{"id":226390,"date":"2025-03-06T07:30:46","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T12:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=226390"},"modified":"2025-03-06T11:52:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T16:52:30","slug":"manchester-teacher-named-2025-rogers-educational-innovation-fund-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/03\/manchester-teacher-named-2025-rogers-educational-innovation-fund-winner\/","title":{"rendered":"Manchester Teacher Named 2025 Rogers Educational Innovation Fund Winner"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alumna Giselle Ziegler \u201922<\/em> 6th Year has been named the Neag School of Education\u2019s 2025 Rogers Educational Innovation Fund<\/a> award winner. Ziegler teaches music at Odyssey Community School in Manchester, Connecticut.<\/p>\n

The Rogers Educational Innovation Fund, designated by the late Neag School of Education Professor Emeritus Vincent Rogers<\/a> and his late wife, Chris, a lifelong teacher, provides a $5,000 annual award to support innovative projects by Connecticut elementary or middle school teachers. The gift is intended to support and expand the innovative, collaborative work of Connecticut\u2019s classroom teachers and the Neag School of Education. This is the sixth year that the award has been bestowed.<\/p>\n

\"Giselle
\u201cI look forward to engaging students in musical opportunities outside the classroom in more real-world settings,\u201d Neag School alumna Giselle Ziegler says. (Shawn Kornegay\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ziegler\u2019s project is titled \u201cHarmony in Diversity: Building Cultural Awareness and Musical Equity,\u201d and aims to enhance cultural awareness and musical equity at Odyssey Community School by expanding access to instruments and culturally responsive experiences. It will fund new instruments for equitable participation as well as diverse performances and guest speakers. This will foster inclusivity, empathy, and a deeper connection to music across cultures. The project also nods to Vincent Rogers\u2019 own passion for music, as he was a jazz musician in high school and with the West Point military band.<\/p>\n

\u201cI look forward to engaging students in musical opportunities outside the classroom in more real-world settings,\u201d Ziegler says. \u201cImagine taking them to see a live performance of what they\u2019ve studied or bringing in local artists to work with them one-on-one. These experiences could be life changing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGiselle Ziegler\u2019s project at Odyssey Community School stood out to our selection committee, among the other proposed projects, as we recognized its aim of expanding students\u2019 knowledge and experiences with music in ways that were more culturally expansive and inclusive,\u201d says Todd Campbell, professor and head of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the Neag School, who chaired the 2025 Rogers Fund selection committee.<\/p>\n

\n

We are excited to see this project making an impact in the lives of students at the Odyssey School. — Todd Campbell, professor and chair the 2025 Rogers Fund selection committee<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cGiselle\u2019s ambition of getting more instruments in her students\u2019 hands, beyond those they might typically get experiences with, and connecting them with diverse musicians is inspiring,\u201d Campbell says. \u201cWe are excited to see this project making an impact in the lives of students at the Odyssey School and showcasing the work of an alum of our celebrated Neag School Educational Leadership program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ziegler will be formally recognized at the 2025 Neag School Alumni Awards Celebration<\/a>, which will be held at UConn Storrs in March.<\/p>\n

From the moment she joined Odyssey, Ziegler says she was struck by the school\u2019s diversity. The Title I public charter school draws students from various towns and socioeconomic backgrounds, creating a melting pot of experiences, traditions, and perspectives. What fascinated her most, she says, was how her students came alive when they saw their cultures reflected in the curriculum.<\/p>\n

\"Two
\u201cI noticed early on that engagement spiked when I introduced music from their heritage, a realization that fueled my passion for creating a more inclusive and culturally responsive program,\u201d Ziegler says. (Shawn Kornegay\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI noticed early on that engagement spiked when I introduced music from their heritage, a realization that fueled my passion for creating a more inclusive and culturally responsive program,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

This passion led her to apply for the Rogers award, with the hope that it could help transform her music program from a fledgling endeavor into a thriving, dynamic space for students to explore, create, and connect. With the funding, she envisions expanding the school\u2019s instrumental resources and providing opportunities for her students to experience music in ways they had never imagined.<\/p>\n

Odyssey Community School has already introduced cultural presenters to its students through previous grant funding. Two years ago, Ziegler invited a North Indian Kathak dancer, Rachna Agrawal, to share the rhythms and traditions of her homeland. The following year, Ghanaian musician Iddi Saaka taught students the vibrant beats of West African drumming and dance. Most recently, they hosted Tere Luna, a Mexican folkloric presenter whose lively singing and dancing filled the halls with energy. Each visit had been met with enthusiasm, Ziegler says, but she wanted to take it further \u2014 beyond the classroom walls and into the world.<\/p>\n

At Odyssey, music education is still finding its footing. With limited instruments and a single teacher balancing general, vocal, and instrumental music for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students, the challenges are significant. One of Ziegler\u2019s main goals with the Rogers award is to provide equitable access to instruments. Many students can only engage with music during class, but Ziegler dreams of students taking instruments home, practicing, and truly immersing themselves in their craft.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about allowing them to practice at home, to develop their skills beyond the classroom,\u201d she says. \u201cRight now, that\u2019s something missing; this award could change that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

This grant will change the lives of so many students at Odyssey… And to be able to contribute to the legacy of Professor Rogers, someone who was so passionate about music \u2014 it means everything to me. — Giselle Ziegler \u201922<\/em> 6th Year<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Beyond the instruments, Ziegler\u2019s approach to teaching is deeply rooted in inclusivity. She follows the philosophy of educator and author Alfie Kohn, emphasizing content, community, and choice \u2014 three key elements that she believes are essential to student success.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m providing them with content that\u2019s engaging and relevant to their cultures, creating a community where they feel safe and respected, and giving them choices in how they learn, then I\u2019m doing my job,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

As she wrote her Rogers award proposal, these principles were at the front of her mind. She imagined a classroom where every student saw themselves represented; their cultural backgrounds were acknowledged and celebrated; and music was a bridge that connected them all. She knows that when students feel seen and valued, they are more willing to take risks, explore their creativity, and truly invest in their learning.<\/p>\n

Her long-term vision includes integrating the learning bolstered by this grant into Odyssey\u2019s unique \u201cCommunity Periods.\u201d These Friday sessions involve the whole school and allow students to explore topics of interest beyond the traditional curriculum, and school surveys have shown a strong desire for more engagement with culture through music. Ziegler sees this as the perfect opportunity to use the Roger award\u2019s resources to culminate in a schoolwide event celebrating the diverse musical traditions of their community.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of our trimesters could be dedicated to showcasing what students have learned through this project,\u201d she suggests. \u201cIt could be a performance, an exhibition, or even an interactive workshop. The possibilities are endless.\u201d<\/p>\n

When reflecting on the donors who make the Rogers award possible every year, Ziegler says she is filled with gratitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst and foremost, thank you,\u201d she says. \u201cThis grant will change the lives of so many students at Odyssey, not just now but for generations to come. And to be able to contribute to the legacy of Professor Rogers, someone who was so passionate about music \u2014 it means everything to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more about the Rogers Educational Innovation Fund at\u00a0<\/em>rogersfund.uconn.edu<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Giselle Ziegler \u201922 6th Year, a music teacher at the Odyssey Community School, will receive $5,000 to support her innovative project<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":226392,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[147,1715,2426,2424,1855],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[1879],"class_list":["post-226390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-community-impact","category-curriculum-instruction","category-neag-community-engagement","category-neag"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-25 23:49:15","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=226390"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":226549,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226390\/revisions\/226549"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/226392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=226390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=226390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=226390"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=226390"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=226390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}