(BALTIMORE, Md.) – An art teacher and Notre Dame of Maryland University graduate was honored as the region’s top middle school art educator of the year by the National Art Education Association (NAEA), the leading organization for visual arts and design education professionals.
Camille Gibson M‘19, 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. She is also the visual art lead teacher for Baltimore County’s East Zone schools. Gibson received the award during the virtual 2021 NAEA National Convention in the spring.
“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.”
A dedicated educator, Gibson uses culturally responsive teaching practices to encourage student expression and positive school-community interactions. She developed a program called Art for a Cause that enables students to use their artistic talents to address issues relevant in their communities. Because of her commitment to her students, the Baltimore County Public Schools recognized Gibson as a 2018 Career Art Teacher of the Year.
“The experience and education I received at Notre Dame of Maryland University was unparalleled and prepared me for the growing diverse 21st century classroom,” she said. “The tools, knowledge, and skills I received from the master’s degree program in leadership in teaching: cultural proficiency assisted me to implement strategies that were beneficial for my students that are marginalized and underrepresented.”
Founded in 1947, the NAEA harnesses the power of the visual arts, design, and media arts to enrich the lives of all learners and communities, especially those from historically marginalized groups, and promotes developing creative and culturally competent future generations. Its members include educators from pre-K teachers to university professors, researchers, and teaching artists, living in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, U.S. Possessions, most Canadian Provinces, U.S. military bases around the world, and more than 25 countries.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
