Bluffton teacher leads a dazzling Disney World parade. Here’s why she was chosen
Lauren Puryear, a Bluffton teacher, missed school Friday to hang out with Mickey Mouse and his friends in Florida at Walt Disney World Resort.
She was joined by her fellow teachers from across the country.
It was Puryear’s inspiring work in the classroom that earned her the trip to The Vacation Kingdom.
The Bluffton Middle School science teacher was among 15 educators who were recognized at Disney World for their creative teaching methods.
The teachers served as honorary grand marshals in a dazzling parade through Magic Kingdom Park, traveling down Main Street, U.S.A., ahead of beloved Disney characters and colorful floats.
How Lauren Puryear teaches
Puryear is from Green, Ohio, a small town about 10 miles south of Akron. She first joined the Bluffton school in 2009 after graduating from college. She spent four years teaching in Jasper County but returned to Bluffton Middle School in 2033.
She has her students design experiments, explore “what if” scenarios, plan Mars missions and solve environmental problems.
She uses hands-on labs, including simulations of bird beak adaptations, to teach scientific concepts. She also has students analyze results and challenge their thinking based on outcomes.
“My biggest takeaway from my time at Disney is that inspiration is all around you: one idea, one moment, one person, one thought,” Puryear told the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. “Disney encourages innovation and creativity, even if it ends up in failure (they call it “failing forward”). I try to embody this in my own classroom by encouraging mistakes, and trying something new, even if you fail. I hope my students remember this, even after they leave my classroom.”
How teachers were selected for Disney World trip
The teachers were selected from thousands of entries in the 2026 Disney Teachers Sweepstakes for the one-of-a-kind experience.
The weekend trip included inspiring sessions led by Disney leaders and an evening reception followed by private fireworks viewing.
The teachers also received a behind-the-scenes look at Disney Imagination Campus workshops in performing arts, science and technology, arts and humanities and leadership and innovation.
General Motors, in partnership with the nationwide nonprofit DonorsChoose, awarded the teachers $150,000 in grants that they can use to support other educators in their communities on projects that inspire future innovators.
This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 1:46 PM.
