Follow Iditarod’s 2020 Teacher on the Trail: Kelly Villar ’06 MA

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Kelly Villar.
Neag School alumna Kelly Villar ’06 MA is the Iditarod’s 2020 Teacher on the Trail. (Photo courtesy of Iditarod.edu)

Kelly (Heffley) Villar ’06 MA, a second-grade teacher for the past 16 years at Southeast Elementary School in Mansfield, Conn., was selected as the Iditarod Teacher on the Trail for 2020.

A mother to six children ages 8 to 23, Villar is a longtime outdoorswoman and avid fan of the Iditarod, an annual sled dog race that covers 1,000 miles of terrain across Alaska, from Anchorage to Nome. Since 2000, the Teacher on the TrailTM program has selected one teacher each year to serve as the liaison between the trail and learners, creating lesson plans that are inspired by the real-life applications of the race and then made available online for all teachers.

Bulletin board outside of Kelly Villar’s classroom.
A bulletin board outside of Kelly Villar’s classroom at Southeast Elementary highlights the eight traits of the Iditarod. (Stefanie Dion Jones/Neag School)

The race officially began March 7, and Villar has been tracking her experience with blog posts and photos on the Iditarod’s Teacher on the Trail blog since arriving in Alaska in February. The following are excerpts from her ongoing Idiatrod blog:

March 7, 2020: Ceremonial Start

Dogs waiting in their pens prior to the start of the Iditarod race.
Iditarod 2020 musher Vern Halter’s dogs waiting to begin the race. (Photo courtesy of Iditarod.edu)

Today was the Ceremonial Start of the 2020 Iditarod in downtown Anchorage. I arrived in downtown several hours before the start and was able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the mushers preparing. Trucks, equipment, and dogs lined 4th Avenue and many of the side streets. I walked along listening to the sounds of the dogs excitedly barking and howling. As the lines, harnesses, and booties came out, you could feel the excitement in each dog. And when the time came for them to be harnessed up and clipped in, it was like an explosion. The dogs were pulling and jumping as if to say, “Can we go now! Now! Please! Please!” When the time came for them to run, they were ready!

The Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod is held on the first Saturday in March in downtown Anchorage. The mushers start at 4th and D [avenues] and run for 11 miles to Campbell Airstrip. During this run, mushers also carry an Iditarider in their sleds. Fans can bid to be an Iditarider each year. This exciting event draws thousands to downtown Anchorage each year!

This year I was lucky enough to ride with bib number 17 Gabe Dunham. It was an amazing 11 miles! I could feel the energy and excitement not only from the dogs but from the fans cheering Gabe on as we made our way to Campbell Airstrip. The fans had tailgates, cheered, [and] passed out hotdogs and lunch bags filled with treats. It was an awesome celebration for the mushers before they start their journey tomorrow toward Nome.

 

“The common theme is how cold the trail has been. Several mushers mentioned -43 [degrees Fahrenheit] … at night and very windy conditions. Being from Connecticut these temperatures are new for me, and I admire the strength they have to not only care for themselves, but to put the care of their dogs first!”

March 9, 2020: And They’re Off …

Snow was falling, the temperature was perfect, and the sounds of dogs barking and howling filled the air. The stage was set for the Re-Start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and it doesn’t get much better than this!

The talk of the morning was the snow. The incredible amount of snow on the ground and continuing to fall in Willow and along the first part of the trail. I was told today that the mushers will find 6 feet of snow in McGrath. How will the snow affect the race? It certainly can slow the trail down quite a bit. Already, on the tracker, we are seeing that the mushers are moving at a slower pace than last year by about 2 mph.

With all the mushers out of Willow, the journey begins along the trail. The first stop for these mushers is Yentna Station. Yentna is 53 miles from Willow, and the mushers will make it by this evening. The checkpoint is at Yentna Station Roadhouse the home of Dan and Jean Gabryszack. From there, they will follow the Yentna River until it meets the Swentna River. There the mushers will reach the 90-mile mark at the Skwenta Checkpoint. You can follow your favorite mushers as they begin their journey along the trail at the Iditarod homepage.

Musher Nicolas Petit on the Iditarod trail with his dog team.
Musher Nicolas Petit on the Iditarod trail with his dog team. (Photo courtesy of Iditarod.edu)

March 12, 2020: I’m in Takotna!

Next stop Takotna! It was a beautifully clear day, so the flight was spectacular. We even got an overhead view of several mushers heading into McGrath.

Iditarod dogs.
Dogs of the Iditarod. (Photo Credit: Lev Shvarts)

Takotna is a smaller village, population 51, located on the Takotna River. This village has been known by many different names in its history, Berry Landing, Portage City, Takotna City, Takotna Station, and Tocotna. At one point it had many stores that helped supply the gold miners.  Today Takotna has one store, a post office, a beautiful school, and a church.  It also has a small landing strip just outside the village.

Listening to the mushers who have rested in Nikolai and Takotna talk, the common theme is how cold the trail has been. Several mushers mentioned -43 [degrees Fahrenheit] at least at night and very windy conditions. Being from Connecticut these temperatures are new for me, and I admire the strength they have to not only care for themselves, but to put the care of their dogs first! Every musher has come in, bedded, fed, snuggled, and made sure their dogs were well taken care of and settled before they ate and warmed themselves.

March 16, 2020: Warming Up in Unalakleet

Matthew Failor coming into Unalakleet.
Musher Matthew Failor coming into Unalakleet with his team. (Photo courtesy of Iditarod.edu)

The sun is shining, temperatures in the mid 30s, and teams are steadily coming into Unalakleet. About half the teams have arrived now and many more will continue through the night. With these warmer temperatures, it could slow down a team. Mushers are taking extra care not to let their dogs overheat. Breaks and hydration are the key.

As the mushers leave they will head out over the ice of the Bering Sea and after Shaktoolik, Norton Sound. Weather was definitely on the minds of many mushers. With snow coming in tomorrow, I have heard several mushers mention the wind. If the gusts get to high, there can be white-out conditions. If the winds are coming from behind it could be an advantage. Always thinking ahead when it comes to the weather is important, even though it could change very quickly.

Follow Kelly Villar as she chronicles the race to the finish via her Iditarod Teacher on the TrailTM online Teacher’s Journal.

A bulletin board outside of Kelly VIllar’s classroom.
A bulletin board outside of Kelly VIllar’s classroom at Southeast Elementary School highlights the qualities needed — including Innovation, Diligence, and Integrity — to persevere in the Iditarod. (Stefanie Dion Jones/Neag School)

Neag School Among 2021’s Top 20 Public Graduate Schools of Education

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Drone shot of UConn campus' Wilbur Cross cupola.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Neag School of Education has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 20 public graduate schools of education in the nation.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Neag School of Education has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 20 public graduate schools of education in the nation.

In the rankings issued today for 2021, the Neag School is tied at No. 18 among public graduate schools of education and lands at No. 37 for all graduate schools of education nationwide. In addition, two of the Neag School’s specialty programs stand among the top 25 in the United States: Special Education, at No. 12, and Elementary Teacher Education, tied at No. 25.

“The Neag School remains steadfast in its commitment to improving education and social systems to be more effective, equitable, and just for all,” says Dean Gladis Kersaint. “We take great pride in our faculty scholars, who continue to pursue important research issues while shaping the next generation of top-tier educators and leaders, independent of external ratings scales. That, together with the enthusiasm of our students and the achievements of our alumni worldwide, is a rewarding reminder of what our mission means to the future of education.”

“The Neag School remains steadfast in its commitment to improving education and social systems to be more effective, equitable, and just for all.”

— Dean Gladis Kersaint

The U.S. News graduate education program rankings are based on data calculated from a weighted average of 10 measures, including research activity, student selectivity, and peer assessments. For the 2021 rankings, U.S. News surveyed graduate education programs at 393 schools granting doctoral degrees in the fall of 2019 and early 2020; 255 of those schools responded.

Specialty program rankings, such as those for special education and elementary teacher education, are based solely on nominations by education school deans and education school deans of graduate studies from the list of schools surveyed.

For the complete 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Education Schools rankings, visit its 2021 Best Education Schools landing page.

Hartford Art Teacher Named 2020 Rogers Educational Innovation Awardee

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Jason Gilmore painting with his students.
Jason Gilmore, left, winner of the 2020 Rogers Educational Innovation Fund award, paints a mural with students. (Photo courtesy of Jason Gilmore)

Jason Gilmore of Guilford, Conn., an art teacher at Hartford’s McDonough Middle School, has been named the Neag School of Education’s 2020 Rogers Educational Innovation Fund award winner.

Established by Neag School Professor Emeritus Vincent Rogers and his late wife, Chris, a lifelong teacher, this award provides $5,000 annually toward an innovative classroom project proposed by a Connecticut teacher at the elementary or middle-school level. The Rogers’ gift aims to support and expand the collaborative work of Connecticut’s schoolteachers and the Neag School of Education. This is the third consecutive year in which the award will have been bestowed.

The Mural Intervention Project
In the proposal for his project, titled “The Mural Intervention Project,” Gilmore outlines his hope of giving sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders at McDonough — a low-income, 98% free/reduced lunch school — an opportunity to take any difficult situations or feelings that may be part of their day-to-day lives and express them in the form of community murals that will be displayed throughout the school.

This project, Gilmore wrote in his proposal, “will benefit the entire school community through beautification, as well as inspiring conversations about challenging subject matter, such as personal issues and triumphs, social issues, education, and [students’] neighborhoods. Hopefully, each mural will invite discussions on what common issues exist and will start to define our hopes, dreams, and some solutions to improve everyone’s experiences in the communities of McDonough Middle School, Hartford, Conn., and beyond.”

Freedom of Expression
Award applicants, in submitting their proposals this past fall, were asked to address such questions as ‘What is the teaching and learning problem that drives your proposed innovation?’ and ‘What benefit will the proposal work have for the students in your classroom, school, or school district?’ A committee of Neag School faculty reviewed the submissions based on these and several other questions.

“After 20 years of directing murals with various communities, I know that everyone that participates in the group creative process walks away feeling accomplished.”

— Jason Gilmore,
2020 Rogers Educational Innovation Fund awardee

The project, Gilmore says, will offer “a chance for freedom of expression while improving the climate and community of the school. The Innovation Award also will help drive the reorganization of school schedule where enrichment and clubs maybe written into our students’ routine at McDonough. In essence, this award will allow an artistic experience that benefits the whole school.” 

“Jason Gilmore’s commitment to bring art to his students, and to empower their voices through their creations of murals for Hartford’s McDonough Middle School is extraordinary,” says Suzanne Wilson, Neag Endowed Professor of Teacher Education and chair of the 2020 Rogers award selection committee. “His vision of engaging students in public art in ways that allow them to express their dreams, hopes, and aspiration for themselves, their families, and their community is inspiring.”

This award funding comes a particularly meaningful at a time, Gilmore says, when resources have been scarce.

“I now see a future where our students at McDonough will have access to artistic experiences that they would not have without the grant,” he says. “Not every kid, even in schools where supplies are more plentiful, gets to be part of a community mural project. After 20 years of directing murals with various communities, I know that everyone that participates in the group creative process walks away feeling accomplished. Children especially feel more ownership over their living space than before the project.”

Gilmore will be formally recognized at the 2020 Neag School Alumni Awards Celebration, taking place on the UConn Storrs campus later this month.*

“This art teacher’s hope for developing a learning environment where art becomes part of the school community’s everyday lives is now growing day by day,” Gilmore says. “I’m so excited to see what we create together!”

Read more about the Rogers Educational Innovation Fund at rogersfund.uconn.edu. Learn more about Jason Gilmore’s mural work at jgilmoremurals.wordpress.com.

* The 2020 Neag School Alumni Awards Celebration has been postponed until Fall 2020.

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