Robert Zdankiewicz, engineering and design honors program coordinator at Saint Joseph Academy in Cleveland, was named an Ohio Art Education Association Northeast Region Distinguished Educator for 2023.
Zdankiewicz was nominated for the award by Tammy Sparks, SJA visual arts teacher and department chair, who was winner of the 2022 OAEA Outstanding Art Teacher.
“The Distinguished Educator award is to recognize other educators and school personnel that help promote the visual arts,” Sparks said. “I believe Rob has worked hard to encourage creativity from every student within the Howley Makerspace innovation lab regardless of them being a visual art student or not. By promoting design thinking and encouraging students to explore aesthetics in the Engineering & Design Honors Program, Rob strengthens the visual arts program. He helps us encourage students to value art and design in each aspect of their education,” she added.
“I'm humbled to win the OAEA Northeast Region Distinguished Educator Award,” Zdankiewicz said. “Since starting in the role of EDHP coordinator, I've tried to integrate the arts with engineering and science. Our makerspace provides a perfect place to allow creativity and STEM to meet.”
Zdankiewicz joined SJA during the 2017-18 school year. He is coordinator for the engineering and design honors program and oversees the 4,800-square-foot Howley Makerspace innovation lab, which includes state-of-the-art 3D printers, laser engravers, vinyl cutters, CNC router, plasma cutter, digital cameras, an embroidery machine and more.
OAEA is a service organization dedicated to helping promote art education. Its mission is to build a community for visual art educators by promoting professional growth and leadership among visual arts educators, professors, researchers, scholars, teaching artists, administrators, supervisors and art museum educators. OAEA consists of eight regions in Ohio with each region awarding one Distinguished Educator award.
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