Press Releases
Second Week of 2025 Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Fellows Arrive in Fort Scott, Kansas
Educators to embark on a project-based learning journey in discovering, developing and communicating the stories of Unsung Heroes from history
June 23, 2025
FORT SCOTT, Kan., – Twelve outstanding educators – hailing from Kansas, New York, Missouri, Louisiana, Connecticut, Montana, and Canada – have been selected for the Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes’ prestigious 2025 Fellowship. The Fellowship is divided into two cohorts: Six educators collaborated with LMC staff last week and six are in Fort Scott this week.
The LMC Fellowship is a merit-based award for educators of all disciplines who value the importance of teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning. LMC selects exemplary teachers from the U.S. and globally who will engage in projects that discover, develop and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history – the core mission of LMC.
LMC is an international nonprofit, established in 2007 as a partnership between philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken and 1992 Kansas Milken Educator and history teacher Norm Conard. With headquarters in Fort Scott, Kansas, LMC has hosted visitors from all 50 U.S. states and around the world. The 2025 LMC Fellows will experience the impact of the museum’s walls of Unsung Heroes in-person, bringing the inspirational stories back to their own classrooms to be elevated through powerful student-driven projects.
During their time in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources and support in helping students cultivate a passion for learning through the creation of projects that initiate positive change. Fellows will be equipped to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students, applying and evaluating the stories of these role models who have changed the world throughout history.
Meet the second group of LMC Fellows:
Sandra Hutton is a National ARTEFFECT Ambassador and an arts program lead at St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School, an all-girls school in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. She is an artist, arts advocate, and educator passionate about the arts as a means of self-expression and a path to deeper learning. Her participation in unsung hero projects since 2018 supports her belief that art tells a story and creates a connection between people and communities.
Jennifer Klein is an AP U.S. History, World Studies, and Facing History and Ourselves teacher for high school students in Weston, Connecticut. She also earned international recognition in 2023 by Yad Vashem. By creating interactive history lessons, Jennifer makes history meaningful for students. Her passion and energy lead students to take charge of their learning as they explore a deep understanding of history. Her semester-long course, Facing History and Ourselves, has been described by the United Nations in The Times of Israel as "a trailblazing blueprint for future Holocaust education."
Jordann Lankford is the 2022 Montana History Teacher of the Year and an Indigenous Education for All instructional coach at Great Falls Public Schools. She is the first LMC Fellow from Montana, completing the selection of Fellows from all 50 states. She was also named Montana Indigenous Teacher of the Year. Her use of primary source documents helps students navigate their identities, world and future.
Meredith Reid is a 2024 Kansas Milken Educator and a middle/high school choral music teacher at Girard High School. When hired, she was asked to reestablish the choral music program, which she has rebuilt and made highly successful with award-winning choirs and soloists. Meredith has presented at the Kansas Music Educators Association In-Service Workshop and has represented her school at national education conferences. She serves as the board secretary for the American Choral Directors Association and as Southeast Kansas choral chair.
Brian Skinner is the 2023 Kansas Teacher of the Year and an interrelated special education teacher and IEP trainer at Newton High School. A leader among his peers, Brian believes working with students across a broad spectrum helps him understand all students and have a significant impact in helping to build a positive school culture.
Graeme Stacey is a 2015 U.S. Holocaust Museum Teacher Fellow and a multi-award-winning Canadian educator who serves on the Kelowna, B.C. Secondary School Faculty. His contemporary approach to Holocaust and genocide education has driven significant curriculum reform, providing essential lessons about the current state of intolerance in our society.
About LMC
Established in 2007 by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken and Milken Educator Norm Conard (KS '92), the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes (LMC) discovers, develops, and communicates the stories of Unsung Heroes who have profoundly and positively impacted history, yet are largely unrecognized by contemporary generations. LMC has reached over 3,000,000 students in all 50 states and worldwide. Learn more about LMC and the Discovery Award. Connect with us on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.