More than 20 programs from Lane and Douglas counties schools received grants, which award as much as $1,000 to K-12 educators in communities across the state
SELCO Community Credit Union, through its annual SPARK! Creative Learning Grants program, has awarded more than $42,000 to 47 educators across Oregon. The program, which provides money for innovative educational and extracurricular projects, provides grants of as much as $1,000 to K-12 educators across the 27 Oregon counties that SELCO serves.
The SPARK! program has long supported teachers who have creative classroom ideas but lack the funds to get those projects off the ground. This year’s program was specifically aimed at helping educators meet the unexpected and evolving challenges of the 2020-21 school year. In all, 38 Oregon schools are represented among 47 diverse programs. The 2020-21 grant projects include a philanthropy project in Gold Hill, a virtual reality art program in Culver, and an interactive learning space to explore the lifecycle of salmon and trout in Gervais.
The 2020-21 Lane County recipients are:
Project Painted Ukulele — Laurie Hammond, Harrison Elementary, Cottage Grove
Career Pathway in Graphic Design — Kim Hanson, Cottage Grove High School, Cottage Grove
FoldScopes for Distance Learning Microscopy — Brian Vollmer-Buhl, Cottage Grove High School, Cottage Grove
Join the Journey — Liz Babbs, Creswell High School, Creswell
Handson Building Project Kits for Distance Learning — Wheylin Niehus, Creswell High School, Creswell
Community Learning Pod RV, Music to Special Education Students — Michael Kerns, Child’s Way Charter School, Dorena
Farm to Table Cooking Classes — Valerie Rocco, Dorena School, Dorena
The SELCO selection committee identified the grant recipients from among 118 applicants.
For more information on SELCO’s SPARK! Creative Learning Grants, or to follow the progress of some of the grant winners, visit selco.org/spark.
