The Ohio Art Education Association (OAEA) has announced that Juls Rathje, an art teacher at Emerson and Hanby magnet schools, will receive a 2019 Central Region Outstanding Art Teacher Award for having demonstrated a long-term commitment to supporting the visual arts and having impacted arts education in Ohio in a positive way. She was nominated for this distinction from a membership of almost 2,000 art educators statewide. OAEA leaders say Rathje is an excellent example of consistent commitment to students, while promoting art and art education to the school and the greater community. This award honors her professionalism, dedication, and creativity, displayed daily in her art classroom. “She continually meets the needs and interests of students, bringing about learning, growth, and development in all areas,” they wrote. “She creates innovative and developmentally appropriate activities to stretch the imagination of students and further develop their visual skills.”
Rathje will receive her award at the annual development conference of the OAEA at a dinner on Friday, November 15, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, in Columbus. An Awards Reception will also be held preceding the dinner.