Publications & Sites 
District 181 art teacher earns honor
Art teacher Hillary Andrlik accepts her award.
Updated: October 7, 2012 6:08AM
HINSDALE — Art teacher Hillary Andrlik has been named the IAEA Illinois Elementary Art Educator of the Year for 2012.
The Illinois Art Education Association’s award recognizes the exemplary contributions, service and achievements of one exceptional IAEA member annually.
Andrlik was selected on the basis of her outstanding commitment to visual art education in her field, as well as her wider contributions in the Northeastern Illinois region. Andrlik has taught art for ten years and at four Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Elementary District 181 schools: Elm, Oak, Walker and The Lane.
In 2010, Andrlik was awarded a District 181 Foundation Grant to create a permanent art installation at Walker School, “History Alive: Illinois Collections from A to Z.” The yearlong collaborative art, research, and design project incorporated historical artifacts from Illinois into a sculpture.
Andrlik uses Skype visits to connect her classroom to local art studios, engages her students in the use of creative computer graphics art projects, and utilizes a variety of online tools in her lessons. As a result of her skill, Andrlik was chosen as a technology trainer for District 181 teachers.
Andrlik also serves art educators throughout Illinois as the webmaster and digital editor for the IAEA.
Andrlik was recognized by the District 181 Board of Education as an Ambassador of Excellence on Aug. 27 and will be presented with the award by the IAEA at its conference in Lisle on Nov. 2.
