Feb. 7, 2024

Mizzou Academy Brings K-12 Spark to Higher Education Teaching

Top Row: Dr. Ta Boonseng, Dr. Adrian Clifton, Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, Rebekkah HanakSecond Row: Kimberly Kester, David Prats Vidal, Brian Stuhlman, Stephanie Walter It was a snowy start to the new semester when Brian Stuhlman and Dr. Adrian Clifton skated, slid, and trudged across campus to meet their new group of college students. While both instructors currently live in mid-Missouri, most of their work is with middle and high school students who live 5,000+ miles away in much warmer climates. The two serve as academic leads in the Mizzou Academy CoTeach program, which supports partner schools in Brazil and Spain.

Dec. 15, 2023

A Global Celebration of Teaching and Learning

Hosts and attendees gather on Zoom for the conference kick-off. Sarah Özdemir, an educational coordinator in Turkey, called our Teaching and Learning Conference restorative and important. “It was so wonderful to spend that time just talking about education. I appreciate knowing that there is a whole team out there working towards the same goal.” Özdemir was one of close to 150 educators from across Brazil, Honduras, Turkey, and the United States who joined us for our annual Teaching and Learning Conference. This year our three-day event took place over Zoom.  Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, Mizzou Academy’s Executive Director, led the conference.

Nov. 15, 2023

Mizzou Academy Sparkles at Gold Carpet Celebration 

When Dean Chris Riley-Tillman of the College of Education and Human Development arrived outside the historic Missouri Theatre on September 27, he wasn’t expecting to be greeted by a velvet-roped gold carpet and event hosts in sequined gowns. But as he observed in his opening remarks for the event, you can always expect the unexpected from Mizzou Academy.  Ceremony host Kathryn Fishman-Weaver greets Dean Riley-Tillman outside the Missouri Theater. Riley-Tillman shared that it seemed an impossible feat when Mizzou Academy’s Executive Director Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver first met with him to discuss the contract proposal of revamping DESE’s complete Office…

Oct. 30, 2023

Student Leadership through Service

National Honor Society at Mizzou Academy Arthur Watanabe Nakamura addresses faculty and peers One morning, high school junior Arthur Watanabe Nakamura observed that “there was a great black cloud that covered the entire sky of São Paulo, making the day seem like night, and this cloud was brought from the smoke produced by the burning of trees in the Amazonas, making masses of wind transporting the cloud to São Paulo. This cloud not only made the sky dark, but also affected some other factors like wifi signals, airplane trafficking, and meteorology studies, making the entire society worried about the phenomenon.” …

Oct. 13, 2023

Two Seasons, Four Superstars, One Special Award

At Mizzou Academy, one of our commitments is to cultivate a culture of celebration and appreciation. Our quarterly Honor Awards are one of the ways we foster recognition for faculty and staff.  In addition to recognizing the ways members of our team operationalize our mission and values, these awards are an important opportunity to say thank you.  All members of our Mizzou Academy community are eligible for these peer-nominated Honor Awards. Our recent summer and fall nominees and recipients include both teachers and support staff. They exemplify the best in student and team support. Learn more about these professionals below.

Oct. 13, 2023

Expanding Literacy Development 

Educational Leadership Conference in São Paulo  The five professionals, seated in large wooden chairs, passed two microphones between them, each leaning in as their colleagues spoke. This moving panel included laughter, affirmation, and even a few tears. The topic was expanding literacy development in elementary, middle, and high schools across Brazil.  Catia Costa, who coordinates secondary programs at Harmonia–a bilingual school in Campo Grande–spoke about the importance of seeing each other. She talked about how her leadership team has worked with students to better greet one another and the school support staff in the morning. Seeing each other is a…

Oct. 5, 2023

Happy World Teachers’ Day 2023

Today, World Teachers’ Day is co-convened in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF, and Education International (EI). At Mizzou Academy, we are proud to join in this global celebration of teaching, teachers, and learning. 

Oct. 3, 2023

Mizzou Elementary: Site Visits with Our Youngest Tigers

A Grade 1 student at Colégio Magno delights in math with balloons. Pink balloons quickly filled Verena Daroque’s Grade 1 classroom. The students were delighted for such a bright, hands-on opportunity to explore measurement. Lisa DeCastro, our Elementary Coordinator, beamed as she sat  with a group of the young mathematicians to hear more about their mathematical thinking.  Both she and Executive Director Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver remarked that the learning environment Daroque had cultivated was “joyful.” Fishman-Weaver and DeCastro also seemed right at home in the sweet chaos of early elementary. That’s no surprise, as almost 20 years ago the two…

Sep. 15, 2023

Mizzou Academy Celebrates Faculty Promotions

As we launch a new academic year, Mizzou Academy is thrilled to celebrate twelve faculty promotions! Alicia Bixby, Dr. Thitinun (Ta) Boonseng, Jill Clingan, Lisa DeCastro, Dr. Sherry Denney, Kimberly Kester, David Prats Vidal, Brennan Ransdell, Gregory Soden, Brian Stuhlman, Ericca Thornhill, and Stephanie Walter have all moved up from instructor titles into professors of professional practice.  This new faculty role is fitting as this group is leading innovation in online, blended, and global education. They are doing so through academic lead work at Mizzou Academy, our lab school within the University of Missouri’s College of Education and Human Development. …

Aug. 10, 2023

Everywhere You Choose to Fly

Congratulations to the MIE 2023 Scholars! Carol Cortonezi laughs with Dr. Laura Zangori at the MIE poster showcase The Mizzou International Experience (MIE) program culminates with an annual poster showcase in Townsend Hall. The showcase brings in faculty and staff from across the university who spend the morning learning with Mizzou Academy visiting high school scholars. Each student presents on what the MIE program has meant to them and what lessons they will each take home. This year, many members of the MIE class of 2023 incorporated the expressive arts in their presentations. For example, Heitor Stalhschmidt wrote a poem…