As part of its ongoing commitment to public education, SONIC donated $1 million in March to send nearly 400 educators to the Ron Clark Academy (RCA) Experience in Atlanta for an immersive two-day professional development training held March 19 – 20. Funded by the SONIC® Foundation, the experience equips teachers from across the country with high-impact, engaging instructional strategies designed to boost academic achievement and strengthen classroom culture.
“This is our third year supporting educators through the Ron Clark Academy, and each year we see firsthand the impact this experience has on teachers and their students,” said Stuart Brown, executive director of the SONIC Foundation. “Supporting teachers in the communities we serve is central to the SONIC Foundation’s mission, and we’re proud to help provide the tools these educators need to continue inspiring the students and schools they serve every day.”
The Ron Clark Academy is a highly acclaimed, nonprofit middle school that doubles as a demonstration school – a place where visiting educators engage in a vibrant professional development experience by observing best practices in action before participating in hands-on workshops. In the past 18 years, more than 160,000 superintendents, district-level administrators, and teachers have participated in the RCA Experience to learn new ways to engage students, promote academic excellence, build relationships, and create a positive classroom culture.
“Partnerships like this one with the SONIC® Foundation are what make it possible for us to extend the RCA Experience beyond our walls and into classrooms across the country,” said Kirk Brown, chief development and communications officer of the Ron Clark Academy. “When 400 educators walk through our doors, learn alongside our teachers, and leave with strategies they can use the very next day, that is the kind of impact that changes schools. We are incredibly grateful for SONIC’s continued investment in teachers and the communities they serve.”
Guests can join SONIC in supporting teachers and local public schools by ordering their favorite drink at the drive-in. Every time guests purchase a SONIC Drink, Slush, Blast or Shake, the brand donates a portion of proceeds to the SONIC® Foundation, which is used to support public education through Limeades for Learning®.* Since 2009, SONIC has donated more than $32 million to funding local classrooms, becoming one of the largest programs to support public education in the U.S.
