Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/859531
Richard McDowell receives the American Heart Association's 2017 Outstanding Advocacy Efforts Award. Credit: Lisa Meylor Botkin/AHA Every year for nearly 10 years, McDowell has brought up to 70 students by bus to the state Capitol to advocate for AHA policies. In June, he received the association's Western States Affiliate 2017 Outstanding Advocacy Efforts Award, one of its top honors given to volunteers. "Hundreds of his students put a face to our issues, and are key to securing meetings with legislators," notes the AHA release. McDowell says the annual trip is "golden." "Students get to see how government works, how citizens take action. ey work on their leadership and communica- tion skills." McDowell has been an educator and Galileo teacher for 20 years, starting the Health Academy in 2001 to "cre- ate a pipeline from school to work, or a postsecondary program or college." Juniors and seniors learn about issues and careers in health science. The curriculum includes courses at City College of San Francisco and internships at California Pacific Medical Center. McDowell has also been recognized by AHA for help- ing pilot a cooking nutrition class that brings in chefs to teach students how to make inexpensive, heart-healthy meals. e program has expanded to five other states and over 100 schools. While his hands-on classroom contains everything from oxygen tanks to obstetric mannequins (to practice delivering babies), McDowell admits that his real-life life-saving feat had a big impact on his students. "It gave me cred for a couple of months." 69 A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 017 DON'T JUST WORK IN EDUCATION. LEAD IT. Financial aid and graduate scholarships available Submit your application today If you're an LAUSD educator in search of a career challenge beyond working in education, why not lead the transformation in education? Every year, the Graduate School of Education at California Lutheran University prepares the next generation of leaders and advocates in education to move into the upper echelon of educational leaders for the future. Earn your Master's degree in Counselor Education, Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing or other specialized programs, with support of an inspired and nurturing faculty. This is your time to lead. START THIS FALL! (805) 493-3325 clugrad@CalLutheran.edu CalLutheran.edu/CAed Learn More.