Mary Schachtel Wright

Mary Schachtel Wright is a retired teacher with 40 years of experience in New York City and in Rhode Island. In 2003, she started a program with her grade 4 students called Go-Fourth, empowering them to reach out globally to become respectful of other cultures; the curriculum enabled children from different countries to make the best choices: ones that demonstrated respect instead of intimidation. After fundraising, Mary escorted families to visit pen-pals in China and planted a Peace Pole in Shaoguan city as a symbol of hope for unity among humanity. As a result, she received the Institute for International Sports Award. Demonstrating her belief that all children have gifts, Mary received the 2008 New England Conference on Gifted and Talented Award. She co-founded the Jamestown Community Theatre and directed over 40 musicals and plays with casts that embraced adults and children, for which she received Motif Magazine Awards.