Georgia United Credit Union Awards Rockdale County School’s Shoal Creek Elementary 2026 School Crashers Grant

CONYERS, GA (March 12, 2026) – Imagine you’re a first grader who has had a hard morning at home before school. Maybe you’re struggling with big emotions, a behavioral disorder or you’re simply overwhelmed. Your teacher notices that you are having a difficult day and suggests you and the school counselor visit the sensory room so you can take a break and reset before returning to class. But when you arrive, the room feels empty and uninviting with plain white walls, a few Legos and nowhere comfortable to sit. You’re relieved to take a break and talk about your hard day, but it’s hard to truly calm down without the right environment. Now imagine instead a space designed just for you with soft lighting, calming colors, cozy seating and sensory equipment that helps you feel regulated, supported and ready to try again. The right tools can make all the difference.

Shoal Creek Elementary Parent Liaison and educator Melanie Robinson partnered with Principal Ronnie Banyard to nominate her school for a makeover grant with a 250-word story and a photo of a small, empty room – earning one of five coveted Georgia United School Crashers projects scheduled for this summer. Melanie’s nomination was compelling:

 “The expectations are high: learn, engage, execute, behave, and express emotions appropriately. Daily requirements for elementary school students to be successful in school can be challenging. Our staff works hard to help students develop self-regulation skills. Unfortunately, a gap exists. Our building does not have a safe and quiet space that allows teachers to help students ‘reset and decompress’ during challenging moments. This limits a teacher's ability to provide proper and effective support in a conducive environment. Built decades ago (1992), Shoal Creek Elementary School serves an evolving community. The number of underserved students needing emotional support has significantly increased. As a result, at times, emotional support at our school occurs in areas such as hallways and classrooms which lack privacy. To close this gap, our solution is to transform an unused room into a space that is beneficial for every student! A dedicated wellness and calming room in an elementary school is essential for supporting students' emotional regulation and overall well-being. Its creation will be a step toward developing positive student mental health. The space will contain appropriate materials (warm lighting, soft colors, sensory tools) to help give students a safe space to regulate, de-stress and re-enter class ready to learn. With the help of School Crashers, we want every student to have access to this special room (when needed). This makeover has the power to positively transform our school community to create a supportive school climate that nurtures social-emotional development and student academic success.”

Georgia United Credit Union Community Development Director Kim Wall, agrees and spoke on behalf of CEO Laura King, “We are looking forward to serving our communities and strengthening our school systems through our thirteenth annual School Crashers program. This program is made possible by the Georgia United Foundation, credit union team members, generous donors, community partners and volunteers. We are especially excited about the Shoal Creek Elementary project as it is close to our Conyers Branch location, so we anticipate good volunteer support to transform this empty room into an important mental health resource.”

“Whenever members use Georgia United for a car loan, home loan or checking account, a part of those funds are given back to the community through scholarships, financial education or through programs like School Crashers that deliver inspiring learning spaces that strengthen schools. By the end of the summer, School Crashers improvements will have impacted a total of 86 schools with improvement estimated at over $3.2 million since 2014.”

Shoal Creek Elementary Principal Ronnie Banyard, Jr. expressed his gratitude, “My school and I are beyond honored that we were selected, and our students are going to benefit from the space that will be dedicated to them and their social emotional well-being. We are looking forward to this partnership.” Following this morning’s announcement at the school, Georgia United’s community development representatives will meet with the school to begin setting priorities and planning everything from paint and flooring to sensory equipment and comfortable seating. All facility upgrades to the space will be administered during summer break to ensure that regular instruction is not impacted. The new sensory room is scheduled to be ready for students and faculty to use by the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

Funding for the School Crashers program is provided by the Georgia United Credit Union, their 501c3 charitable Foundation, and generous donations made by community partners, with labor provided by volunteers. If you or your organization would like to contribute to this summer’s makeover program, visit www.gucufoundation.org/donate. To learn more about the School Crashers program and view photos of past School Crashers recipients, visit gucufoundation.org/schoolcrashers, where additional 2026 grant recipients will be listed as they are announced during the month of March.