Mindful Strides Project Earns Jerseyville Teachers National Recognition
A $2,000 award will help launch a student wellness effort built around an ancient meditative practice and a new outdoor learning feature.
JERSEYVILLE — Three educators at Jersey Community Alternative Program in Jerseyville have been named Voya Unsung Heroes and awarded a $2,000 grant to help fund “Mindful Strides,” a teaching project centered on installing a labyrinth, Voya Financial announced Sept. 14, 2026.
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The educators, Twila Prunty, Nick Crnokrak and Myra Woelfel, are among 50 winners nationwide in the 2026 Unsung Heroes awards competition and the only winners in Illinois. The grant is intended to help bring their program to life.
The winners were selected from hundreds of applications submitted from throughout the United States. They will now compete with other finalists for one of three additional prizes from Voya Financial: $5,000 for third place, $10,000 for second place or $25,000 for first place.
The “Mindful Strides” project involves installing a labyrinth, which the team described as a meditative tool used for more than 4,000 years. Unlike a maze, which has dead ends and requires logic, a labyrinth has a single path with numerous 180-degree turns. According to the team, those shifts balance the brain’s two hemispheres and result in a meditative state linked to physical and emotional healing.
The team said walking a labyrinth can be calming and centering and can help with increased focus, self-awareness, de-stressing, problem solving, conflict resolution, gratitude, reflection, releasing tension, practicing mindfulness, lowering blood pressure, lowering breathing rates, reducing insomnia or improving sleep and decreasing disciplinary actions.
The teachers hope the labyrinth will increase current and future students’ overall social-emotional well-being and self-esteem, improving the community at large. The Voya grant will be used to purchase a 22-foot by four-inch labyrinth template, rope, J-hooks and a flowerpot for the centerpiece.
“Great educators don’t just teach; they create opportunities, unlock confidence, and help students see possibilities they may not have imagined for themselves. The recipients of this year’s Voya Unsung Heroes Awards reflect the extraordinary impact happening in classrooms every day,” said Jon Reilly, SVP, Retail Wealth Management & Advisory Solutions, Voya Financial. “We’re honored to celebrate these educators whose dedication and innovation are helping shape brighter futures for their students and their communities.”
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