Mrs. Kelly Schaefer, a dedicated 5th-grade teacher at Holy Trinity Catholic School, has been awarded the prestigious Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship grant for her project titled ‘Fractured Not Broken: A Journey of Hope, Healing, and Forgiveness.’ This $15,000 grant will support Mrs. Schaefer’s journey to Denver, Colorado, where she aims to find renewed peace and inspiration.
Accompanied by her husband, Shawn, and children, Sam and Emmy, Mrs. Schaefer plans to utilize the framework of the fruits of the spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – to reignite her passion for education and life. A pivotal part of her journey includes meeting the man whose drunk driving accident altered her life over 25 years ago. Despite forgiving him long ago, Mrs. Schaefer hopes to share inner peace through faith and conversation.
In addition to this transformative meeting, Mrs. Schaefer intends to immerse herself in nature, attend a Christian concert, enjoy a Broadway show, and indulge in spa treatments to achieve self-renewal.
The Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program, established in 1987, supports Indiana educators in rediscovering their passion for teaching through meaningful experiences. By encouraging exploration and reflection, the program aims to foster innovative teaching methods and inspire creative thinking among students.
