Michelle Dillard, a fifth grade teacher at Dr. Justina Ford Elementary School, has received a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program Award. This award comes with a grant, and Mrs. Dillard will be spending this semester learning with a cohort of peers. In the spring, she will attend a global symposium in Washington, D.C., and then she will participate in a two- to three-week international immersion in another country’s education system. Upon completion of all these things, Mrs. Dillard will create a global education guide to share with her school and the LPS community.

This is an amazing honor and opportunity, and Mrs. Dillard has said, “Student empowerment is the driving force behind my instructional choices and why I love educating diverse students in a growing world. My goals include continuing to grow in using project-based learning and authentic performance-based assessments to design experiences that align with convergence education. I believe learning more about global education will help my students and enable me to grow as a teacher leader. I would love to connect and learn with teachers in different educational systems, share my passions, and bring back diverse perspectives and ways to connect students to the broader world of the present and future.”

“The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. [It] is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs” (U.S. State Department’s Educational and Cultural Affairs press release). 

LPS is very proud of Michelle Dillard and is excited for her recognition in this program and the opportunities it will bring for her to enrich her teaching career! Thank you for all you do for LPS students, Mrs. Dillard!

Mrs. Dillard also received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching in 2021.