These Columbus teachers will get a week of free training at Harvard. Here’s why
Eight teachers who already were celebrated for being excellent educators in Columbus public schools have received another honor.
An all-expenses-paid trip will allow them to attend a week of training at one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges to become even better teachers for the Muscogee County School District.
During a news conference Thursday at Wynnton Arts Academy, the Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation announced its 2025 Harvard Fellows:
- Christie Akers, Northside High School
- Kacey Brown, Eagle Ridge Academy
- Katie Buckley, Blanchard Elementary School
- Annette Gebhardt, Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts
- Stacey McClary, Wynnton Arts Academy
- Robyn Robinson, Davis Elementary School
- Nicole Ruiz, Britt David Magnet Academy
- Brent Sutherland, Dimon Magnet Academy.
What makes Harvard fellowship a good investment?
Marquette McKnight, the foundation’s executive director, explained why the MEEF board thinks the $51,000 it will cost to pay for these teachers to attend the Harvard program is a wise investment.
“MEEF’s Harvard Fellows return from Harvard inspired, empowered and equipped with innovative strategies that elevate learning for all students,” McKnight said in the foundation’s news release. “They not only transform their own classrooms but also mentor colleagues, lead professional development and serve as trusted advisors to district leadership. Their voices and expertise are shaping the future of education in Muscogee County.”
Adding this year’s cohort, MEEF will have invested more than $866,000 since 2012 for 98 teachers to attend Project Zero Classroom at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
What happens in Project Zero at Harvard?
Project Zero, founded in 1967 by philosopher Nelson Goodman, tries to understand and nurture human potentials, such as learning, thinking, ethics, intelligence and creativity. Participants spend a week with preeminent scholars and other innovative teachers from around the world. They enhance their knowledge and expertise to:
- Recognize and develop students’ multiple intellectual strengths
- Encourage students to think critically and creatively
- Explore instructional methods that deepen student engagement, model intellectual curiosity and rigor and make learning more visible.
MEEF selects the Harvard Fellows from a pool of approximately 100 teachers who were one of the 10 semifinalists for the MCSD Teacher of the Year award during at least the past 10 years.
Impact of Harvard Fellows program on MCSD
Tasha Morman, the MCSD 2023 Teacher of the Year, described the impact the Harvard Fellows program had on her when she attended last year.
“Being a Harvard Fellow is professional development at its deepest and most transformative level,” she said in the news release. “It’s not about trendy resources or the latest educational buzzwords; it’s about a complete shift in how we think about teaching and learning. Project Zero challenges educators to embrace holistic, thoughtful approaches that truly equip students with the tools they need to thrive.”
MCSD Superintendent David Lewis praised MEEF and Harvard for supporting this program.
“MEEF remains one of MCSD’s most committed partners, consistently recognizing and uplifting our most exceptional teachers,” Lewis said in the news release. “Through this powerful collaboration, our teachers gain access to world-class professional learning and meaningful growth opportunities at Harvard. The results of this partnership are energizing our entire district and inspiring excellence in every classroom.”
The foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering educational excellence by helping teachers who are innovative and exceptionally effective in the public schools of Columbus.
Since it was established 29 years ago, MEEF has awarded more than $3.3 million to such educators through financial incentives in the Teacher of the Year program, the MEEF Grant program, the MEEF Endowment Fund and the Harvard Fellows program.
This story was originally published April 10, 2025 at 4:17 PM.
