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Shalisha Thomas Named 2021 Lowell Milken Center Fellow

June 01, 2021

FORT SCOTT, KS — The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, an international educational non-profit, has awarded its prestigious Fellowship to art teacher, Shalisha Thomas, of Pine Bluff High School in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Shalisha Thomas will arrive in Fort Scott on June 20^th for a week of collaboration with LMC staff. 

The LMC 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 Center selects exemplary teachers from across America and around the world, drawn from a variety of disciplines, to collaborate on projects that discover, develop, and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history. 

Shalisha Thomas was the 2019 Arkansas Milken Educator. She has taught for 9 years in the Pine Bluff School District. She currently serves as the lead art teacher and Art Club sponsor at Pine Bluff High School (PBHS). Shalisha graduated from PBHS in 2002. Teaching students from the same community where she grew up is a privilege that she does not take lightly. 

She works diligently to help her students learn how to problem solve and develop an appreciation for art. Shalisha also incorporates content from other subjects in her lessons to help her students make connections across the curriculum. She realizes that exhibiting art is an important part of the artistic process. Consequently, she encourages her students to share their art with others by participating in an art exhibition designed specifically for PBHS students at the Arts & Science Center, a local art and science museum. 

LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, "Shalisha is ideal for our Center's emphasis in art. Her excellent teaching has led to the Milken Educator Award. We appreciate this dynamic educator from Pine Bluff, Arkansas."

While in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources and ongoing support to enhance their classrooms and help students cultivate a passion for learning by creating projects that initiate positive change. Fellows emerge prepared to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students, as they apply and evaluate the stories of role models who have changed the world throughout history. 

To schedule interviews or for more information, please contact: 

Norm Conard
Executive Director
Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes
1 South Main
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Phone: (620) 223-1312
nconard@lowellmilkencenter.org
www.lowellmilkencenter.org  

2021 Lowell Milken Center Fellow
Name: Shalisha Thomas
Subject: High School Art
School: Pine Bluff High School       
711 West 11^th Avenue         
Pine Bluff, AR 71601
Phone: (870) 543-4300                    
Cell: (870) 489-4419                 
Email: shalisha.thomas@yahoo.com

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