Faces of the Valley: Highlands Teacher Jennifer Kosior Wins Magical Disney Trip for Creative ...

"I've been a Disney fan since I was a child," Jennifer Kosior tells Trib Live.

"I was in a little shock and extremely honored."

Kosior was one of 100 teachers across the country to be honored at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., from May 4-7 as part of Disney's campaign to celebrate innovation and creativity.

winners were selected from more than 7,900 applications, according to Disney, for demonstrating the spirit of imagination in their classrooms, inspiring students and playing a key role in shaping the minds of America's future leaders.

Kosior, a library media specialist at Highlands Middle School in Tarentum, Pa., worked during summer breaks from college at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., where she drove a Jeep to guide tourists through the Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom and once saw a wildebeest give birth.

In her winning essay, Kosior detailed her use of hands-on, project-based learning and imagination-powered lessons that empower students' confidence, problem-solving abilities, and ingenuity.

She was one of three educators in Pennsylvania to be chosen for the trip, which coincided with Disney's 100th anniversary and was scheduled just ahead of National Teacher Appreciation Week.

"I came back with a

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