Experiencing Utopia by Ron Clark Sir Thomas More once wrote about a utopian society where people lived and existed under ideal conditions in a flawless environment. Many people don't believe that this type of society can exist, but I know that, however, for one week I was able to experience such a utopia in the presence of 32 outstanding educators and their administrators from across the country. We were joined together at the Disney Institute in Orlando, Florida as part of a series of professional development workshops that Disney's Teacher Awards Honorees and their principals take part in throughout the year. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work so closely with such outstanding professionals who are masters of their curriculum areas and sincerely devoted to the highest level of expectations from their students as well as from themselves. Throughout the week we discussed educational programs that are in place at our individual schools and in each of our districts. It was beneficial to hear about the projects that are working as well as the ones that have been attempted and were not successful. The amount of ideas and advice I was given is immeasurable, and I feel renewed and invigorated because of the wealth of skills and talent I was exposed to during the week. One part of our time at the institute involved using the ideas we had gathered from others and formulating an "action plan" that we can take back to our schools and put into place. The "action plan" is a yearlong timetable of how we will be addressing the needs of a certain area of concern at our individual schools. For example, one plan dealt with how to handle discrepancies in the test scores of minority students. Another plan was focused on how to integrate students who are of different ethnicities who tend to segregate. One school's plan dealt with increasing the use of technology across the curriculum, while another addressed meeting the needs of at-risk students who tend to be discipline problems. These plans were formed through much collaboration and after days of discussion with fellow educators who helped to add to the development of the projects. The outcome is 30 action plans that are currently being implemented and are improving the lives and education of students across the country. Knowing that I had a part in developing such powerful projects is one reason why the week was so meaningful to me, but just as important to me is the bond I made with the group of Disney Honorees. The Honorees are an amazing group of individuals who are talented, cooperative, supportive, and passionate about education. In one short week we became a family, and I know that quick bond was formed because of our common goals and love for the children we teach. I left the Disney Institute renewed, inspired, and feeling like I had just stepped out of a true utopia. What makes the week even more special, however, is that the true magic of the week is currently happening in schools across the country as the action plans are being carried out. It was an honor and a privilege to have been a part of the collaboration at the Institute, and I am looking very forward to continuing to work and develop further projects with my new Disney family.