Educators are invited to apply for SELCO’s new Regional Classroom Makeover initiative and vastly expanded Creative Educator Grant program from Aug. 15-Sept. 30

As educators increasingly dip into their own pockets to pay for classroom-related expenses, SELCO Community Credit Union will soon begin accepting applications for two programs that will combine to offer as much as $125,000 in classroom support across Oregon. Part of SELCO Steps Up, these educator-oriented programs include three Regional Classroom Makeovers, worth as much as $15,000 each, and the vastly expanded Creative Educator Grants that are worth as much as $2,500 for each recipient. 

The application window will remain open for both programs from Thursday, Aug. 15, through Monday, Sept. 30. 

SELCO Steps Up, launched earlier this year, aims to create positive, innovative, and lasting change through community giving, volunteerism, and student and educator support. One of the key goals for SELCO Steps Up is to introduce new — and evolve existing — programs to meet the changing needs of the community. 

In identifying those needs, SELCO has seen a widening funding gap for educators who want to improve their classrooms and/or create innovative, educational, and impactful classroom projects. According to a 2023 survey of more than 1,100 educators by the Association of American Educators, nearly 97% of public school teachers use personal funds to cover classroom supplies, averaging nearly $700 per year per teacher.

“When we considered ways to revamp our community giving program, educator support quickly rose to the top as an area where we could do the most good,” said Olivia Sorensen, Senior Community Development Specialist for SELCO. "SELCO was founded by teachers in 1936, so investing in education has always been in our DNA. With these two programs, we aim to empower teachers in sparking a love of learning in their students and in creating a space where learning can be engaging, inclusive, and transformative.”

SELCO will begin accepting applications for the following programs starting Aug. 15:

• Classroom Makeovers: For the first time, SELCO Steps Up will support three K-12 classroom makeovers for as much as $15,000 each. “Classroom” is loosely defined to encompass any school learning space, including traditional classrooms, libraries, gymnasiums, etc. SELCO members and the public at large will help identify one educator in each of the three regions that SELCO serves: the Willamette Valley, Central and Eastern Oregon, and Northern Oregon. 

• Creative Educator Grants: Designed for K-12 educators with creative classroom ideas but lacking funds to get those projects off the ground, the program has received a significant boost this year. Creative Educator Grants (formerly known as SPARK! Creative Learning Grants) have increased in value to as much as $2,500 per recipient, up from $1,000 in 2023, to support larger and more impactful projects. Previous projects include a multicultural school library, an “Electrathon” race team that built a single-passenger electric vehicle, and a program that explored the wonders of chemistry through art. In total, SELCO Steps Up has pledged as much as $80,000 for this year’s grant program. 

“Those new books in a classroom, the pencils and paper students use for assignments, the decorations hanging on the classroom walls — many of these are thanks to teachers who spend their own money,” Sorensen said. “But what teachers contribute out-of-pocket is often nowhere near what is needed to fund a new project or to create the inspiring learning environment they want for their students. Through these annual grants and classroom makeovers, we hope to help educators create engaging environments, support diverse learning styles, facilitate hands-on learning, and encourage innovation.”

Once the application window for the classroom makeovers closes, a SELCO Steps Up committee will select the finalists for each region. Then, through an online voting process held in October, SELCO members and the public at large will select one winner in each of the three regions SELCO serves.

Meanwhile, to choose recipients of this year’s Creative Educator Grants, a selection panel will review applications based on project originality, proposal clarity, number of students affected, potential for skill development, and diversity and impact of projects. 

For more information about SELCO Steps Up Classroom Makeovers or Creative Educator Grants, to view past grant recipients, or to apply, visit www.selco.org/steps-up/student-and-educator-support/. For questions, please email stepsup@selco.org.