LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Dawn Pavloski was nominated by her colleague, Melinda Wilson.

"If our job teaches us anything, it's that we don't know what we will face next," said Wilson. "Dawn Pavloski is someone with vision, guts, and gravitas. She stays connected to other people's lives and cares about improving them. Dawn fosters resilience through the arts and creativity. She works closely with all students and teachers."

Curie Metropolitan High School is a Chicago Public High School located in Chicago's southwest side. The community has a varied ethnic composition and a significant disparity in income and other demographic measures. The community has a reputation for high crime levels and gun violence. In the last few years, this area had a crime increase of 13% and a 58% increase in shootings. The students reflect the poverty and desperation that the community faces. Chicago has been reported as one of America's most economically and racially segregated cities, and Curie High School reflects that. Curie High School is located at the intersection of Pulaski and Archer. Walking down the street, you can see that the area suffers disproportionately from gun violence and violent crimes. This year alone, the school has lost five students due to gun violence and one to suicide.

Ms. Pavloski's teaching gives students access to high-quality education through the arts making sure students celebrate their own stories. There's no better way to tell your story than through the arts. Ms. Pavloski transforms lives through the magic of art. Instead of traditional test averages measuring individuals, Ms. Pavloski looks beyond the isolated numbers identifying each student. She believes in getting to know her students and connecting them and their families to wider local, national, and international communities. Ms. Pavloski offers students opportunities to celebrate who they are while allowing them to discover what they could become. She will enable students to identify their unique abilities, interests, and aspirations. Ms. Pavloski then aligns these attributes with specific contexts that best promote the student's talents and achievements, focusing on success in life. She understands what it takes to promote healthy lives and promotes enrichment opportunities. Students learn structure, community, collaborative leadership, and professional practices. They thrive in this creative environment where rewards are immediate. She understands if you nurture inspiration, it becomes art.

Ms. Pavloski and her students participated in the T-Mobile Project, a collaboration with T-Mobile, Magnificent Mile, and Kern Studios from New Orleans. Ms. Pavloski brought together a team from her theatre tech students, technical arts drawing students, and the music and dance departments to collaborate in the BMO Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Float Design Contest. After 12 collaborative meetings including over 45 students, she was awarded a contract from T-Mobile. Her students worked alongside Kern Studios to build the float, using one student's winning design. The team worked collectively with T-Mobile national offices and created the most spectacular performance for the parade with the float, music, and dance on Chicago's Magnificent Mile. The float was observed by over one million spectators and aired in over 97 markets across the country.

For years, Ms. Pavloski and her students have created some of the most extraordinary set design pieces and props for school musicals, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Teen Beach Musical, Edward Scissorhands, Elf The Musical, Frozen, and The Grinch. The shows are seen by thousands of children and community members each year. Ms. Pavloski brings her professional experiences from working at numerous theatres across the city. She integrates student supports that address out-of-school barriers to learning through partnerships. She employs social-emotional learning, conflict resolution training, trauma-informed care, and restorative justice practices to support mental health and lessen conflict, bullying, and punitive disciplinary actions. Ms. Pavloski offers students expanded learning time and opportunities through her projects, including after-school, weekend, and summer opportunities.

Despite losing her father just last year and dealing with daily violence in the school hallways and community, Ms. Pavloski creates a healthy community. She looks at each student's talents and celebrates their abilities. She fills the void. Her students are part of a collaborative team where they learn to set higher standards, find community, and raise their voices. Most importantly, her students learn that taking to the streets is not the only way to find an identity.