Willowcreek Middle School teacher and instructional coach Debra Ekdahl believes compassion and empathy are very important. She works hard to teach these traits every day. Her inspiration comes from a surprising place—she has been training horses for 40 years and has seen how horses help people through equine-facilitated therapy, which supports those dealing with tough or traumatic experiences.
This special connection caught the attention of the Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program. Thanks to a generous grant, Mrs. Ekdahl will spend two weeks this summer volunteering at two ranches in Georgia and Kentucky to learn more about equine-facilitated therapies.
The Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program gives grants to Indiana teachers so they can grow their skills through creative summer projects that benefit their students. Only 103 projects were chosen in Indiana this year.
During her trip, Mrs. Ekdahl will help at Barefoot Ranch in Georgia and Reigns of Freedom in Kentucky. These ranches care for horses who have experienced trauma and use equine-facilitated therapies to support children and adults facing their own challenges. Mrs. Ekdahl will groom and feed the horses, clean their stalls, and assist with therapy lessons.
She plans to share what she learns with her coworkers at Willowcreek and use her new knowledge to teach her students compassion and empathy in better ways.
In her grant application, Mrs. Ekdahl said she’s excited to renew her passion for teaching this summer.
“Revitalization is important to me so I can inspire others to be a compassionate change in the world,” she said.
Mrs. Ekdahl also understands how important it is to help students with their social and emotional health, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. She hopes her experiences at the ranches will help her better support her students.
“Visiting the ranches will renew my understanding of how horses help people connect with their feelings and heal from past trauma,” she said. “In my alternative classroom, we practice mindful meditation every day. Equine-facilitated therapies focus on the connection between horse and rider or handler to help create calm and a feeling of safety.”