Mandy Clearwaters

Mandy Clearwaters

Mandy Clearwaters is the Lead Art Teacher and Winchell Elementary Art Teacher for Kalamazoo Public Schools.  She has taught with the district since 2011, teaching art to students in Kindergarten through 8th grade.  Mandy attended undergrad at Michigan State University where she earned a BFA in Arts Education and a minor in English.  Later on, she completed her Masters in Educational Leadership at the American College of Education.  

 

Mandy is continually working with Kalamazoo community partners to get students' art on display throughout the city.  She recently received the Gayle Hoogstraten Arts Leadership Award, a part of the ACGK 2021 Community Arts Awards.  Her and her students were also featured in CNN's Uplift section for creating powerful images on the boarded-up business on the Kalamazoo Mall in 2020.  In 2019, she received The Kalamazoo Promise - You Make a Difference Award for her work with establishing the Golden Heart Mentorship Program at her school.  

 

Outside of work, her and her husband enjoy traveling.  They have been to over 13 countries outside of the U.S., including a handful of countries in Southeast Asia.  Mandy is an avid baker, continually bringing sweet treats to her friends and colleagues to taste test.  Running is her go-to stress reliever and it helps balance out the sweets!