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Lisa Laker has never been someone who simply teaches a class and closes the door at the end of the day. She is the epitome of Purposeful Learning and Meaningful Collaboration, always exploring new ways to bring the world into her classroom at Franklin Central High School. Whether it is studying Taiwan through literature and human rights, preparing students to write creative nonfiction inspired by Colonial Williamsburg, or planning a Veterans Day program connected to Medal of Honor recipients, Lisa’s work reflects exactly what we mean in FTCSC when we talk about Making A Difference.

For Lisa, her focus is always on finding new ways to create experiences that will directly impact students and colleagues. Over the course of her career, she estimates she has written and received nearly 30 grants and fellowships, including two prestigious Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellowships. Each opportunity becomes another way to bring fresh ideas, authentic learning experiences, and real-world connections back to Franklin Central students and staff.

This year alone, Lisa received grants from the Indiana Council of Teachers of English and the IU East Asian Studies Center, both focused on Taiwan. Inspired by a summer book study through the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia, her Creative Writing students read the graphic novel The Boy from Clearwater and are now creating and designing their own graphic novels focused on human rights issues. The work is also connected to Franklin Central’s “Flashes Around the World” event, where students explored the story of Taiwanese biking pioneer Bonnie Tu and her impact on women in athletics and business.

The Purposeful Learning does not stop there, as Lisa will participate in three separate fellowships this summer that are already inspiring future opportunities for our students. One of these, Founding Forward’s Medal of Honor Legacy program in Philadelphia, focuses on the Vietnam War and the legacy of Medal of Honor recipients. Lisa is already turning that experience into an opportunity to honor local veterans through a Veterans Day program in the FC Media Center that will hopefully feature a keynote speaker from the Indiana Medal of Honor Society.

She is also collaborating with FC Social Studies teacher and current FTCSC 7th-12th Grade Teacher of the Year, Julie Doty, and FC Media Center Specialist Andrea McKeman to create engaging school and community events connected to history, literacy, and civic learning. Together, they have already Meaningfully Collaborated on programs such as this year’s “Go Global” and “America 250,” helping students connect classroom learning to the broader world around them.

Additional fellowships at the Willa Cather Teacher Institute in Red Cloud, Nebraska, and Colonial Williamsburg will help shape Lisa’s Dual Credit Creative Writing courses next year. Lisa plans to use those experiences to create Purposeful Learning opportunities for students to research pioneer life, analyze historical artifacts, and write first-person creative nonfiction pieces that blend history, storytelling, and research together in authentic ways.

Lisa describes these experiences as “side quests” that keep her curious and energized as an educator, a mindset that becomes part of the culture she creates for her students.

“All of these things that I do, they make me excited to come back to the classroom the next year,” Lisa shared. “I want to model lifelong learning and staying curious.”

If you have been around FC during Lisa’s tenure, you know she is constantly bringing in guest speakers, creating new programs and partnerships, and taking students to places like the Kurt Vonnegut Museum each year. Her passion for the humanities and student learning has been noticed far beyond our FTCSC Flashes Community. Indiana Humanities previously recognized Lisa as a “Humanities Hero,” an honor that reflects the impact she continues to have on students and colleagues alike.

At FTCSC, our mission centers on Making A Difference through Purposeful Learning and Meaningful Collaboration, and Lisa Laker exemplifies that mission every day. Through her curiosity and commitment, she is helping young people see that learning is a lifelong journey of exploration, connection, and growth.