Sensory Integration:
Creating the Right Environment for Every Learner
Our surroundings speak to us through our senses, and our emotions answer back. In the classroom, when we fill a student's world with thoughtful and gentle experiences, we're much more likely to hear a happy, confident echo in return.
Lisa Allen, a Special Education teacher at Shoemaker Elementary, understands the power of the human senses and how the right environment can impact a student’s mood and coping ability. Allen and her support staff address these issues daily, constantly investigating ways to create a safe and calming environment for their students. This dedication led to Allen being awarded a Classroom Grant from the Grand Island Public Schools Foundation in October for her "Sensory Integration for Student Success" application. Annually, the Foundation selects deserving classrooms led by innovative teachers to fund new educational experiences.
Thanks to the partnership between the GIPS Foundation and Allen’s vision, a space was created where every child truly belongs. This room is more than just a classroom; it is a peaceful sanctuary designed to help students find their calm, focus their minds, and feel included. By offering a soft place to land for children navigating sensory needs, autism, or anxiety, the program gives them the tools they need to regulate their emotions and step back into their school day ready to learn and grow.
Allen reflects on the positive changes in her classroom since receiving the grant, stating: “The sensory room has given my students a safe space to express themselves through their sensory needs. They are free to jump, wiggle, rest—do whatever they feel most comfortable with. Watching expressions of pure joy on my students' faces while using the sensory room makes my whole day. Thank you so much to the Foundation for allowing us the opportunity to outfit our sensory space with amazing items that help our students feel calm, relaxed, and ready to engage in their learning!”
Corrinna Ziska, with the Educational Life Skills Program, has recently utilized the newly equipped sensory room and states: “Watching my students light up in the sensory room reminds me that learning starts with feeling safe, understood, and happy! Special education is about meeting students where they are, and the sensory room gives us this opportunity. It supports emotional regulation, reduces stress, and creates joyful moments that lead to meaningful learning! When my students feel calm and supported, learning becomes possible.”
The Classroom Grant funds helped purchase various items that provide vibrant visual stimulation, rich tactile experiences, and soothing auditory components, transforming the room into an intentionally designed therapeutic setting. These grant funds were directly invested in the well-being of 450 Shoemaker students, ensuring they all have the tools they need to thrive.
Special Education Paraeducator Mollie Steinkamp echoes the benefits the sensory room has brought to the students she works with daily, stating: “I feel that the sensory room is having a positive impact on our students by allowing them to explore different sensory materials and objects at their own discretion and pace. It's a great space for our students to relax and explore their unique sensory needs.” Special Education Paraeducator Lydia Ignowski shares this conviction, noting: “There are plenty of different activities and items in there that help them get the sensory feedback they may be seeking. It is a safe space for many students to really be themselves.”
In every joyful expression and moment of calm, we see the power of the right environment. The GIPS Foundation strives to foster this same inspiration across all our schools—supporting one student, one teacher, and one breakthrough at a time to build a brighter future for our entire community.
