Stacey Johnston

Johnston’s innovative teaching idea, “Spilling Ink; Mending Souls,” focuses on encouraging students to create writings as part of a weekly assignment that can help in their healing process. Students at Mission High School are on a recovery process from addiction, which is often paired with poverty. As part of the healing process, they will craft daily writings in a variety of genres to chart their personal and academic experiences. At year's end, they will produce and publish a literary magazine made solely of original writing and artwork. This magazine will not only showcase their abilities and their hard work, but can also serve as a tool for supporting other youth in recovery. Through this project, Johnston aspires to help her students understand that they have the ability not only to be authors of their life stories, but of inspiring, creative literature and poetry.