A local teacher was recently awarded a grant that will help her study abroad over the summer, acquiring some first-hand skills and knowledge she hopes will allow her to improve an already successful part of her art curriculum.

Waterloo Junior High School art teacher Annette Rau was awarded a $5,000 grant from Fund for Teachers, a nationwide nonprofit focusing on giving educators the support they need to pursue professional development opportunities.

The organization has operated for over 20 years with the support from a number of foundations and donors. This year’s round of grants for grade school educators consists of $1.625 million awarded to 355 teachers.

With her grant, Rau plans to take a trip to England as she focuses on learning more about the history and practice surrounding fiber arts – particularly embroidery.

Rau explained how a major aspect of the grant program is finding ways for teachers to connect and work with their community, so her trip is set to be particularly focused on working with wool, and she intends to return with a greater appreciation of what local sheep farmers in the area contribute to.

“I’ve been in contact with the agriculture group here in Waterloo,” Rau said. “I’ve been talking to and getting started with the Monroe County Sheep Producers, and hopefully I can connect the sheep agriculture that we have in Waterloo with the art in my classroom. I’d like to educate students more that there is a thriving market there, a thriving agriculture business.”

As Rau said, highlights of her trip will include workshops with a felting artist at the Royal School of Needlework, workshops with a focus on natural dying techniques and a visit to the British Museum where she’ll be studying under an expert with his collection of fiber antiques.

Rau reiterated she hopes to use knowledge gained from this trip to improve the already popular art classes she teaches at WJHS.

Having introduced an embroidery class several years ago, she noted how positively this part of the curriculum was received among students. She previously discussed the success of this program when she spoke about the start of her Sew Good Club with the Republic-Times in 2019.

“I was so surprised with how well the kids connected with it,” Rau said. “Something that I love to hear again and again where they will talk about, ‘My grandma does this. My grandma has shown me how to do this kind of stitch.’ It’s really been neat where so many kids have gone home and connected it to family members.”

She further spoke about the student reception of her embroidery projects, noting that her classes have seemingly been very interested given how hands-on the work can be.

Along with helping her students get a better appreciation of local wool production, Rau said she also hopes the addition of wool felting will help fill some gaps in her curriculum, allowing every student to enjoy fiber arts in some capacity.

Speaking on the grant itself, Rau noted how the Fund for Teachers support is meant for teachers to pursue more niche areas of professional development.

She stressed intentions to put her upcoming studies abroad to good use, commenting on the value such experience can have for teachers as they share a personal understanding with their students.

“I really hope that some of my experiences I can bring back to my classroom and really make the kids feel so much more connected to the experience in general,” Rau said. “First-hand experience is so valuable for teachers. First-hand experience is so much more than a YouTube video or a book. You can’t replace it.”