Six Central Oregon teachers among dozens awarded Creative Educator Grants by SELCO Credit Union
KTVZ
Update: Adding video
EUGENE, Ore. (KTVZ) — 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/. Images of past winners can be FOUND HERE.
About SELCO Steps Up:
The SELCO Steps Up program aims to create positive, innovative, lasting change through volunteerism, resource support, and collaboration with community partners. In 2024, SELCO reinvested nearly $415,000 in the communities it serves through educator grants, scholarships, and impact-driven sponsorships. SELCO staff also committed nearly 1,400 volunteer hours last year alone. As a credit union founded by teachers, education is a cornerstone of these efforts, with a focus on removing barriers to financial literacy. By empowering individuals and families to achieve financial well-being, SELCO strives to build a strong foundation for all its members and neighbors. Learn more at www.selco.org/steps-up.
About SELCO Community Credit Union:
Founded nearly 90 years ago by a group of fiscally minded teachers, Springfield-based SELCO Community Credit Union today serves more than 150,000 members as one of the largest and longest-standing Oregon-based credit unions. A not-for-profit, federally insured, member-driven financial cooperative with more than $2.8 billion in assets, SELCO provides its member-owners with exceptional rates and low fees on a full range of financial products and services, including banking, mortgages, personal and business loans, investments, and insurance. Membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of the 27 Oregon or eight Washington counties SELCO serves. For more information or to become a member today, stop by one of SELCO’s 15 branches, visit selco.org, or call 800-445-4483.