Hawkins named Crayola Creativity Ambassador

Susan Hawkins (Class of 2010), Morehead State instructor of art education, will be a National Arts Education Association (NAEA) Crayola Creativity Ambassador. She received this honor after a national search for arts leaders in education. 

According to Crayola, nearly 200 visual arts educators applied to be creativity ambassadors. The newly announced 75 NAEA–Crayola Creativity Ambassadors will be immersed in leadership exercises and can then encourage colleagues to leverage creativity as a foundational practice in teaching and learning. Beginning in the fall, Hawkins will participate in online learning sessions and is encouraged to invite colleagues to join her. The sessions lead to the nationwide launch of Crayola Creativity Week in January 2023. 

Selection for the program was based on a review of the applicants’ resumes and their answers to a series of questions about how they have used successful approaches to building creative capacity through teaching and leadership in the classroom, school and community.  

Hawkins said she heard about the program through her involvement with NAEA and the Kentucky Arts Education Association (KyAEA) and said she was interested because she’s worked with Crayola before. 

“I was immediately interested in the opportunity because I have worked with Crayola in the past using their educational materials to offer professional development to local elementary teachers,” Hawkins said. “They provide quality art content and art materials, and I feel confident when using their offerings to teachers.” 

Hawkins said the ambassadorship will benefit her outreach efforts and help her students learn new teaching techniques. 

“By working as the Crayola Creativity Team Leader, I can support the continuing supervision of the art outreach giving our art education students insight on how to create and teach their own art lessons in a hands-on approach. I can also provide additional support to local teachers who can utilize this program within their own classrooms by incorporating art in their everyday curriculum,” she said. Hawkins added she hopes the program will create awareness of how vital the arts are in schools, the community, and people’s individual lives. 

To learn more about the program, contact Hawkins at sl.hawkins@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2548.

For more information about programs in MSU’s Department of Art and Design, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/art, email arde@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2766.