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Inaugural L.U.C.Y. Award for Mississippi K-12 Educations to Be Presented by GRAMMY Museum Mississippi®—and Named after Lucy Janoush, Museum Visionary and Delta State University Alumna

By August 30, 2019Alumni, GRAMMY
Lucy Janoush

GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi and the Lucy Janoush Family announce that applications are now open for the inaugural L.U.C.Y. Award, which stands for Lifting Up Children and Youth. Named after devoted Mississippian, community advocate, and Delta State University alumna Lucy Janoush, who was instrumental in securing funding for the development of the Mississippi Museum, the L.U.C.Y. Award celebrates K-12 educators from the state of Mississippi who embody the educational mission of GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi.

“Lucy would be pleased to know that we are carrying on her legacy at GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi to support education,” said Becky Nowell ’81, president of the board of directors. “Education was very important to Lucy and is the reason that she dedicated herself to making the museum become a reality in Cleveland. Exposure to music can inspire children to learn and spark their creativity and imagination. The L.U.C.Y. Award is a great way to reward teachers in our state for the important role they play in the lives of children and in our future.”

“Making Cleveland the home of the first GRAMMY Museum outside of Los Angeles was a dream for Lucy, and it was her passion and dedication that made it a reality,” said Paul Janoush, husband to the late Lucy Janoush. “Our family is honored to partner with the GRAMMY Museum to keep Lucy’s legacy alive by rewarding those educators who continue to make a difference in the lives of Mississippi’s youth.”

Lucy and Paul Janoush.

Emily Havens ’00, executive director of GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi, said, “None of us at GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi would be here today if it wasn’t for Lucy. Lucy was the true creative force in bringing this museum to life, and it’s our honor to be able to commemorate her and her legacy every year by acknowledging a member of our educator community with the L.U.C.Y. Award.”

The inaugural L.U.C.Y. Award recipient will be honored during a special event at GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi in March 2020. The award is open to academic and music K-12 educators who reside and teach in the state of Mississippi. Applicants are eligible for prizes and unique professional opportunities. In addition to the annual award, the L.U.C.Y. program will offer an online library of music-integrated lessons for use in the classroom.

The submission deadline is Jan. 1, 2020. Educators must complete the online application by submitting an original unit of lessons covering a minimum of four weeks and a video of themselves teaching one of the lessons. Academic educators must incorporate music as a tool for teaching course content. Music educators must incorporate at least one other academic content area as a tool for course content.

One winner will be selected from three finalists each year. The winner will receive two tickets and accommodations to the annual GRAMMY Museum® Gala held in fall 2020, a $2,000 honorarium, and a $1,000 grant awarded to the teacher’s school to support music education. The two semifinalists will receive a $500 grant awarded to their school to support music education. For more information, go online to GRAMMYMuseumMS.org/education/lucyaward.

Lucy Janoush graduated magna cum laude in 1978 from Delta State with a B.A. in English and from Mississippi State University in 1979 with a master’s degree in public policy and administration. She was named Delta State’s Alumnus of the Year and inducted in the Delta State Alumni Hall of Fame in 2015. She was presented with an honorary doctorate degree in arts and letters from Delta State in 2017 (as was her husband, also a DSU alumnus, the CFO at Jantran, Inc., and former DSU Foundation board member, among his many volunteer leadership roles in the community). She received many other honors for volunteerism, including the Governor’s Arts Award Art Patron by the Mississippi Arts Commission in 2017, female Volunteer of the Year in 2015 by the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, and the 2010 Junior Auxiliary Charity Ball queen.

The Janoushes receive honorary doctorates from Delta State President William N. LaForge (right) and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Charles McAdams in spring 2017.

Janoush held multiple professional positions in the Delta, including 10 years as human resources manager at Baxter Healthcare Corp.; three years as a planner for the South Delta Planning and Development District; and two years as human resources manager for Brandywine Foods, Inc. She also worked for the family’s business, Jantran Inc.

Her dedication to supporting education was evident through her work in area schools, booster clubs, and youth organizations. Janoush exhibited a deep passion for music education and led the charge in securing funding for the construction and opening of GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi. She served as president of the board of directors from the museum’s inception in 2011 until her death in 2017. In her memory, GRAMMY Museum Mississippi and the Janoush family honor K-12 educators who foster a creative learning environment and enhance the educational experience through the use of music.

For more information on education programs at GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi, go online to GRAMMYMuseumMS.org/education.