Brooklyn School Teacher Holly Slowik to Receive
Teacher of the Year Award from Long Island University
- Middle School 57 English teacher to attend Brooklyn Campus Commencement on May 15 -

Brooklyn, N.Y. – An English Language Arts teacher at a Brooklyn middle school, Holly Slowik will receive the Secondary School Teacher of the Year Award at the 78th commencement ceremonies for Long Island University 's Brooklyn Campus on Thursday, May 15.

The Bedford-Stuyvesant resident will share the podium with other honorees, including talk show host Tavis Smiley, the commencement speaker. Smiley will address an audience of more than 1,700 graduating students, many of them immigrants and first-generation collegians.

Ever since she was a young girl, Slowik, a teacher at The Ron Brown Academy, Middle School 57 in Brooklyn , knew her calling was in education. As a student in middle school, she coached kids in rhythmic gymnastics, an activity she continued until just two years ago. In high school, she tutored students in after-school programs. During her college years, she worked for LEAP, a program that helped children in low-income urban neighborhoods to sharpen their learning skills.

According to her principal, Celeste Douglas, Slowik challenges and nurtures her students, while mentoring and supporting her colleagues. She began teaching in the New York City schools in 2001, specializing in ELA and social studies at I.S. 252 in Brooklyn . Her regular communication with parents, her beautiful displays of student work and her ability to stimulate growth in the areas of reading and writing are a model for other teachers.

A member of the leadership team for her school, Ms. Slowik also worked for the non-profit organization Computers for Youth, helping to introduce educational technology to low-income families. In addition, she initiated the development of an after-school sports and arts program, in which she teaches the African-Brazilian martial art, capoeira, along with Brazilian language and culture. She and her students have demonstrated capoeira at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and at many area schools.

Long Island University In its ninth decade of providing access to the American dream through excellence in higher education, Long Island University is a multi-campus, diverse, doctoral institution of higher learning. One of the largest and most comprehensive private universities in the country, Long Island University offers over 550 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs and certificates, and educates over 24,000* credit-seeking and continuing education students in Brooklyn, Brookville (C.W. Post), Brentwood, Riverhead, Rockland, Westchester and Southampton. The Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences prepares students for successful careers in the fields of pharmacy and health care. The University's Global College offers a wide range of study abroad options at overseas centers in China , Costa Rica , Japan and South Africa.

Long Island University's more than 650 full-time faculty members provide outstanding instruction, which is supplemented by internships and cooperative education opportunities. The accomplishments of nearly 167,000 living alumni are a testament to the success of its mission – providing the highest level of education to people from all walks of life. The University's NCAA Division I and II athletic teams, nationally renowned George Polk Awards in journalism, Tilles Center for the Performing Arts and Long Island University Public Radio Network (WLIU-FM and WCWP-FM) provide enrichment for students and the community.

*This number includes high school students enrolled in one or more degree-credit courses.

The Brooklyn Campus is distinguished by...dynamic curricula reflecting the great urban community it serves. Distinctive programs encompass the arts and media, natural sciences, business, social policy, urban education, the health professions and pharmacy, and include the Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, the Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics, the D.P.T. in Physical Therapy and the Pharm.D. in Pharmacy. A vibrant urban oasis in downtown Brooklyn , this diverse and thriving campus offers academic excellence, personalized attention, small class size and flexible course schedules. In 2005, the Campus opened a new performing arts complex, which includes the 320-seat Kumble Theater, and in 2006, a $45 million Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center, both of which serve the Campus and the community.

Posted: May 9, 2008

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