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Can ONE teacher make a difference?

If you know the mission of the Milken Educator Awards, you know our answer to this question (but we’ll state it below just in case). If you’re reading this newsletter, I hope we know your answer, too. Here is one story that we believe will reinforce that view and inspire you even further.

Recent Milken honoree Barth Quenzer (CO ’12) started at Brown International Academy in Denver at a time of uncertainty. The school was not performing well and the community had all but given up on it. The administration, Barth tells us, was taking action and making changes inside the building. The problems outside the building, however, were another matter. Vandals were “tagging” the school’s walls on a regular basis, literally defacing the face of the school. If the battle for the image, hearts and minds of the students and the community was to be waged in paint, Brown Elementary had a secret weapon: arts teacher and fine artist Barth Quenzer.

Read “Transforming a Community, One Brush Stroke at a Time” now to learn more about this battle and how it was won; the incredible photos alone will inspire you. Then, add your voice to the conversation—congratulate Barth or share your strategies—by leaving a comment at the bottom of the article. Have a question for Barth? Send him a message through his profile page.

So can one teacher make a difference? Our answer, of course, is YES. EVERY teacher can make a difference. As Barth’s story illustrates, leaders can rally entire communities. And educators are leaders by definition. As nearly 2,600 Milken Educators and myriad other exceptional teachers have demonstrated time and again, a teacher’s reach is only limited by their passion and determination. That’s why the Milken Family Foundation created the Awards and continues to honor and champion outstanding educators: because you make thedifference.

Yours truly,

Boris Kievsky
Connections Editor
Manager, Online Content and Engagement
Milken Family Foundation

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