When Hollywood calls, it usually means someone gets a breakthrough role. In this case, Zania Collier ‘22, a Master of Science in Education student at Albertus Magnus College and a New Haven Social Studies teacher, is the star. The spotlight is on her seventh and eighth-grade students at King Robinson Magnet School.
Collier needed $800 in funding for kits to create an interactive Black History project. The Chuck Lorre Foundation came through. Lorre is the creator of the hit TV sitcom Young Sheldon, whose character grows up to be a physicist. Donations were matched and doubled in less than 24-hours and now Collier’s classroom is a place where history comes to life.
“I want my students to be engaged with history and it took a STEM activity to align with Social Studies. It allows students to think outside the box and create an exhibit about what they’re learning and have fun while doing it,” Collier explained, using an example of rapping about the subjects at hand.
“By engaging the students, they retain the information and are more inclined to share what they learned.”
Collier’s efforts and star-studded response made local news, and now she has enough kits for each individual student, which is sparking even more creativity and learning opportunities.