Four teachers from Gainesville were selected to attend the Ron Clark Academy (RCA) Experience held in March in Atlanta, thanks to a $1 million donation by SONIC to support educators and classrooms across the U.S.
The SONIC Foundation funded and sent 400 educators nationwide to the RCA Experience, a two-day immersive professional development training that “equipped teachers with high-impact, engaging instructional strategies designed to boost academic achievement and strengthen classroom culture,” according to a SONIC press release.
The Gainesville teachers chosen to attend the RCA Experience were:
- Angela Flavin, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School
- Angie Gonzalez, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School
- Maria Esterline, Kanapaha Middle School
- Rachael Shaw, Howard Bishop Middle School
“We’re proud to give these deserving educators the opportunity to experience the Ron Clark Academy and bring fresh ideas back to their classrooms,” said Stuart Brown, executive director of the SONIC Foundation, in the release. “Supporting teachers in the communities we serve is central to the SONIC Foundation’s mission, and their passion and dedication continue to inspire the students and schools they serve every day.”
According to the release, southeast Atlanta-based RCA “is a highly acclaimed, nonprofit middle school that doubles as a demonstration school – a place where visiting educators engage in a vibrant professional development experience by observing best practices in action before participating in hands-on workshops.”
Over the past 16 years, the release said more than 150,000 educators and administrators have taken part in the RCA Experience to discover “new ways to engage students, promote academic excellence, build relationships and create a positive classroom culture.”
“Partnerships like this one with the SONIC Foundation are what make it possible for us to extend the RCA Experience beyond our walls and into classrooms across the country,” said Kirk Brown, chief development and communications officer of the Ron Clark Academy, in the release. “When 400 educators walk through our doors, learn alongside our teachers, and leave with strategies they can use the very next day, that is the kind of impact that changes schools. We are incredibly grateful for SONIC’s continued investment in teachers and the communities they serve.”
Community members can join SONIC in supporting teachers and local public schools by ordering their favorite drink at the drive-in. Each time guests purchase a drink at a SONIC location, the brand donates a portion of the proceeds to the SONIC Foundation. These funds are used to support public education through Limeades for Learning. Since 2009, SONIC has donated over $30 million to public education in the U.S.