Lisa Ehrlich-Menard teaches drama and theater arts at Curie Metropolitan High School.

“We’re talking about opening minds and looking at this from various angles,” Ehrlich-Menard said.

Students responded strongly to a recent production of “The Laramie Project,” which Ehrlich-Menard directed.

“They felt like they had a purpose,” the teacher said. “I had multiple kids who said ‘I didn’t realize how much what I said mattered until we did this.’”

Ehrlich-Menard received a $1,000 check from St. Xavier University for teaching materials as the April Teacher of the Month.