Diane Merrill, Dianne Scott, Jennifer Spence, Palmira Olivera, Chris Brittingham, Jocelyn Smith, Hector Garcia, Tom Dricken, Regina Tucker and Patricia Hammond

The team’s innovative teaching idea, “Sugar Rush Bakery,” is a student-managed bakery venture that incorporates all aspects of running a business — planning, accounting, selling, shopping, promoting and baking. Voya’s grant helps to support this vocational training program, which is offered to 18- to 21-year-old students who are identified with cognitive and physical disabilities. It exposes them to real life economic experiences and teaches them how to be self-sufficient through weekly planning, purchasing, baking, selling and accounting of homemade bakery items. This project is also a major fundraiser for a graduation celebration that finalizes the school career experience. The teachers believe that every student has something to contribute to their program, and their role to foster those talents to their fullest potential.