AEI Special Service Award 2012
Outstanding National Junior Art Honor Society Sponsor
Cappie Dobyns
Ames Community School District
Cappie Dobyns, Ames Middle School art educator, will be honored as its 2012 Outstanding National Junior Art Honor Society Sponsor at the joint Nebraska/Iowa art education conference on October 6, 2012, in Council Bluffs.
Dobyns' dedication to art education is clear from the letters that were received in support of her nomination for the award. Dobyns received particularly high praises from parents Sean and Shannon Taylor and Jen Hem. Dobyns is sponsor of the National Junior Art Honor Society (NJAHS) their students are involved in at Ames Middle School. The NJAHS is a program sponsored by the National Art Education Association (NAEA) with whom AEI is associated with professionally.
The Taylors shared that Dobyns met, "individually with Lee and orient[ed] him to professions involving art. She showed him books; spent time with him, and left him genuinely enthused about seeking a career in Biological Illustrating." The Taylors say that this is "something Lee never would have known about had Mrs. Dobyns not spent her extra time investing in his future."
Hem commends Dobyns for the many hours spent at after school and Saturday workshops. "Her mentoring has inspired a love of art in my daughter, as well as some business sense." Hen goes on to say that "Cappie facilitated the sale of my daughter’s jewelry at a local Art Walk and my daughter had to represent her product, make change for sales, and celebrate her near $100 in profits! That’s big money for a middle school student!"
Dobyns comes to Iowa from Texas where she was highly respected in art education at the state, regional and national level. While in Texas, she served as Middle Level Western Regional Director and was the US Middle School Art Delegate at the US China Joint Educational Conference in Beijing, China, in 2002. Dobyns received NAEA's Western Region Middle Level Art Educator Award in 2001. Most recently in Iowa, she has served as the Middle Level representative on the state board and has been a member of the Iowa Core Fine Arts Writing team working closely with the Iowa Department of Education.
It is easy to sense why Dobyns is adored by students, parents and colleagues alike. She fosters an educational environment that encourages students to dream, challenge and experience creativity on a deeply personal level.