finalist for the Disney Awards, the Nebraska Christa McAuliffe award winner and the 1995 Nebraska Teacher of the Year, the release said.

She has taken students to the National History Day competition five times and had state qualifiers in Mock Trial and Project Citizen. In 1998, she coached the National Project Citizen winner, the release said.

Each summer, a group of award-winning teachers from around the country is chosen as Milken Fellows. They visit the center for a week, return to their respective campuses and continue collaborating with the Milken Center on their unsung hero projects. The center is hosting six teachers this summer, Felt said.

McNeil said this week she has been exposed to current projects the center is involved with and watched a local student's History Day presentation. She has also viewed exhibits at the center to see an example of what a final project might look like. The project she has chosen is in the early stages.

"Right now, I'm in the exploring stage," she said. "It's been fabulous to get their (the center's) assistance. Fort Scott is so lucky to have this center; what a gem in this community."

McNeil said there are some ideas she would like to take back home with her and use with her students.

"The idea of research and using research to find information," she said. "Also, how to share history with others in a meaningful and exciting way. I want to get kids excited to learn from the past. If we don't study it, it will be forgotten. I also want to get the word out on unsung heroes."

McNeil said she has been impressed with the city during her visit.

"You can tell there is a lot of pride in this community," she said. "The people are very down to earth."

Of all her achievements, McNeil said she is most proud of the times she has been able to prompt students to excel.

"It's about taking students to that next step and next level," she said. "It makes me happy and brings joy to me as an educator to see students become successful."

The Milken Fellowship is awarded on the basis of merit to educators who have distinguished themselves in teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning, or who have the potential for this distinction.

The purpose of the center is to aid in the development of projects that celebrate unsung heroes who have changed history, the release said.

For more information, call the center at (620) 223-9991 or visit its website, www.lowellmilkencenter.org.