Connecticut Teacher Wins $5K for Recording Studio

Ellie Campbell has spent 14 years teaching music, but she's never forgotten what it felt like to be that sixth grader who fell in love with making sounds together. Now, as band and theater director at CREC Academy of International Studies in Bloomfield, Connecticut, she's about to give her students something many have never had: equal access to professional music technology.

Campbell just won the 2026 Rogers Educational Innovation Fund award, earning $5,000 to build a recording studio at her Title 1 school. While students in affluent neighboring towns often have access to recording equipment and creative tech, her students have been left out of opportunities to learn skills that matter for college programs and careers.

"Technology is very relegating, based on who has it and who doesn't," Campbell says. "For so many people, it is what allows them to open doors for themselves."

The new studio will change that reality for more than 100 students annually. Kids will record spoken word poetry over beats they create, produce podcasts interviewing family members about immigration, and compose their first tracks using MIDI controllers without ever touching an instrument.

Campbell's students travel from Hartford, Windsor, Enfield, and as far as Torrington and Clinton to attend this magnet school. She takes their commitment seriously, building a music program where play sits at the heart of learning.

"In your math class, you don't get to play math," she says. "You get to play music."

Two years ago, when the school added a Mac music lab, Campbell watched struggling students light up with technology. They could do almost everything except record their work, which sparked her idea to expand access.

The Ripple Effect

The recording studio opens doors far beyond music class. Students will leave with professional portfolios they can share with colleges and future employers. The skills translate directly to careers in audiobook narration, podcast production, Foley sound effects, and digital media.

A social studies project becomes a polished podcast. An English assignment transforms into recorded spoken word art. A student who never picked up an instrument creates their first composition.

"Most importantly, students will own their work," Campbell says. "They'll leave our school with recordings they can share with friends and family, and skills that translate directly to careers."

The award honors the legacy of late Neag School Professor Emeritus Vincent Rogers and his wife Chris, both educators who believed in supporting innovative Connecticut teachers. The selection committee noted how Campbell's project aligns perfectly with their vision of increasing access through creative expression.

Professor Todd Campbell, who chaired the selection committee, praised her commitment to "expression through music and creation that can come alongside studio production." The project even honors Vincent Rogers' background as a jazz musician, democratizing music the way jazz once did.

Campbell says thank you doesn't begin to cover her gratitude for understanding how much $5,000 can mean for kids who really need it.