SELCO Community Credit Union has awarded more than $80,000 to 40 Oregon educators, including six programs from Central Oregon, as part of SELCO’s Creative Educator Grants program.
Creative Educator Grants—which provide as much as $2,500 per recipient—are designed for K-12 educators with creative classroom ideas who need funding to get those projects off the ground. This year, SELCO awarded $80,268 in grants to teachers representing 38 schools across the state.
To better support educators who increasingly dip into their own pockets to pay for classroom-related expenses, Creative Educator Grants have more than doubled in value since the program was revamped as part of SELCO’s Steps Up initiative, which launched in 2024. As a result, SELCO received 281 applications for this year’s grants, with recipients from 14 different Oregon counties, the most in program history.
Grant recipients represent a wide range of programs, from an entrepreneurial dog treat project at Pacific Crest Elementary in Bend to a community water testing lab at Junction City High School that will teach students how to be citizen scientists. Other projects include a “Sauvie Island Cookbook,” which will connect students at Sauvie Island School northwest of Portland with the traditions and history of the island’s people.
“Through Creative Educator Grants, we aim to support teachers who are continually trying to reach students in unique and interesting ways,” said Craig Carpenter, SELCO’s senior vice president of lending and business banking. “Year after year, we’re amazed by the wealth of innovative ideas. As a credit union founded by educators, SELCO will remain committed to helping these passionate teachers make learning meaningful and fun.”
This year’s recipients include six educators from Central Oregon:
- Create in 3D — Natalie Richards, Tom McCall Elementary, Bend
- Equitable Student Government & Live Student Podcast — Brettney Bryant, High Desert Middle School, Bend
- Golden Eagle Kitchen to Career — Christina Holler, Pacific Crest Middle School, Bend
- Adaptive Play Equipment — Marnie Freilinger, Rosland Elementary School, La Pine
- Cardio Drumming — Michelle Holliday, Powell Butte Community Charter School, Powell Butte
- First Grade CKLA Curriculum Enrichment — Aurora Smith, Sage Elementary School, Redmond
- Literacy Without Limits: Dyslexia Book Project — Susan Gotshall, John Tuck Elementary, Redmond
A complete list of recipients and project descriptions can be found HERE.
To choose the recipients of this year’s grants, a selection panel scored applications based on project originality, proposal clarity, number of students affected, and potential for skill development.
As a grant recipient in 2024, Jenifer Gerlach, the music instructor at Prairie Mountain School in Eugene, purchased ukuleles for her classroom.
“When a student can play an instrument, it creates neuropathway connections that they will use the rest of their lives,” Gerlach said. “If I can get more neuropathways created just through having fun with ukuleles, that’s a win.”
SELCO will also soon announce the winners of three Regional Classroom Makeovers, a program that launched in 2024 and awards as much as $15,000 to each recipient to transform their learning environments.
For more information about Creative Educator Grants, past grant recipients, or SELCO’s student and educator support programs, visit www.selco.org/steps-up/.
