Westridge Elementary Teacher Rachel Leber Honored with Sorenson Legacy Award

May 20th, 2024 /
Spencer Tuinei /
Elementary School, In the News, News, Recognitions and Awards, Schools, Teaching and Learning, Westridge

“Sometimes, grown-ups forget they’re artists,” said Rachel Leber, addressing her students at Westridge Elementary. Leber, recently honored with the 2024 Sorenson Legacy Award for Excellence in Arts Education by the Utah State Board of Education, is a wondrous example of the power of art integration in elementary education– even the state board agrees.

Speaking directly to her class, Leber continued, “Grown-ups might forget over time—but you all know that you are artists, and we promise to remember that we’re artists, don’t we?” Her students nodded; this mode of belief is self-evident, thanks to her teachings.

Ms. Leber received the award on May 10 in a ceremony held at Westridge Elementary. Students, staff, and Utah State Board of Education (USBE) representatives attended the event. Ms. Leber was honored in the category of “Elementary Arts Integration for the Classroom Teacher.” The Sorenson Legacy Awards celebrate educators who promote the arts in student development. Each award recipient receives a $2,000 cash prize, with an additional $250 awarded to their school district to support arts programs.

Leber has demonstrated time and time again that she is deserving of the award; she’s continuously prioritized her pedagogical growth, receiving additional training through the Arts Leadership Academy, benefitting her team and her school and community, by extension. Kayleen Nelson, BTS Arts & Fine Arts Curriculum Specialist, wrote the nomination, noting that “Leber has developed her own arts curriculum and shares it with her peers and creates resources for families in developing the arts in their own homes.”

And she has put these skills into practice and backs her practices with continuous affirmation, leading her students by example. It’s a comprehensive approach that is only made possible because Leber truly believes that they are capable artists, and she shows them that they are artists through her coursework. To further quote her nomination:

Every year, Miss Leber teaches her children that they are artists, authors, dancers, mathematicians, and scientists. She tells her children that many adults forget these things when they grow up, and she makes them promise never to forget. Coming from a family of artists, Miss Leber knows a secret about the arts: art is a pursuit, not a gift or a subject. It is not something you can categorize into one block during the day, nor is it something that some people are simply “good at.” Art is a lifelong hobby and a lifelong source of gratitude(…). It is a way of living.

As mentioned in her nomination, the path to Sorenson Legacy award winner started before teaching; it is merely a punctuation in a lifelong journey through art:

Rachel Leber was surrounded by art, as a child. She grew up with a father who was constantly oil painting and a mother who studied elementary education and who knew the value of teaching art to a child. So she spent her childhood visiting art museums, studying the masters, and creating art in every form. She grew to love the colors of Maynard Dixon and the stories of Norman Rockwell. She also grew to love learning as an art form itself.

During the ceremony, Ms. Leber addressed her students, emphasizing the recognition of their artistic potential. She then acknowledged her parents, attributing much of her passion and knowledge to them. “They taught me how to sing, dance, and draw. They’re both artists. They taught me how to teach you all.” Students and teachers alike cheered for Rachel’s parents, a fitting tribute for an award celebrating legacy.

Westridge Elementary and Provo City School District celebrate her dedication and the lasting impact of her work. Teachers like Leber make Provo a place where art thrives and students grow; we thank her for stewarding our budding youth.