Earlier this year, two local educators were surprised to learn they received a generous grant that they hadn’t even applied for. That’s the beauty of the Crash-A-Class grants provided by the Jursa family. Instead of relying on teachers to advocate for themselves and their projects, this new grant capitalizes on school administrators wanting to help support — and surprise — their educators and guidance counselors by nominating them for this generous grant.
While Shannan Jursa has been very active in supporting local schools and organizations through State Farm grants as an agent in Garrettsville, this new grant is something the Jursa family decided to implement all on their own.
She shared that when the family settled on the idea of creating their own grant, they wanted to acknowledge their appreciation for the many teachers who had made such an impact on their own children and family. She acknowledged that so many of the supplies and experiences teachers used that impacted her sons education were often provided from teacher’s own pockets. Through this grant, now in its second year, the Jursa Family grant hopes to change that.
The family wanted a vehicle to provide funding directly into the classrooms; educators aren’t aware they’ve been selected until the Jursa family pops into the room, crashing the class with balloons and a giant check. Winners are selected by a five-person panel, but no teacher or school names are listed on the application. Administrators nominate their teachers, involved and understanding what’s going on in the classrooms. The support from administrators shows that they really care – they want this for their teachers.
This year, through Crash-A-Class, two local schools–James A. Garfield and Newton Falls elementary schools– each received $1,000 to help support their students.
Jursa noted that the award at Garfield was especially sweet, since the winner from James A. Garfield, Mrs. Peggy Shay, was her twin boys’ elementary science teacher. Her boys are now in high school. In fact, fueled by what he learned in Mrs. Shay’s class, one hopes to pursue astronomy as a career. The proposal for Mrs. Shay’s classroom stood out because of the strong connection it made between hands-on learning and student engagement. “Teachers and administrators have proven time and again how much they care for our kids, Jursa noted.
“The moment when Mrs. Shay received the surprise award was very special for both her and her students,” Principal Justin Christopher from James A. Garfield Elementary shared. “We’re always grateful for opportunities like this that allow teachers to bring new ideas to life.” He continued, “Over the years, our school has been fortunate to receive support through a variety of grants and community partnerships, all of which help enhance the learning environment for our students.”
“Grants are administration-driven,” Shannan Jursa explained. “Teachers aren’t even aware they’ve been nominated.” In its first year, the Jursa Family grant funded supplies and equipment for a hydroponic lettuce project. This year, they provided two grants; they anticipate increasing the number of grants provided in future years.
Miss Rebecca Eggleston, School Counselor at Newton Falls Elementary, also received a grant this year. Her principal, Lori Witt shared, “We nominate educators who are going above and beyond, and Miss Eggleston is a phenomenal school counselor.” Witt explained that Eggleston started the Kindness Club, an afterschool program that helps students build empathy by giving them opportunities to serve others.
Through this special club, students were encouraged to select an act of kindness from a Christmas tree at school. When accomplished, they could exchange the paper ornament for a candy cane. The group also learned songs and visited a local nursing home to give residents a concert. The group worked together to provide a recycled plastic ‘buddy bench’ for their playground. The bench is a place for any student who feels alone or needs a buddy at recess, which signals other students to include them.
Witt noted that the $1,000 Crash-A-Class grant will help support that program for the next few years.
“We want to support teachers and lift the burden of purchasing items for their classrooms and schools,” Shannan Jursa concluded. The Jursa Family Crash-a-Class grant is available each year to any of the five school districts served through their Garrettsville business.
