2026 Champions of Arts in Education announced!

Since 2012, the Champions of Arts in Education Award has honored individuals or organizations whose dedicated efforts promote high quality learning in and through the arts for Alaska’s students.

This award is a celebratory action, aimed at highlighting the positive impact of the arts on the lives of our children and youth. The efforts of these champions in teaching and supporting arts across the curriculum reflects the mission of AAEC, which is “to promote learning in and through the arts for all Alaska students.” Each Champion was nominated by Alaskans who—like the AAEC—believe in the work of these Champions of Arts in Education to positively impact the lives of students and communities. 

Please join us in recognizing this year’s Champions: 

2026 AAEC Student Champion 

Jazzlyn John 

Yukon Flats School District, Arctic Village School

The Alaska Arts Education Consortium would like to congratulate Jazzlyn John as our 2026 Arts Student Champion!

Born in Fairbanks and raised in Arctic Village, high school sophomore Jazzlyn John has emerged as an accomplished artist through her unwavering dedication and practice in a diverse array of art forms. She has proactively sought opportunities to enhance her skills in painting, drawing, beadwork, watercoloring, and music. In doing so, she has become a role model and mentor for the students at Arctic Village School.

As a mentor, Jazzlyn generously shares her passion for the arts by actively supporting the artistic endeavors of others. She creates her artwork in shared spaces, which fosters engagement and interaction among her peers. Through this engagement, conversations about her art inspire others with their own artistic aspirations.

Throughout the school, Jazzlyn’s art is prominently displayed, deeply rooted in the Neets’aii Gwich’in culture and the unique life of Arctic Village. The depiction of local landscapes and animals, along with cultural designs, serves as a source of inspiration for students, encouraging them to recognize and celebrate their own cultural heritage through the arts. Jazzlyn has transformed the school environment into a vibrant space that celebrates creativity and cultural expression.

Jazzlyn John’s unwavering dedication and contributions to her peers and the broader community stand as a testament to her boundless energy, passion, and unwavering advocacy for the arts. 

As Arts Student Champion, Jazzlyn will receive a $250 scholarship. Congratulations Jazzlyn!

2026 AAEC Educator Champion 

Louise Kern

Ketchikan

Louise Kern has had a long and distinguished career in teaching visual arts at Ketchikan High School. Through the decades, Kayhi students have had the pleasure to experience art through a wide array of media and techniques, from pottery to paint, glass to gouache, and printmaking to pencil. More importantly, Mrs. Kern’s students are universally welcomed to take part in the dialogue of creation in a safe classroom where all are included, all can express their unique voice, and anyone can engage in the risk-taking that is part of learning and growth. Students are empowered to find their voices, problem solve, and create change.

Not only does Mrs. Kern create excitement for the arts at school, her work impacts Ketchikan’s arts-renowned community in other ways. Over the years, Mrs. Kern has helped her students attend the regionally important annual ArtFest. ArtFest attendance required creative ways to execute the trips, including working with numerous supporters and helping students sell wares at local holiday sales to help fund their spring trips. With encouragement to take advantage of opportunities in and out of school, many of Kern’s students have been inspired to pursue careers in the arts, which is reflected in the very fabric of Ketchikan. 

In unwavering support, students, colleagues and community members alike say that Mrs. Kern is an example of curiosity and creativity, engagement and presence, kindness and inclusion, dedication and accountability, and honesty and integrity. She is truly an embodiment of the values she imparts.

Over the years, Mrs. Kern helped students attend the annual ArtFest, helping students sell wares at local holiday sales to help fund their trips.  Her encouragement and support has inspired many students to pursue careers ion the arts, which has contributed to Ketchikan’s thriving art community.

As the Arts Educator Champion, Louise receives the choice between $250 towards classroom supplies or complimentary attendance at one of AAEC’s Summer Arts Institutes.

Congratulations Louise!

2026 AAEC Leader Champion 

Shannon Hudson

Metlakatla

As Principal of Richard Johnson Elementary and District Curriculum Director, Shannon Hudson has ensured that the arts remain central to teaching and learning. A lifelong visual artist, she leads with the conviction that creative expression strengthens student well-being and honors cultural identity. In the southernmost tip of Alaska, she has proven that geography is never a barrier to opportunity, turning Metlakatla into a vibrant center for artistic excellence.

Shannon is a tireless advocate, securing Artist in the Schools grants and bringing world-class musicians to Metlakatla through partnerships like Island Music. Her impact on the music program is transformative; she provided the mallets necessary to return long-dormant Orff instruments to active use, provided drums and recorders for every upper-elementary student, and facilitated a residency with a young composer who taught 140 students music rooted in the language and style of the Tsimshian people. These efforts have connected culture and curriculum, giving students a profound sense of pride and voice.

At both local and state levels, Shannon advances equity in education. She leads the school Arts Liaisons, organizes teacher professional learning through “Art Bytes,” and hosted a statewide AAEC Summer Institute. As a representative to the New Visions Network and the Alaska Arts Education Data Project, she advocates for rural and Alaska Native students statewide. Known as a “one in a million” leader whose bright personality inspires her staff, Shannon exemplifies a true Champion of Arts in Education.

2026 AAEC Advocate Champion 

Alaska Council of School Administrators 

For the past ten years, the Alaska Council of School Administrators has been advocating for arts education in Alaska through its annual Alaska’s Heart Through Student Art event. This arts program has a profound impact on students, communities, and those who support arts in public education across the state. The exhibition gives students the opportunity to show their creativity and share their artistic talents with a statewide audience. For students, this experience fosters confidence, pride, and a stronger connection to learning.

Alaska’s Heart Through Student Art serves as a gathering point for educators, families, policymakers, and arts supporters to celebrate student creativity and recognize the arts as an integral part of a well-rounded education. The event and ACSA’s active promotion of it through its membership contribute to the promotion of art education in school districts. By actively pursuing art from all 54 school districts in Alaska for the exhibit, the Alaska Council of School Administrators advocates for the inclusion of art in instructional choices throughout the state and sets an example that art is a crucial component of education in our public schools. 

ACSA’s Alaska’s Heart Through Student Art nurtures students as artists by providing opportunities for professional exhibitions, public engagement, earning money, and receiving recognition. Selected student artwork is exhibited and auctioned, offering valuable real-world experience and reinforcing the value of their creative work. Sixty percent of auction proceeds go to the student artists, while the rest support art education scholarships for future students, promoting artistic growth and ensuring their success in the arts.

By sponsoring the Alaska’s Heart Through Student Art project, ACSA actively strengthens arts education across Alaska, demonstrating a consistent, mission-driven approach that deserves recognition.

The Champions were formally recognized in Juneau on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at the Alaska’s Heart through Student Art reception in the Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff (APK) Building in Juneau. This annual event was held in partnership by the Alaska Council of School Administrators and the Alaska Arts Education Consortium.