Ingersoll Auto of Danbury Owner Todd Ingersoll visited Head O’ Meadow Elementary School to make a special donation to the Newtown Education Foundation on the evening of December 21.

He presented Newtown Education Foundation members Lisa Dievert, Jamie Pacuk, and Michael O’Connor a large check for $2,500 to go towards helping students in town practice science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

With them were past grant recipients and Head O’ Meadow Elementary School teachers Karen Dreger, Beth Murphy, and Miryam Kuligowski.

Dreger shared how she was able to use previous grant money to get her classroom an Ozobot, which is a robot designed to help teach children about robotics, math, and programming.

Murphy put the grant money she received towards a makerspace area for students to learn coding and other skills.

Kuligowski used past Newtown Education Foundation funds to create an outdoor “Kinder Garden” for her students to grow flowers and produce that they donated to food pantries.

All three teachers expressed gratitude to the Newtown Education Foundation and Ingersoll for what they were able to bring to fruition thanks to the supplemental money.

According to Jen Gilbertie of Ingersoll Auto of Danbury, the company not only donated to the Newtown Education Foundation to go towards STEM projects, but it also donated $2,500 to the Bethel Education Foundation for the same opportunity.

Both foundations were given a grant by Ingersoll in 2021, as well.

To learn more about the Newtown Education Foundation, visit newtowneducationfoundation.org.

Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.