Angel Mejico Nominated for Consideration for the 2020 Global Teacher 2020 Prize Award

In 2019, Angel was nominated to be considered an ambassador for education for the 2020 Global Teacher Prize Award. She was selected from thousands of applicants from all over the world as a Global Teacher Prize 2020 Top 50 Finalist. Angel has continued her passion and dedication to educate all over the word by participating in the various global summits over the course of the past months while he school in southern California like around the world has been impacted by COVID -19. These summits include: COVID -19: Teachers of the World Unite Summit, First North America Global Teacher Prize Award Virtual Summit, and First International Varkey Teacher Ambassador Summit. The primary focus of this global effort is to continue to educate our students all over the world in the face of challenges and adversity through positive actions of all ambassadors of education!

Dr. Mejico’s passion for education through the arts does not just reside within the walls of the ART BARN on her campus at El Cerrito Middle School but has exploded on other continents throughout the world! Mejico and her students in the Art Academy have answered the call and have immersed themselves in the global pursuit to ensure students have the opportunity to attend school. Through various projects with the organization, Pencils and Dreams, her students have had the exclusive opportunity to raise money to support two schools in Tanzania, Africa by illustrating a children’s book and illustrating a coloring book.

In the fall of 2019, Dr. Mejico turned this passion into action and visited the two schools in Tanzania, Africa teaching classes, collaborating with colleagues, and learning about international education. While on the campus of one of the schools, Dr. Mejico was asked to paint a mural for the school and completed the commission in 12 hours!

The next adventure Dr. Mejico’s Art Academy will embark upon is a new community based project with Pencils and Dreams to illustrate a children’s book that will be donated to various places across the United States such as hospitals, foster homes, recreation centers, and school libraries. The Art Academy’s motto of “service through leadership” will continue the tradition of helping others through arts education opportunities.

Upon returning to the states, Angel was also invited to participate in illustrating the book, Love Is A Walker, to support and raise funds for two schools in Tanzania, Africa. The book is a chronicle of Jane Moore’s travels through Tanzania, Africa, and her quest to support schools within the region. Taking one step further, Dr. Mejico also dedicated her time to instruct a painting fundraiser where she led a group of over 40 donors in painting a hummingbird to continue to raise awareness and funds for schools in Tanzania, Africa.

In April 2020, Dr. Mejico was featured in the Inland Empire Magazine, April 2020 edition in the “Parting Shot Feature” to highlight her art and her students in the Art Academy. This community-based magazine dedicated the article to Dr. Mejico’s art commissions and to shed light on the purpose of her painting. This feature included her piece, “Fly Away,” a watercolor painting that represents not just the flight, but the journey within one’s life!

Currently, Dr. Mejico has created AIM, Art in Motion, an online distance art learning program which provides virtual art classes for various ages, abilities, and mediums. She intends to launch these classes in the summer of 2020.

Dr. Angel Mejico is pleased to announce the origination of her non-profit, DO MORE which provides humanitarian assistance, arts, educational programs for students, and compassionate leadership through service. This non-profit organization is led by students for students to make the world a better place for us all! The goal is to DO MORE to assist various causes while leaving a lighter footprint upon this Earth!

In the fall of 2020, DO MORE will be partnering with Pencils and Dreams on a historic 100 mile walk to raise funds for DO MORE to assist with future humanitarian projects throughout the year and for Pencils and Dreams to continue to raise funds for two schools in Tanzania, Africa.