Janine A. Lee Honored with Susan B. Wilson Civic Education Merit Award

We’re proud to announce that Janine A. Lee—Community Preparatory School’s Creative Arts Teacher and Director, Technology Teacher, Technology Coordinator, and Grade 8 Senior Events Coordinator—has received First Place (Grand Prize) in the 18th annual Susan B. Wilson Civic Education Merit Awards, presented by the League of Women Voters of South County. The award includes a $2,000 prize and was presented during a ceremony held at the Rhode Island State House on April 23.

The award honors Rhode Island educators whose teaching enriches students' understanding of civic rights and responsibilities, encourages participation, and connects classroom learning to real-world civic issues. Janine was nominated by Hannah Resseger, a past award recipient and teacher at SouthSide Elementary Charter School, for their collaborative project promoting student awareness of civic issues through creative expression.

“At Community Prep, students explore civic, real-world connections alongside visual art, music, dance, technology, and performance,” Janine shared in her acceptance speech. “There are opportunities for Artivism—the combination of art and activism—to bloom.”

Janine also reflected on a classroom project centered around a work by artist Joseph Norman. While the artwork itself wasn’t created by Community Prep students, she guided students in contributing paper cutout words representing civic issues they care about—such as hunger, homelessness, and environmental justice—adding layers of meaning to the piece and sparking powerful dialogue about community responsibility.

“Some of those issues still exist today—and even more have emerged,” she said. “This shows students that civic engagement and Artivism are ongoing, and deeply needed.”

Please join us in celebrating Janine A. Lee, whose dedication and creativity exemplify Community Prep’s mission and the spirit of civic education.