The Barbara Hickman Fine Arts Center will have an open house for the community to explore the art and music space as well as honor its namesake, Mrs. Barbara Hickman.
The open house will take place:
- Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
- Fruzen Intermediate School, 2600 Milwaukee Road, Beloit
The event will begin with a program featuring student musical pieces to honor Mrs. Hickman, a longtime educator, administrator and advocate for music in public education. Refreshments will be served following the program.
Barbara Hickman
Beloit School District Service
Hickman is a 1956 graduate of Beloit Memorial High School. She then went on to earn her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1960. That same year, she joined the School District of Beloit, teaching at Parker Elementary School, the same school she attended as a child! In 1976, she received a Master of Science in Teaching from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
During her 50+ years of service to the district, Hickman was a teacher, as well as a supervisor or principal in all of the elementary school except for three. She also was a Supervisor of Student Teachers and taught Reading Methods to University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students.
During her service as principal at Burdge Elementary School, she was able to help the school succeed as an arts Magnet School. The Burdge Traveling Troup was active right up until the school closed in 2014, traveling to perform in places such as Washington, D.C., Orlando, Florida, and San Antonio, Texas. Burdge also was a National Model Lightspan Program for two years and State Title 1 Model School
Community, State and National Service
Hickman has served on statewide and local committees and boards. Some of her activities included: State P-5 Council, State Title 1 Advisory Board, State Committee PI-4 for Language Arts, Board of Family Services, Beloit College Human Relations Advisory Board, State Ad-Hoc Committee on Minority Involvement, Vice-President of the Great Beloit Minority Coalition, Chair and board member of Rock County Opportunities Industrialization Center Auxillary, and Secretary of Police and Fire Commission.
She has received many awards and recognition on local, statewide and national levels for her achievements in the field of education and for her extensive volunteerism: First African American Female to Graduate from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, First African American Administrator for the School District of Beloit, Local and State CAROL Winner (Citation for Achievement and Recognition of Outstanding Leadership), listed in Outstanding Young Women of America, Teacher of the Month, Outstanding Young Educator, District Principal of the Year, Beloit Booster Award, Beloit Daily News Volunteer of the Month and Educational Pioneer Award, Back to Beloit 2001.
Hickman has been a speaker and presenter for local and national audiences: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Stevens Point and Platteville, and Beloit College in the Human Relations classes and Pre-Collegiate Program, Brotherhood Dinner, State Title 1 Preschool-Grade 5 Conference, National Lightspan Conference and National Opportunities Industrialization Centers Annual Meeting.
The post Barbara Hickman Fine Arts Center | Open House appeared first on School District of Beloit News.