Two Thermopolis teachers receive $2,000 boost from Voya Financial

Voya Financial, Inc. a leading provider of retirement plans for educators, announced today that Kristin Ryan and Alyssa Brown, teachers at Ralph Witters Elementary School, have received a $2,000 grant as part of the company’s 2023 Unsung Heroes awards competition. Ryan and Brown are the only winners in the entire state of Wyoming.

Voya Unsung Heroes program has awarded more than $6 million to help U.S. educators turn creative teaching ideas into reality for the last 27 years.

Ryan’s and Brown’s innovative idea, “RWE Books on Demand,” will give students access to books using the Books On-Demand vending machine. While most vending machines provide food and drinks, this one dispenses information, according to the teaching duo. In conjunction with the school’s established positive behavior intervention and support system, students will earn tokens specifically for use in the book vending machine. School staff members and the student advisory council will collaborate to identify ways in which book tokens are earned and students will then be recognized each Friday during assembly for their accomplishments. The school will also communicate with families to further assist in celebrating the students’ success.

Selected from a group of applicants from schools across the United States, Ryan and Brown are among only 50 winning submissions to receive the $2,000 award to help fund and bring their program to life. In addition, they will now compete with other finalists for one of the top three prizes — an additional $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000 from Voya Financial.

The Voya Unsung Heroes program has awarded grants to K-12 educators in the United States to recognize and support their innovative teaching methods, creative educational projects, and their ability to positively influence the children they teach. Since the program’s inception, Voya has awarded more than $6 million in support of educators through this nationwide program.

“Teachers, staff and administrators responsible for the education of children are national treasures, and educators such as Kristin Ryan and Alyssa Brown are among the ‘best of the best,’” said Angela Harrell, Voya’s chief diversity and corporate responsibility officer and president, Voya Foundation. “For nearly 30 years, Voya’s Unsung Heroes program and our other education-oriented initiatives have celebrated and financially supported the development of creative teaching methods and innovative thinking that help prepare students for what awaits them beyond their school years. These professionals are truly our unsung heroes.”

To learn more about this year’s winning projects and those from previous years, visit the Unsung Heroes website.