The Van Wezel Foundation and Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Honor Three Local Teachers

The Van Wezel Foundation and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall named three teachers from Sarasota County as this year’s recipients of the Appleton Outstanding Teacher of the Year award, which celebrates the best in arts integration strategies in the classroom. These educators were recognized during the Foundation’s 2020 INSPIRATION Gala held on February 21 at the Performing Arts Hall. The Award is made possible by an endowment to the Foundation from the late Mrs. Louise Appleton, a local philanthropist who had a passion for arts education and making a difference in the community.

The 2020 Appleton Outstanding Teacher of the Year award was bestowed to Melissa Forsten, a first-grade teacher from Atwater Elementary in North Port who uses the performing arts to inspire her students to learn and educates other teachers on best practices and teaching techniques. With the award, Ms. Forsten is eligible to attend a professional development workshop in Washington, D.C., led by talented teaching artists at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She also received a prize for an arts integration project and classroom teaching materials. 

“Melissa Forsten emulates the spirit that is the heart of the Foundation’s mission,” noted Cheryl Mendelson, Van Wezel Foundation CEO. “Through her inventive lessons and creative teaching methods, she is making a significant impact on her students to develop a love of learning through the performing arts. We congratulate Melissa and all of this year’s award-recipients who do amazing work to inspire their students to learn and grow.”

“My students learn so much from the visiting artists who read stories aloud and bring them to life through playacting and storytelling,” said Melissa Forsten, a first-grade teacher at Atwater Elementary School. “Students have so much fun; they forget they are learning how to read or are singing and dancing in front of others. I am so thankful to the Van Wezel Foundation and its donors who make these educational opportunities possible. My students thrive because of their investment.”

Two additional educators were recognized for innovative applications of arts integration in the classroom, including Joanna Fox, a creative writing teacher from Booker Middle School in Sarasota, and Tatiana Ignotis, an ESOL instructor from Venice Middle School. Ms. Fox received funding for an arts integration project, and both teachers received prizing for classroom learning materials.

“Melissa Forsten has been a long-time participant in our arts integration professional development program and has become masterful at her implementation of the strategies,” commented Kelli Maldonado, Education Director with the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. “All of this year’s award recipients are leaders in their profession and do amazing work to support their students’ personal and academic success. We are thankful for the Foundation to acknowledge these incredibly dedicated educators.”

Through generous grantmaking from the Van Wezel Foundation, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall provides arts education and integration programs in five counties. From live theater experiences, visiting artists in schools and professional development for teachers, funds from Foundation’s donors enable the Hall to serve more than 30,000 students and 400 teachers each year, creating unforgettable learning experiences for students and meaningful teaching techniques for educators and caregivers. 

Support for these essential educational experiences is made possible by the generosity of donors who invest in the future of our community. During the Foundation’s 2020 INSPIRATION Gala, more than $1 million was raised to further promote learning experiences for children and professional development opportunities for teachers.