Check Out This Video on Joan Korenblit, YWCA-OKC's 2010 Embrace Award Winner

Take a look at this great video about Oklahoman Joan Korenblit, the 2010 "Embrace Award" winner. It was shown June 19th at the YWCA of Oklahoma's Purple Sash event. Joan is Executive Director of Respect Diversity Foundation, a non-profit, tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) non-partisan educational foundation that teaches tolerance for all people.

Sydna Yellowfish Named Oklahoma Native American Woman of the Year

Sydna Yellowfish is the American Indian education coordinator for the Edmond School District. She was recently named Oklahoma Native American Woman of the Year by the Changing Winds Cultural Society earlier this year.

You can read an article about Ms. Yellowfish and watch a short video of her at http://newsok.com/article/3465566 and also read about her in this Edmond Sun article.

Fletcher School District's Kathy Turner Named Oklahoma's "Superintendent of the Year"

Fletcher School District Superintendent Kathryn Turner has been named Oklahoma's 2010 "Superintendent of the Year." She was honored June 10 during the Oklahoma Association of School Administrators Annual Conference hosted by the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration in Oklahoma City. Turner has 24 years of experience in education and has served as superintendent at Fletcher for the past six years. She was recognized for numerous accomplishments including adding a new library, additions to the agricultural building and renovations to the high school gym. She also started an after-school program for enrichment and remediation and a free summer academy for children in the school idstrict. Read more here.

Lake Park Elementary School Teacher Katherine Bishop Receives National Teaching Honor

Congratulations to Lake Park Elementary School special education teacher Katherine Bishop. She was recently named one of four teachers in the nation to receive the National Education Association Foundation's 2010 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence. According to the NEA Foundation's website:

Katherine Bishop - Special Education Teacher
Lake Park Elementary School
Bethany, Oklahoma

Katherine Bishop believes that everyone has barriers to learning, but she realizes it often takes time to pinpoint exactly what they are and how to help. Bishop has created a classroom rich in technology to celebrate her students’ abilities while honoring their differences.

Thanks to an amplification system funded by a grant Bishop co-authored, her instruction can be understood by the student who is unable to block out certain noises and another who struggles to distinguish between similar sounds. In her classroom, students may simultaneously preview an assigned book as hard copy, using e-text readers, or with headsets for an audio version.

Bishop received her B.S. from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1991 and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification in 2000. She co-chairs the NBPTS Exceptional Needs Standards Committee and serves on the NEA IDEA Resource Cadre.

You can watch a videa about Katherine at https://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/awards/teaching-excellence-awards/2010-finalists/

99's Museum of Women Pilots

The 99's Museum of Women Pilots held a dedication to celebrate the Grand Re-opening on June 26, 2010.

The museum is located near Will Rogers World Airport and was closed for seven months of refurbishing. The museum added and expanded several exhibits, such as a "Dreamflyer” flight trainer, an array of female aviators around the world and a display of women's vintage aviation fashions that includes go-go boots and outfits that cleverly convert from skirts to pants and tops.

The re-opening featured NASA Astronaut Randy Bresnik, grandson of Alfred Bresnik who was the personal photographer of Amelia Earhart. He returned a scarf belonging to Earhart which he took with him into space. You can read more of The Oklahoman article HERE and about women pilots HERE.

Jeannette Smith is New Bricktown Association Exec Dir

Welcome Jeannette Smith, the new Executive Director of Bricktown Association. She's been director of marketing for Penn Square Mall for 17 years. You can read more here.

Gerry Bonds :eves OETA

Last night was the last OETA "Oklahoma News Report" episode featuring Gerry Bonds, George Tomek and Ross Dixon. Yup - they've been let go. SORRY!!! I am going to miss them and the other programs they did as well. OETA officials said it was a cost cutting measure but really, do you believe that?! I think they just used budget constraints as an excuse to drop the old folks. As a proud and happy member of the dreaded "older generation," I am offended but not surprised.