SONIC Expands Educator Support with Sponsored Training at Famed Ron Clark Academy

125 teachers were sponsored as part of SONIC Foundation’s ongoing support of public education

OKLAHOMA CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Last week, 125 educators from more than 80 public school districts across the country traveled to Atlanta, GA to attend the two-day Ron Clark Academy Experience with the help of the SONIC^® Foundation. From Feb. 29 – March 1, educators participated in immersive trainings and workshops where they learned powerful teaching techniques to implement in their classrooms, schools and districts. This hands-on support is one of the ways the SONIC Foundation supports public education nationwide through its Limeades for Learning^® initiative, where a portion of proceeds from every drink purchase is donated to support local schools and teachers across the communities SONIC serves.

SONIC has a long history of supporting public education, and investing in teacher development plays a key role in ensuring students have a meaningful classroom experience. The group that SONIC sponsored to attend the RCA Experience consisted of teachers and school administrators with experience levels ranging from 0-20+ years. RCA's teaching specialties span a variety of subjects, including math, science, language arts, social studies, special education and more. The goal of the training is to leave teachers feeling empowered, uplifted and supported to implement RCA’s teachings into their own classrooms.

“This year marks the 15^th anniversary of Limeades for Learning, and we’re excited to kick it off with such an impactful opportunity for so many teachers,” said Stuart Brown, Executive Director of the SONIC Foundation. “Ron Clark and his methods have transformed the way teachers engage their students, making learning more captivating. Teachers serve as the cornerstones of a child’s development and educational experience, and the SONIC Foundation is honored to invest in this group of educators who will utilize these learnings to have an impact on so many students and communities.”

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 16 years, more than 100,000 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.

"We're thrilled to be able to partner with the SONIC Foundation in our shared commitment to support educators across our country!” said Ron Clark, co-founder of the Ron Clark Academy. “Our goal is to create a revolution in education through transformative teaching methods that are shared and replicated everywhere, and this partnership gets us closer to that mark!"

Last week’s attendees are just part of the commitment the SONIC Foundation is making to teacher training. Later this year, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, the SONIC Foundation will provide scholarships for another 150 teachers to attend RCA.

“Experiencing the Ron Clark Academy training would mean that my staff and I would be more equipped to better serve our students,” said Brenda Soberanes, Assistant Principal at I.N. Range Elementary in Mesquite, TX in her application to attend the training. “Our school mission is to grow respectful, responsible and remarkable citizens and I believe that the Ron Clark Academy does just that by creating an environment and school culture where students are invited and motivated to learn by using fun and creative strategies.”

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 drink, slush, blast or shake, SONIC 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 $27 million to funding local classrooms, becoming one of the largest programs to support public education in the U.S.

About SONIC^® Drive-In

SONIC, founded in 1953, is the largest drive-in restaurant brand in the United States, with more than 3,500 restaurants in 47 states. SONIC is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit SONICDriveIn.com and InspireBrands.com.

*SONIC donates a portion of every Drink, Slush, Blast or Shake purchase to the SONIC Foundation, which is used to support local schools across the communities SONIC serves through partners like DonorsChoose. The SONIC Foundation is a division of the Inspire Brands Foundation. For more information about the SONIC Foundation, visit foundation.sonicdrivein.com.