Redmond teacher urges Oregon educators to apply for SELCO’s grants, classroom makeovers

OREGON (KTVZ) -- A Redmond middle school teacher who used SELCO funding to launch a Career and Technical Education shop class is encouraging other Oregon educators to apply for more than $125,000 now available through the credit union’s Regional Classroom Makeover and Creative Educator Grant programs. Applications opened Aug. 15 and close Sept. 30.

The funding opportunities are provided through SELCO Steps Up, the credit union's community outreach initiative. The programs aim to relieve financial pressure on K-12 educators who frequently pay out of pocket for essential school supplies. National Education Association survey data indicates teachers spend an average of $500 to $900 of their own money on classroom expenses each academic year.

Olivia Sorensen, community development supervisor at SELCO, said the initiative has helped teachers launch diverse educational projects across the state.

“The response from Oregon's educators to these programs has exceeded our expectations,” Sorensen said. “We've had the honor of helping teachers create everything from ability-inclusive playgrounds to small, innovative classroom projects that might never have happened otherwise. It's a reminder that when teachers have the resources to bring their ideas to life, students and entire communities benefit.”

Under the program structure, SELCO will award three Regional Classroom Makeovers valued at up to $15,000 each. A SELCO Steps Up committee will select finalists across the three regions the credit union serves: the Willamette Valley, Central and Eastern Oregon and Northern Oregon. Eligible spaces include traditional classrooms, libraries, playgrounds and gymnasiums.

Last year, SELCO awarded $45,000 in Classroom Makeover funding to three schools. The projects included converting an underutilized computer lab into a digital media arts center at Tualatin High School, renovating The Great Hall Theater at the Waldorf School in Eugene and launching a Career and Technical Education program at Obsidian Middle School in Redmond.

Dan Grubb, a CTE instructor at Obsidian Middle School, used the makeover funds to start a shop class and buy technology for his students.

“The reason I wanted to bring this program to Obsidian is because so many of these kids need something to connect them to our school and our community,” Grubb said. “Without the grant, it would have been very simple. We would not have been able to reach as many students as we were able to reach. And the amount of tools, the technology, we were able to buy a CNC router machine. So my students can come up with an idea in their head and then they're able to actually create it in wood.”

Anneke Schoneveld, a digital media arts teacher at Tualatin High School, saw immediate benefits from her classroom makeover. “For me as a first-year teacher, this has been more than transformative,” Schoneveld said. “It's not just that my room can look nice and feel inviting, but it's allowed me real bandwidth to fully design this program.”

In addition to classroom makeovers, SELCO will award dozens of Creative Educator Grants worth up to $2,500 each. Selection panels evaluate applications based on project originality, proposal clarity, student impact, potential for skill development and project diversity. In 2025, the credit union awarded 40 grants totaling $80,268. Funded projects included an entrepreneurial dog treat project at Pacific Crest Elementary in Bend and a history cookbook at Sauvie Island School.

Katelyn Thomson, a teacher at Sublimity Middle School, received a grant in 2025 that supported classroom projects, including sewing Valentine's Day coasters for residents at a local assisted living facility. “My grant expanded our sewing and embroidery programs and gave me the ability to take on a larger class and teach students a real-life skill,” Thomson said. “These classes were a big hit and many students went on to develop their own projects at home. This grant program is absolutely amazing. It was so simple to apply, but the funds made a huge impact on our school.”

Educators across Oregon can submit applications for both funding programs through Wednesday, Sept. 30. Following the selection of finalists by a committee, SELCO members and the public will cast votes online from Nov. 1 through Nov. 7 to select one Classroom Makeover winner from each of the three regions.