Ms. Montgomery and Mr. Mellon Go To Washington (and the White House!)
Yesterday was an exciting day for Dayton Regional STEM School (DRSS) art teacher, Jenny Montgomery, and DRSS junior, Keshawn Mellon. They traveled to Washington D.C. to be honored by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the Americans for the Arts, and the Ovation Foundation! To read a complete article about the award, check out this article from the Wright State Newsroom! Continue reading for exclusive pictures from their travels.
Left to Right: Bob Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts; Rep. Elyse Stefanik; Jenny Lin Montgomery; Keshawn Mellon; Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, Rachel Goslins, executive director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities; Jessica Yaz, director of Corporate Relations, Ovation TV for The Ovation Foundation.
The follow video provides an overview of the grant that the school received, which amounted to $10,000. DRSS was one of just eight schools nationally to receive the award.
The grant was awarded to DRSS in recognition of DRSS's "model STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) program." The grant was created specifically to raise awareness of the value of integrating arts into STEM curricula. You can learn more about the award itself and the other schools who received it on the innOVATION STEAM Grant website.
Below you will find highlights from their journey:
The day kicked off bright and early with a White House prep session at the Americans for the Arts' DC office.
At the AFTA session, Ms. Montgomery and Keshawn practiced for their meeting with the White House Office of Science and Technology!
After preparing, it was time to hoof it over to the White House...
...where they, of course, had to be checked in by the Secret Service!
On the way in they had a moment to take a selfie in the Rose Garden!
They also had time for a bit more formal one.
Once inside, Keshawn and Ms. Montgomery both presented to a group led by
Stephanie Santoso, Senior White House Advisor for Making, where they
discussed the importance of the DRSS's STEAM program and shared
experiences of projects they worked on, like the Living Lens Project.
Pictured here are all of the award recipients from across the country. Learn more about each of their programs by checking out this YouTube video.
On the way over to the Longworth House Office Building Cafeteria (where lunch was served), they had a little time for sightseeing.
Keshawn also had time to enjoy the M&M candy souvenirs that the White House gives their guests!
Before testifying to the STEAM Caucus, they stopped at Congressman Turner's office, where Keshawn was given a congressional coin by Congressman Turner.
Finally, after testifying to the STEAM caucus, they had a reception where they were given the award in person.
At The Dayton Regional STEM School we are proud to have a strong arts program that is integrated into every aspect of our school. This is due in large part to our outstanding art teacher, Jenny Montgomery, whose passion, creativity, and dedication to her students and the school truly make DRSS worthy of national recognition.
