Extra Credit Union awards $10K to 11 local school staff members
Teachers and other staff in area schools are getting the help they need to fill in budget gaps and keep students interested and engaged in learning, thanks to the help of Extra Credit Union’s annual School Employee Grant Program, which this year, gave $10,000 in grant funding to 11 projects.
The program has awarded $100,000 to local educators and school staff members since it was started in 2011.
Extra Credit Union is proud to announce this year’s 11 School Employee Grant recipients:
• Danielle Torres — Wolfe Middle School, part of the Center Line Public Schools — $1,650 to purchase a one-year subscription to IXL, We All Excel.
• Megan Baranski — Roseville Middle School, part of the Roseville Community Schools — $400 to purchase items and gift cards to reward students with learning challenges for good work and good behavior.
• Donna Beras — St. Anne Catholic Grade School in Warren — $500 to purchase items for her classroom to use for indoor recess and student learning.
• Melissa Young and Jason Clark — Harwood Elementary School, part of the Warren Consolidated Schools — $1,485 to purchase books for all students for March is Reading Month
• Mary Ann Gruda – Immaculate Conception – $1,000 to purchase Ring cameras/doorbells for the outside access doors for safety and so staff can talk/ see visitors prior to opening the doors
• Rebecca Mulligan — Fitzgerald High School, part of the Fitzgerald Public Schools – $224 to purchase t-shirts for the drama club students to wear in their two virtual performances this year.
• Shannon Fulton — St. Anne Catholic Grade School in Warren — $1,200 to fund 2-3 Safe Hydration Filling Stations since students cannot use traditional water fountains due to COVID-19.
• Tracey Bailey — Wolfe Middle School, part of the Center Line Public Schools — $275.88 to purchase a one-year subscription to online platforms for student engagement such as Nearpod and Kahoot!
• Amanda Clor and Denye Griessel — Fitzgerald High School, part of the Fitzgerald Public Schools – $1,000 to fund sending a wrapped cookie and letter to all students who are on honor roll and celebrating student success.
• Jodi Samp — Grissom Middle School, part of the Warren Consolidated Schools — $1,500 to help fund the new Grissom Student Mindfulness Center, which is a room in the school to which students can go to unwind, get assistance with various needs and more.
• Sara Sonnenfeld — Fitzgerald High School, part of the Fitzgerald Public
Schools — $754.80 to purchase 40 “Your THIRD Story” books for a leadership project
COVID-19 has changed the requests for the grants a bit this year, such as no requests for field trips, but the need for extra funding to supplement school budgets didn’t change.
“Our School Employee Grant allows school staff members the opportunity to get the funding they need to keep students engaged, even during a virtual world, or even just to get the necessary equipment or supplies to keep a school safe for learning during COVID-19 and beyond,” said Ruthann Varosi, AVP of Marketing at Extra Credit Union. “We love being able to help provide grants in these areas where the school budget may not have the necessary funds.”
Members of Extra Credit Union’s staff surprised grant winners with the announcement in person this year rather than sending out a letter notifying the winners as in years past.
“We wanted to do something fun and different and bring some unexpected joy and good news into the classrooms and schools this year,” Varosi said. “The school staff have been working extra hard this year with COVID as they face additional challenges and we thought that the surprises would be uplifting—and they were! The school staff members loved it.”
Members of Extra Credit Union’s staff surprised grant winners with the announcement in person this year rather than sending out a letter notifying the winners as in years past.