Monica Joynes-Massey

“I consider all my students young intellectuals. The arts are impactful and can create social awareness, foster the social and emotional needs of students, and assist in academic achievement as a cross-curricular activity,” she said. “My classroom art studio is a place of rigor, growth, and empowerment for all my students.” Camille, who teaches at Golden Ring Middle School and leads the art department, was named the NAEA’s Eastern Region Middle Level Art Educator of the Year.

The Cultural Proficiency Leadership Endorsement Program at NDMU is one of the few educational programs throughout years of professional development that actually transformed the way I look at education, especially as it relates to my role as an educator. We formed a partnership in this program; we developed an energy of mutual understanding where we could individually reflect, yet collectively challenge and grow in our personal and professional lives as it relates to our impact on the diverse identities of our students and our society. The coursework allowed me to transcend beyond the writing on the wall in order to question the institutionalized structures that mask reality and limit the success of our students in public school education. This program will change much more than your perspective, it will change your purpose.

The Cultural Proficiency Leadership Master Program taught me, as an educator, how to effectively reach my students’ academic goals by implementing their cultures and experiences into the curriculum. I learned to allow my students to see themselves within the lessons to make learning relevant and meaningful for them. The professors were extremely knowledgeable and insightful about the content. They challenge you as a student and as an educator in the pursuit to achieve excellence. I was imparted with skills that will benefit our growing diverse student population. This program is not just a destination, but a learning journey.