Star Teachers: Susan Pratt spends her summer teaching migrant children

Lake Trafford Elementary School teacher Susan Pratt has been working overtime to keep migrant students in learning mode over the summer break.

She’s spending part of her summer heading up SMILE (Summer Migrant Integrated Literacy Experience) at her school in immokalee.

The program hosts 150 migrant children who voluntarily attend.

Pratt says they believe intelligence is a function of experience, “We try to provide them with as many real world experiences as possible.”

And Pratt has organized the program since 2013, working hard on creating an environment that’s educational and entertaining for the children.

“Our focus is integrating literacy through hands on science and math experiences.” Pratt says.

The first day of the program starts with a demonstrative science hour involving really cool experiments. From making a basketball smash against the wall like glass. To using a leaf blower to blow toilet paper into the air.

These students are actually having fun while learning on their summer break, and it’s because the heart that Susan Pratt has for these children.

She says, “It’s definitely a calling, it’s definitely a passion, it sounds a bit of a cliche but it truly is.”

If you know of a teacher or even a camp counselor in Southwest Florida you’d like us to highlight, send your nomination to reporter Sabrina Katz via Facebook or email sabrina.katz@winknews.com