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