Beyond The Classroom: The Impact of the Kirkland Fellowship

Scholarships are vital to student success and helping them achieve their future goals. Equally important, however, is providing teachers—who play a critical role in that success—with opportunities to grow and enhance their own skills.

The Hayes-Couper Fund was established in 1992 by Clinton natives Elizabeth and Gordon Hayes, Sr. and Richard, Patricia and Esther Couper and their families to support educational needs in the Clinton Central School District (CCSD) and the Town of Kirkland. Five years later, the Kirkland Fellowship program was created to fulfill the fund’s mission by providing teachers with learning opportunities that improve student success. Each year, CCSD teachers can apply for funding for professional development that helps them to implement meaningful projects and lessons in their classrooms. Applications are reviewed by a committee that includes relatives of the Hayes and Couper families, as well as CCSD and Hamilton College representatives. Since its inception, the Kirkland Fellowship program has awarded more than $130,000 to nearly 50 educators from the district.

Three teachers—Sarah Gaetano, Katie Parker, and Hilary Lopata—were the recipients of 2024 Kirkland Fellowships. While they each had a distinct vision, they used their fellowship grants to bring their projects to life while sharing the same goal: to inspire and empower their students through hands-on, meaningful learning experiences.

SARAH GAETANO

Seventh grade English Language Arts teacher Sarah Gaetano began implementing TED Ed in her classroom in 2018 and has organized an annual TEDx event at Clinton Central School since 2019. These TedXClinton Central School events feature a diverse mix of speakers covering a wide range of topics—some speakers travel across state lines to attend the event, while others come from classrooms within the district.

Sarah used funds from the Kirkland Fellowship to attend a TEDNEXT conference in Atlanta, GA, where she gained insights from visionary leaders offering fresh perspectives. The experience helped her sharpen her skills and bring new ideas and inspiration back to her students. It was here where she realized that the true power of education lies not just in the lessons taught, but in creating a welcoming environment where her students feel comfortable expressing themselves and asking for help.

“One of the biggest things I’ve learned from this experience is that it’s really important to put yourself out there and ask other people for help when you need it,” Sarah explained. “The only way you can grow to your fullest potential is by connecting with others and joining in on life’s journeys. I’m so thankful to live in a community where so many people are happy to help and be a part of what I’m doing.”

This year’s TEDx Clinton Central School event was titled “Beyond the Lens” and explored how our views of the world define our experiences, challenge assumptions, and open doors to new possibilities. Nine speakers took to the stage to share their stories with an audience made up of students and community members. The event is held every spring in the Clinton Central School theater.

KATIE PARKER

Katie Parker is the elementary school librarian. Each winter, she conducts a project with her fourth-grade students in which they research Nobel Prize winners. Using the knowledge they’ve gathered, students solve clues and unlock a series of locked boxes in search of a class prize—an activity she calls “breakout boxes.”

Given the fact that much of her school year is dedicated to discussing Nobel Prize winners, Katie took the opportunity to use funds provided to her through the Kirkland Fellowship to visit the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm, Sweden. This trip opened her eyes to the vision and dedication of those who have shaped the world through their contributions to science, literature, and peace—a vision she was eager to share with her students to help inspire and enrich their learning.

“Visiting the Nobel Prize Museum was a humbling experience—walking through the stories of extraordinary individuals who transformed the world reminded me that innovation and dedication can truly change the course of history,” Katie said. “I was very thankful to be able to take the experience of going into a space that is designed to teach you about a specific thing and apply it to my own space when I returned.”

This was more than just a trip overseas for Katie—it was the catalyst that helped her revitalize the space she and her students share, as well as reignited her passion for teaching.

“All of those Nobel Prize winners had a dream of improving the world in order to make it a better place,” she explained. “What this experience has inspired me to do, and what I am hoping my students take away from this, is that no dream is too big or too crazy, you just have to be daring enough to dream it and shoot for the stars.”

HILARY LOPATA

Hilary Lopata is the music director at Clinton Elementary School as well as the director of the middle school musicals. Hilary wanted to use her Kirkland Fellowship funds to help plan a special musical that would leave an everlasting impact on her students.

“I was lucky enough to attend the iTheatrics teacher training program in New York City,” Hilary explained. “iTheatrics is a company that turns Broadway musicals into junior musicals. As the music director, I went there to learn skills from the best in the business.”

After attending the specialized training, Hilary was eager to apply her newfound knowledge to the school’s production of “Elf the Musical.” By adapting professional practices for a middle school setting, she brought out the best in the cast, transforming the production into a joyful and polished performance that captured the heart and humor of the beloved holiday story.
The musical ran a total of four performances in November 2024 and performed to a crowd of over 500 attendees at each showing. Approximately 70 students starred in the performance, with another 30 students working behind the scenes.

Along with teaching her students to overcome stage fright, Hilary’s biggest wish was to foster a sense of ownership and pride in her students, encouraging them to fully embrace their roles and contributions.

“I wanted them to have fun doing something they can be proud of,” she said. “Learning to take ownership and pride in themselves and to realize that they must be a part of this collaborative group are essential skills that I hope they grasped. This production taught them that it’s okay to depend on others to solve problems quickly.”