OKLAHOMA CITY — Thirty-four Oklahoma fifth- and eighth-grade teachers have been selected for fellowships to attend the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute in June.
The renowned teacher institute is held in and around Colonial Williamsburg, the restored capital city of 18th-century Virginia that is known as the world’s largest living history museum. During the institute, teachers immerse themselves in early American history by meeting character interpreters and participating in hands-on activities and reenactments.
The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence coordinates the selection of educators from the state for fellowships to participate in the teacher institute. The fellowships cover program activities, airfare, lodging, most meals and a stipend for classroom materials.
The fifth-grade teacher institute will take place June 2-7, and it will focus on the daily life of colonial Virginians and the transition from subject to citizen that occurred during the Revolutionary War period.
The eighth-grade teacher institute will be June 9-14, and it will look at how the concept of American identity began in the colonial period and continues to evolve and transform with each generation.
OFE, a nonprofit that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools, has coordinated Oklahoma’s participation in the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute since 1993.
The program is made possible through the leadership and support of the late Oklahoma City businessman Edward C. Joullian III. Joullian was an active supporter and former board member of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and an OFE trustee. Joullian’s family, along with a group of loyal donors, continues to support the fellowship program, which has served 980 Oklahoma teachers since 1993.
Fifth-Grade CWTI Fellows
Aimee Arnold, Purcell Intermediate School
Madison Austin, Lincoln Elementary School, Chickasha
Amanda Bekkelund, Okarche Elementary School
Kala Butler, Lone Star School, Sapulpa
Debbie Clemons, Western Oaks Elementary School, Putnam City
Stephanie Cobb, Kennedy Elementary School, Norman
Jennifer Coonfield Kelly, Eisenhower International School, Tulsa
Betsy Davidson, Northmoor Elementary School, Moore
Molly Gann, Marlow Elementary School, Marlow
Heather Karn, Meadowbrook Intermediate, Mustang
Martha Kennedy, Madison Elementary School, Norman
Taylor Kirtley, Madison Elementary School, Norman
Amy LeClaire, Choctaw Elementary School
Kara Martin, Redstone Intermediate School, Yukon
Kari Millan, Andersen Elementary, Tulsa Union
Brandi Pierce, Turkey Ford Elementary School, Wyandotte
Shana Ramirez, Zarrow International School, Tulsa
Jan Reed, Sweetwater Public School
Casey Rice, Smith Elementary School, Owasso
Lisa Sizelove, Frederick Elementary School
Kenneth Trinidad, Ellen Ochoa Elementary, Tulsa Union
Toni Turner-Cole, Lincoln Elementary School, Chickasha
Jordyn VanBuskirk, Piedmont Intermediate School
Tammy Walls, Middleberg Public School
Eighth-Grade CWTI Fellows
Sabina Barta, Perkins-Tryon Middle School
John Creter, Longfellow Middle School, Norman
Samantha Crissup, Mustang Central Middle School, Mustang
Wythe Dodson, Ernest Childers Middle School, Broken Arrow
Sherri Fast, Pioneer Pleasant Vale Junior High, Enid
Elizabeth Golliver, Chandler Junior High
Casey Hitchcock, Boswell Public Schools
Anthony Muscari, Western Oaks Middle School, Putnam City
Chris Myers, Canadian Valley Christian Academy, Yukon
Greg Wehrer, Blanchard Middle School
