Escondido Union High School District Celebrates One of Its Own as 2025-26 ARTEFFECT Ambassador

The Escondido Union High School District is proud to announce that Mr. David Nemteanu, 
Principles of Design teacher at Del Lago Academy – Campus of Applied Science, has been selected as one of 28 educators nationwide to join the prestigious 2025-26 cohort of the ARTEFFECT Ambassadors program.

ARTEFFECT, an initiative of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes / Lowell Milken Family Foundation, is a competitive, year-long online fellowship for dedicated middle and high school educators. Fellows engage in professional development centered on the theme of “Unsung Heroes,” collaborate with a national peer-learning community, and create capstone projects to bring back to their classrooms and communities.

During his fellowship year, Mr. Nemteanu will work alongside fellow educators from 17 states covering various specialties — from visual arts and social studies to STEAM and administration. Throughout the 2025-26 academic year, the cohort will participate in online sessions exploring visual storytelling, character education, and STEAM integration. Their work will culminate in student-facing projects such as exhibitions, lesson plans, publications, or instructional programs, to be implemented locally by June 2026.

“We couldn’t be more excited for Mr. Nemteanu and proud that Del Lago Academy and EUHSD will be represented in this national initiative,” said Jon Petersen, Superintendent of EUHSD. “His participation underscores our district’s commitment to creative, student-centered learning and real-world preparation.”

Mr. Nemteanu stated: “I’m excited about the possibility of joining the fellowship and gaining new ideas and tools to bring back to my classroom. I want to keep designing projects that help students explore their own cultures and connect with history in a way that feels real and relevant.”