Submitted photo Second-grade teacher Tracy Gilson, left, receives a DonorsChoose grant for flexible classroom seating from Jennifer Sotlar, right, a 1989 graduate of Mineral Ridge High School and National Marketing Development Executive for the Horace Mann Educators Corporation.

MINERAL RIDGE — Two Seaborn Elementary School teachers were recently recognized with nearly $1,000 in grant funding to support innovative classroom initiatives and enhance student learning experiences.

Second-grade teacher Tracy Gilson was surprised in her classroom with news that her DonorsChoose request for flexible seating had been fully funded. The announcement was delivered by Mineral Ridge High School Class of 1989 graduate Jennifer Johnson Sotlar, National Marketing Development Executive for the Horace Mann Educators Corporation, which is the largest multiline financial services company focused on helping America’s educators and others who serve the community achieve lifelong financial success.

Horace Mann partners with DonorsChoose to support educators nationwide, and Sotlar said when she noticed a request from her hometown school district, she immediately advocated for its funding.

“Education is near and dear to my heart,” Sotlar said. “I love being able to give back to classrooms, especially in smaller communities. Having the opportunity to support my hometown school makes it even more meaningful.”

DonorsChoose is the leading platform for supporting public school classrooms. Since 2000, more than 6 million donors and partners have contributed $1.8 billion to fund more than 3 million teacher requests. DonorsChoose vets each request, ships funded materials directly to classrooms, and provides transparency and reporting to donors and schools.

Gilson’s request totaled approximately $360 and includes six balance ball chairs and one wobble chair. She explained that flexible seating options help students manage natural movement, improve focus and provide positive incentives in the classroom. Students earn “Ram Bucks” for positive behavior and can redeem them to use wobble chairs for the day.

“The flexible seating really seems to foster more attention and focus when students use it,” Gilson said. “These students work hard, and I wanted to do something fun that also contributes to a positive learning environment.”

The new seating is expected to arrive within six to eight weeks. In celebration of the grant, Sotlar also presented Gilson with balloons, a commemorative plaque and classroom supplies from Crayola, another Horace Mann partner.

In addition, fifth-grade English / language arts teacher Heather Ault was awarded a $500 grant from the Trumbull Retired Teachers Association to launch a building-wide “Readers Lead” initiative aimed at fostering a love of reading and strengthening connections across grade levels.

The Trumbull Retired Teachers Association awards grants to active educators to support innovative classroom projects across grade levels and disciplines. Funds are raised through community events such as bake sales and craft shows, reflecting members’ continued commitment to education.

Through the program, fifth- and sixth-grade student council members will visit primary classrooms to read aloud, engage students in discussion, and introduce followup activities that can be completed later in the day or at home.

Ault said the idea grew out of a fall collaboration in which fifth-grade students read to younger classes and shared pumpkins painted as book characters.

“Students came back from those experiences incredibly excited,” Ault said. “They loved reading and interacting with younger students, and the younger students were just as excited to have the older kids visit. My hope is that Readers Lead will help build a school-wide culture that values reading, supports early literacy, and strengthens relationships between grade levels.”

Grant funds will be used to purchase grade-appropriate books, story-based puppet characters, and a sharing library stand that will remain in the school for years to come.