Begeske named CEC Arts Educator of the Year

May 19, 2025

The Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) Division of Visual and Performing Arts Education (DARTS) named Jasmine Begeske the 2025 Arts Educator of the Year.

Jasmine Begeske holding a certificate on the CEC stage. Surrounding her are Susan Harvey and Kareem L. Thompson. — *Jasmine Begeske (center) being awarded Arts Educator of the Year by DARTS President Susan Harvey (r) and CEC Past President Kareem L. Thompson (l)*

Nominated by her students, Begeske was recognized for her teaching excellence and her unwavering commitment to inclusive arts education. The award was presented by DARTS President Susan Harvey at the CEC 2025 Convention in Baltimore.

A clinical assistant professor of special education at Purdue University, Begeske has spent more than two decades teaching the arts to students with and without disabilities. Her work spans public schools, community-based settings, and higher education, where she now prepares future educators to bring the joy and power of the arts into inclusive classrooms. Begeske is a passionate advocate for the DARTS mission and embodies its ideals through her career-long dedication to celebrating creativity and the transformative power of the arts in education.

In related news, in 2024 the Indiana Council for Exception Children (INCEC) selected Begeske to be its 2024 Outstanding Professor of the Year.

Source: Jasmine Begeske, begeske@purdue.edu