Fellow Spotlight: Karen Mayer-Sebastian Selected for Lilly Endowment’s Teacher Creativity Fellowship!
We are thrilled to celebrate one of our incredible STARTedUP Innovation Educator Fellowship teacher fellows, Karen Mayer-Sebastian, for being selected as a 2025 Teacher Creativity Fellowship recipient by the Lilly Endowment! This fellowship provides Indiana educators with the opportunity to embark on transformative experiences that renew their passion for teaching and inspire their students in new and exciting ways.
Karen, an educator at Floyd Central High School, designed an enriching renewal project titled “Creative Escape with the Greats.” where she will embark on a reading and writing journey through Europe, engaging in creativity workshops, visiting historic literary landmarks, and celebrating the works of famous authors. This experience will not only fuel her creativity, but will also allow her to develop new writing pieces for publication.
The Lilly Endowment’s Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program awarded 129 educators across Indiana grants of up to $15,000 to pursue renewal projects that reignite their passion for education and enhance their classrooms. Rather than a simple vacation, these projects are designed to be purposeful, immersive, and deeply inspiring, ensuring that teachers return with fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that ultimately benefit their students.
Karen’s commitment to lifelong learning and creative expression is an inspiration to both her students and fellow educators. We can’t wait to see how her journey shapes her classroom and the creative energy she brings back!
