I am stepping out of my comfort zone to seek assistance to attend an amazing Professional Development opportunity in NYC.

My name is April Washburn.

I am requesting financial support to attend the Innovative Schools Summit – New York 2026, held February 25–28, 2026, at the New York Marriott Marquis. This nationally recognized summit offers educators access to four premier education conferences for the price of one, including the At-Risk Students Conference, Innovative Teaching Strategies Conference, Innovative School Leadership Forum, and the Wired Differently/Trauma-Informed Schools Conference. **The trauma portion of this conference is only being presented in NYC. My students have and still live through many forms trauma that I may or may not be able to relate to but I want to learn to better understand and teach them.

As a 5th grade teacher at Floyd Elementary in the Gadsden City Schools District, I am committed to continued growth in addressing academic, behavioral, and socio-emotional needs of our students. This is my ninth year teaching in our district, with previous service at

Striplin Elementary (2 years), Thompson Elementary (6 years), and now Floyd Elementary in my first year here. The sessions offered through this summit directly align with the needs of our student population and the goals of our school community.

Educational Value & Alignment With District Needs

The conference provides high-quality professional learning opportunities that address challenges frequently encountered in our classrooms—particularly student behavior, trauma-informed practices, and innovative instructional strategies. Additionally,

participation offers valuable Professional Development credit hours that support ongoing certification renewal. Several sessions are especially relevant to the students we serve:

1. Defiant, Manipulative & Attention-Seeking Students: How to Unlock Their Potential

February 25, 2026

This session provides strategies grounded in Responsibility-Centered Discipline, addressing the increasingly complex behaviors observed in students today. The learning objectives include:

● Identifying root causes of difficult behaviors

● Implementing effective behavioral strategies

● Transitioning from obedience-centered to responsibility-centered approaches

● Preventing escalation and supporting positive behavior

This content is highly applicable to the behavioral challenges we see in our upper elementary classrooms.

2. Engaging the Traumatized Child

February 26, 2026

This session focuses on mental health challenges affecting academic performance. It will provide training on:

● Trauma types, neurobiology, and effective school communication

● The 10 foundational components of trauma-empowered classrooms

● Practical tools such as “I Action Language,” “My Needs Checklist,” and other strategies

● Using environment, videos, and experiential learning to inspire traumatized students

Given that many of our students have experienced trauma, this content is particularly timely and essential.

3. Keynote Speakers

The third and fourth days feature powerful keynote speakers whose expertise centers on educator motivation, school culture, and climate:

● Jere “MsChang” Chang: Celebrate the Joy of Teaching and The Culture You Build Is the Difference You Make

● Gerry Brooks: Personal Climate and Culture... It’s Up to You and Being the Best You Can Be!

These sessions will strengthen my ability to contribute positively to our school culture and support colleagues through shared strategies and insights.

Cost Breakdown & Funding Request

I am requesting funding to cover the conference registration fee, hotel accommodations and other fees associated.

Conference Registration (Innovative Schools Summit 2026):

● $750 + 7% fee after November 30, 2025

● $795 + 7% fee after December 31, 2025

● $850 + 7% fee after January 31, 2026

Host Hotel Accommodations (New York Marriott Marquis):

● Total estimated cost for all conference days: $902.17 (including taxes and fees)

Summary & Request

Investing in this conference is truly an investment in our students. I am excited about the potential to bring back strategies that can help us better support at-risk learners, strengthen classroom culture, and enhance instructional success across grade levels. I am

confident that the knowledge gained will directly benefit our students academically, behaviorally, and emotionally.

Since creating this, I have been accepted into a competitive teaching fellowship that will require me to pay for my class upfront in January. My hopes are to be able to do go to the conference on top of working within this fellowship, however if I am unable to raise enough funds for the conference i will not be able to attend. I would be using the money towards my course at The University of Alabama.