Paige Antonelli ’23M and Golda Farrell Strelecki ’15M are featured in Educator Spotlights in the September issue of Girl Rising Educators newsletter. The MAT graduates were highlighted for their work designing transformative learning opportunities using stories from the Girl Rising film to foster critical thinking skills and creative expression through the arts.
Girl Rising is a global non-profit organization that uses the power of storytelling to change the way the world values girls and their education. The education non-profit began with a film about girls’ equal access to education, and has grown to be an organization of 30,000 educators in 12 countries that are using research-proven educational programming and storytelling to engage students and inform them about girls’ rights, barriers, and solutions to global issues like gender inequality and poverty.
Paige Antonelli earned her Master of Arts in Teaching in Art Education from the Watson College in May. She is currently a visual arts teacher at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School. Paige was featured for her recent work on a project that guided students to explore the emotional impact of line art by looking at Girl Rising stories, then taking everyday objects and transforming them into artifacts of strength using dynamic linework designs.
Golda Farrell Strelecki earned a BFA from The Savannah College of Art and Design and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education from the Watson College in 2015. She is currently an art teacher and English Language Learner (ELL) tutor in western North Carolina. In 2022, Golda was one of six North Carolina educators selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of U.S. Girl Rising Educators, led by Watson College Professor Elizabeth Crawford. The Educator Cohort Program was created to support teachers in integrating Girl Rising resources on girls' right to quality education in their curricula. Golda was featured as an Educator Spotlight for her work using “Girl Rising” stories, poetry and art to support English language acquisition.
Dr. Crawford has been a partner of Girl Rising since its inception in 2014. Over the past several years, she has integrated the original film and other materials into her social studies methods and instructional design courses at the Watson College.
“I am thrilled that Girl Rising chose to feature how Paige and Golda addressed the issue of girls' access to education through the arts in their newsletter,” Crawford said. “Their work as educators is meaningful and shows how global issues can be integrated across disciplines. I am so proud of these two former students and teachers. They represent the best of Watson!”
WCE’s Master of Arts in Teaching programs are designed for individuals with a bachelor's degree, but little to no background in education, as well as beginning teachers who are seeking residency licensure. Specializations are offered in Elementary, Middle Grades and Secondary Education, as well as Art, Spanish, Physical Education & Health and Teaching English as a Second Language. Successful completion of the MAT program and licensure requirements will lead to a master’s degree and NC license to teach in the selected area of specialization.
For more information please visit the MAT program website.
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